The second double edition Blu-ray set from Sony. This release features the 1993 and 1994 films in the Godzilla franchise. In terms of quality, this one is comparable to the Blu-ray release for Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) and Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). It is a slight step up as while the video presentation is still fare, the audio presentation has been improved. The extras are minimal, but do offer a variety of trailers on the two films for some added content to look over.
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Two steps forward, one step back. The Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II transfer present is a notable improvement over the Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II Tristar DVD. The noise level is reduced and the purple tint that the DVD copy had is no more. The colors are also more spot on in general than on the Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah / Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth Blu-ray. They appear a little vibrant here, while details in the frame are also improved as well. Unfortunately, the transfer is just a little too dark, which is very obvious during some of the scenes with BabyGodzilla.
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla doesn't fare as well. The color vibrancy and details are both respectable, but there is a faint purple tint to the film. This is most notable toward the beginning fourth of the film. It's downright painful, though, at the end of the film, as seen here. This might have been color tinted on purpose to simulate a sunrise, but this wasn't apparent on any previous home video release in the US or Japan. Also, the video track is slightly cropped, which is obvious when comparing footage from this Blu-ray with the earlier Tristar DVD and Madman DVD.
In good news, the prints used for the transfers are different from what we have seen before and thankfully don't remove the end credits. In fact, the end credits are now fully translated in English on both, as seen here, which is very welcome. In terms of the openings, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II has a similar title sequence as the Tristar DVD. However, the one for Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla is completely new and, sadly, slaps the English title on top of the Japanese one like some of the Millennium international versions were fond of doing. This version of the film also has the modern Toho logo, so its possible this is a rebranded international version that will likely be the defacto one going forward. In terms of print condition, there are very minor scratches on Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla but both are in great condition.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla are presented in their
original aspect ratios of 1.85:1.
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Sony steps up the audio on this release compared with their Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah / Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth Blu-ray. Both films feature the original Japanese audio this time in surround, 5.1 DTS-HD MA. The added directionality is appreciated, and the tracks are loseless as well. There is a minor discrepancy in the music track of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, heard when Godzilla arrives for the climax battle, but is otherwise solid. Like before, this release is the first time the Japanese audio has been commercially available in the United States.
In terms of the English dub tracks, they are also improved. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II has a stereo dub track while Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla features its dub track in 5.1 surround. While the dubs them self are god awful, the audio quality is more comparable to their Japanese counterparts which makes this a definitive step up versus the other Heisei series Blu-ray by Sony.
The two movies contain three subtitle options each, two English (one SDH for the hearing impaired which subtitles sound effects with a black background on text) and one French. Unfortunately, the subtitle job on this release is mixed. Like the earlier Tristar DVD release, the subtitles for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II are "dubtitles" and reflect the English dubbed track. Luckily, Rodan is subtitled by that name instead of "Radon". Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla features a subtitle track that is a hybrid. Some of the lines default to the dubbed audio, while others stay true to the Japanese audio. Sadly, it tends to use the dub more often than not.
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Across the two discs, this set contains all the trailers for the two films, which clock in at four for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and three for Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. The trailers contain removable English subtitles which are a nice addition as well. While this might seem like a minor addition, some of the trailers, in particular the teasers, are pretty interesting. Be sure to check out the first teaser for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II for example that edits footage so that Godzilla is fighting off against the machines from Gunhed (1989). The teaser is probably the closest we will ever get to the scrapped Godzilla 2 concept.
Beyond this the disc also contains Digital HD Ultraviolet copy of both films. As just a side note, the copy contains both movies although Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla is photographed in the print out.
Sadly, the menu is still generic for both, although at least the featured Godzilla from Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla lines up with one of the films in the set.
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A good bang for the buck and nice upgrades over their earlier releases. The fact that this release features the end credits uncut is also nice to see, although raises a question why they didn't bother to do this for the first Blu-ray double pack as well. Either way, the upgrade isn't as obvious as the one for the 1991 and 1992 films in the series, but still a worthy addition to Godzilla fan's collection.
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