DVD Corner's blog

Godzilla (2014) 4K UHD Review

“Godzilla (2014)” is one of the best films of the past 20 years.

There are a lot of mysteries and secrets within 2014’s “Godzilla” as the story contains plots about a mysterious Nuclear Power Plant meltdown, a secret organization (MONARCH), MUTOs (AKA Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism), and Godzilla’s awakening. Character wise, the story focuses on a family- Married couple Joe and Sandra, their son Ford (who later joins the Navy) and Ford’s own family with his nurse wife Elle and their son (Sam) who are all caught in the middle of the chaos unfolding across the globe.

As “Godzilla Vs. Kong” fast approaches, now is as good of a time as any to revisit (or watch) the art film disguised as a blockbuster. I am, of course, referring to “Godzilla (2014).” Unlike the lackluster action filled sequel “Godzilla: King Of The Monsters,” the first film in this new Monsterverse took big risks. It doesn’t play out like your average reboot or sequel and doesn’t opt for a ton of action. Director Gareth Edwards (who was no stranger to Kaiju with the excellent “Monsters”) and writer Max Borenstein are more concerned with crafting a story about nature. Not only is Godzilla’s place in nature as an alpha predator explored, but we (the audience) see how he is a force of nature along with the M.U.T.O. Humanity is virtually helpless as the Kaiju create chaos and destruction wherever they go. This version of Godzilla really grounds the action to give viewers the sense of what it would really be like if Godzilla existed. This entry also really harkens back to the origins of the franchise in that dark, serious, and atmospheric sense.

Another aspect that floored me was the scale of this movie. This is the type of Godzilla film I have always envisioned- something on a massive scale with a big budget. With the mixture of practical sets and digital effects, you really feel immersed by this world. Now, some folks have complained that Godzilla doesn’t have enough screentime, but I guess they forgot that Godzilla wasn’t even in the original “Gojira” for 9 minutes. Sometimes less is more and that is certainly the case here. I love how Gareth Edwards builds suspense and shows restraint before the big climactic showdown which is satisfying on every level.

Admittedly, the human characters are the weak point but they always have been in the Godzilla franchise. I do think Bryan Cranston’s Joe should have been in the film a tad more as his character was the most intriguing (although he does set Ford on his journey). Elizabeth Olsen (Elle) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Ford) are serviceable here as a couple that is trying to survive apart amid the chaos. The real scene stealer is Ken Watanabe as Dr. Serizawa. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. How does it look? This is a deeply impressive upgrade. “Godzilla” is often a dark movie, but the night scenes (including the climactic battle) look clearer than they ever have on this 4K release.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? This Atmos track brought a tear  of joy to this Godzilla fan’s eye. This is an absolute room shaker of an audio track.

Extras (all on the Blu-ray):
* Blu-ray copy and Digital copy
* “Ancient Enemy: The M.U.T.O.s”- An all encompassing extra about the Kaiju creatures.
* “Into The Void: The H.A.L.O. Jump”- A making of featurette on the thrilling sequence.
* “MONARCH: Declassified”- A 3 part in-universe extra about M.U.T.O. history, the MONARCH group and a TV Godzilla documentary
* “Godzilla: Force Of Nature”- A 19 minute extra that tackles everything from the production to the creative approach.
* “A Whole New Level Of Destruction”- This featurette covers the sets, shooting location and effects

March 19, 2021 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Elizabeth Olsen, Gareth Edwards, Godzilla, Godzilla (2014) 4K Review, Godzilla 2014