The Toho Godzilla Collection: Wave Two (Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, et al; 1996 - 2002/Sony Pictures Blu-rays)

Back in May, I had the pleasure in reviewing Sony's re-release of modern (starting in the 1990s) Japanese Godzilla films in Blu-ray and was very excited for these new additions to the Toho Godzilla Collection! Now that they are here, I have to say that I love seeing the big green meany even more now that he's in high definition! The reviews for this round are Godzilla 2000, The Rebirth of Mothra I,II, and III and the double feature of Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack! and finally Godzilla Vs. Mecha Godzilla! Aside from the packaging, Ultraviolet copies, and great transfers, the only thing these discs are lacking in are extras - sadly the only ones on the disc are the theatrical trailers. Fun to watch for sure but I crave more insight onto the makings of these films from the creators. Don't let that deter you though, The Toho Godzilla Collection! by Sony is a must for any fan of the most famous monster and fans of Japanese Kaiju films! These are also very fun to look back on now that we have seen Legendary Pictures new take on the King of Monsters!

Godzilla 2000

Picture: B+ Sound: B+ Extras: D Film: B (both versions)

Exploding onto Blu-ray is Japan's thirty-third installment, Godzilla 2000, which is a fun romp from frame one to completion! The shots of Godzilla are all pretty well done but the film shows some age with some of the primitive digital effects, which throws off some of the well-done practical stuff. Much like the new American film, Godzilla here is a definite villain in the first two acts but turns out to be a savior in disguise towards the end. One thing I noticed was that he used his radioactive breath a lot more than normal in this film - which isn't a complaint but more an observation. Highlights are also his invincibility factor including one scene where hundreds of tanks shoot at him and don't even make a mark and some very cool underwater sequences in the beginning. This Blu-ray version of the film also contains both the American and Japanese versions, which are slightly different.

Godzilla is a literal force of nature to Japan. The Godzilla Prediction Network (GPN) functions independently to study the mutant dinosaur and predict his landfalls. Meanwhile, the scientists of the Crisis Control Institute (CCI) find a 65 million year old structure deep in the Japan Trench. As CCI attempts to raise the object to study its internal power source, it takes off into the sky on its own. Godzilla arrives and battles the Japan Self Defense Forces, now equipped with powerful Full Metal Missiles, but the strange UFO appears, searching for some sort of genetic information that apparently only Godzilla possesses. It fights Godzilla to a standstill, driving the monster underwater, and then lands to replenish its solar power. This scene showcases both the immense power that Godzilla holds and the arrogance of Man in once again trying to defeat him.

Yuji Shinoda, founder of GPN, discovers the secret to Godzilla's regenerative properties (named Regenerator G1), but so has the UFO. It frees itself from the JSDF's attempts to contain it, and heads for Shinjuku. After landing atop City Tower, it begins to drain all the files about Godzilla from Tokyo's master computers. CCI attempts to destroy the UFO using explosive charges, but Shinoda, attempting to find out more about the aliens, is nearly caught in the blast. He survives, and joins the rest of the cast on a rooftop, watching the UFO. Almost in response, the ship broadcasts its message of invasion and a new empire on earth, and Shinoda reveals that the aliens are after Godzilla's DNA so that they may re-form their bodies. The UFO goes on to wreak havoc, after Shinoda and Miyasaka find out that Godzilla's skin cells are very remarkable, with a DNA affectionally named "Regenator/Organizer G1" in Katagiri's laboratory. The UFO then tries to drain all of Tokyo's computer data to find information about Godzilla. Katagiri orders the JSDF to use blast cannons to destroy the UFO. This sequence is pretty well done and I think the fact that the villain in this film takes many different forms, not unlike Mothra.

However, the UFO is alive, and someone tells that Godzilla's entered the bay. Godzilla arrives from the darkness and battles the ship. However, he is subdued by the ship's assault, and the alien creature absorbs his DNA, creating an octopus-like body. The alien is unable to control Godzilla's DNA and further mutates into a horrible alien monster named Orga that has more of a classic Kaiju look. The ending battle between the two monsters is pretty well done and features a nice mix of digital and practical effects. I also admire the fact that the filmmakers used some of the original Godzilla music for the score in these final scenes to really bring back the feeling of the older films in the series.

To point out a few things I didn't like about the film, I had an issue with the film with some of the reaction shots of some of the characters when watching Godzilla in close proximity. Not a single hair blows on their head and they never cover their ears, even when he is roaring in their faces! I definitely did enjoy the idea of a Godzilla Research Group and think that plot point was a fun edition to pitting the human characters in the heat of the action. They should use this in an American film as I feel that would better service the characters always just so happening to be where the King of Monsters is.

Sony has done a great job restoring the disc for high definition - boasting 1080p high definition transfers in 2.35:1 and lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 Stereo (with Pro Logic surrounds) soundtracks for each respective version that makes you feel like you are in the heat of the action. This is the very time that this film has been available in America on Blu-ray and being a owner of the original DVD version, I can tell you that this is definitely a worthwhile upgrade. Unfortunately, the only advantage the DVD has over this release is slightly more extras - here only a Theatrical Trailer is available. Sony actually gave it a wide U.S. theatrical release in the face of their 1998 revised Godzilla film failing at the box office.

Godzilla 2000 is not the best Godzilla film or the worst. It definitely has some creatively, some great sequences, fun characters and supporting cast and some impressive (and not impressive) digital effects. All in all, it's not one to be missed in your Godzilla collection!

The Rebirth of Mothra I, II, and III

Picture: B+ Sound: B Extras: D Films: B/B-/C

Available for the first time in North America on Blu-ray is the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy! The wildly praised films look phenomenal on Blu-ray and I'm very happy to finally have them in my collection! While they are not on par with most Godzilla films (though the third one does feature King Ghidorah as the antagonist) these Mothra films are a nice compilation and bring us some pretty cool special effects and stories that are pretty interesting and definitely brought to life better with the power of Blu-ray!

Rebirth of Mothra I (1996)

A logging and mining company working in Northern Japan disrupts a set of magical seals buried underground that causes the release of Death Ghidora, an enormous, three-headed monster that had previously wiped out all life on Mars and caused the extinction of the dinosaurs on Earth. When Death Ghidora begins sucking the life out of the environment, the only thing that can save the planet from destruction is Mothra, the giant flying insect. Though as Mothra has weakened from trying to preserve her species, a new Mothra takes to the air and must battle Death Ghidora to save humanity.

Rebirth of Mothra II (1997)

Two young kids inadvertently unleash find a lost city and a giant sea creature that is somehow strengthened from the abundance of modern-day pollution. Mothra's keepers, the tiny twins Moll and Lora, quickly rouse the gentle giant in order to combat this latest threat to peace.

Rebirth of Mothra III (1998)

A meteorite yields the three-headed dragon King Ghidorah on Earth, after Mothra's priestesses predicted that the King of Terror would return. The monster was said to be responsible for the death of the dinosaurs, and now, he is out to get all of Earth's children. While Mothra's powers are no match for the dragon, he is sent to the past, in the time of the dinosaurs, to battle a younger, and apparently less powerful, King Ghidorah.

Sony has done a great job restoring the disc for high definition - boasting a 1080p high definition transfer in 2.35:1 and a lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Stereo (with Pro Logic-like surrounds) soundtrack that make you feel like you are in the heat of the action. This is the very time that this film has been available in America on Blu-ray and is not a necessity but a fun companion piece to Godzilla and Kaiju lore.

The only special features are trailers.

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack! (2001)

Picture: B+ Sound: B+ Extras: D Film: B

Made just after the success of Godzilla 2000, this film features the terrible threesome up to no good as they battle it out over Japan! The special effects are pretty awesome and there is much to love about this film!

Strange unexplainable incidents occur when an American submarine has been destroyed by a mysterious force off the shores of Guam. Only Admiral Tachibana was certain that behind the disaster was none other than the destructive King of the Monsters himself - the treacherous icon - Godzilla! Over fifty years since his attack on Tokyo in 1954, Godzilla has mysteriously returned to life to destroy Japan, and General Tachibana, whose parents died in the monster's destructive wake, was prepared for his return to protect Japan from yet another tragic disaster, but is dismissed by the overly confident Japanese government, who underestimate Godzilla's power.

But to further prove Tachibana's claim, his daughter Yuri, who works for the TV news program "Digital Q," investigates strange phenomena in three separate areas in Japan (two of which involve the deaths of immoral youths), and meets a mysterious old man named Isayama, who proclaims that aside from his infamous nuclear origins, Godzilla is an accumulation of vengeful souls (of both Japanese and non-Japanese) abandoned to die in the Pacific War, and thus, mere weapons cannot kill him. While Tachibana has now been vindicated by the government, Isayama awakens the Three Sacred Guardian Beasts of Yamato, which protected Japan in its ancient past, and were then put into hibernation in the aforementioned three areas of Japan. The three monsters, King Ghidorah (sky), Mothra (water) and Baragon (earth), fight the ravaging Godzilla, while Tachibana also prepares to go into battle against his old radioactive nemesis . . . who will win? You will have to see this great film to find out!

Godzilla Against Mecha Godzilla (2002)

Picture: B+ Sound: B+ Extras: D Film: B

My favorite adversary to Godzilla has always been Mecha Godzilla and I also find the films with these two, the most inventive in terms of scope. Much like the other two films in the Mecha Godzilla series, this one has the best special effects and some of the coolest moments with my favorite monster!

As a typhoon is raging across Japan, and a loud roar alerts the populace that they are once again being visited by a rampaging monster. The military manages to drive the beast back into the ocean, but another attack looks inevitable. In preparation, the Ministry of Science designs Kiriyu, a enormous lizard-like robot constructed from the bones of the first giant monster that attacked Tokyo almost fifty years earlier. Sure enough, just as the finishing touches are being put on Kiriyu, the real monster comes back to settle some old scores. Will the team of crack soldiers at Kiriyu's controls have what it takes to keep Shinagawa, and all of Japan, monster-free?

Sony has done a great job restoring the films for high definition - boasting a 1080p high definition transfer in 2.35:1 and a lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 soundtrack that make you feel like you are in the heat of the action. Unfortunately, there is nothing but theatrical trailers for features.

- James Harland Lockhart V

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