Warner Bros. Pictures
I previously reviewed Godzilla: King of the Monsters upon its theatrical release back in May of this year. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has now released the film to the home video market so if you missed it on the big screen, now you can consider bringing it home to watch at your leisure.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is, of course, the sequel to 2014’s Godzilla reboot and with Kong: Skull Island prepares to set up what is a planned Monsterverse that will bring Kong and Godzilla together to battle it out. Here, people are still attempting to process what Godzilla is and why he’s here after basically leveling San Francisco five years ago. The battle between the giant lizard and some weird monsters called Mutos left death and destruction in their wake, and for the purposes of this story, that included the death of the son of Mark and Emma Russell (Kyle Chandler & Vera Farmiga). Now separated, Mark is off in nature taking photos and Emma is … working for an organization that has identified more of these giant monsters, attempting to perfect a device that can actually control them. Unfortunately, she falls into league with an evil organization that believes the monsters are here to cleanse the Earth of humans to reset the balance of nature. Of course there will be a select few chosen to survive but most of the populace will be terminated. Their secret weapon is Monster Zero, aka King Ghidorah, but there are other classic monsters in the mix as well, both bad and good including Rodan and Mothra. It takes a while for everyone to realize that Godzilla is actually the good guy, but when they do that’s when the film really kicks into gear. There may be a lot of very silly science on display here but if you’re coming to Godzilla: King of the Monsters for giant monsters fighting each other and destroying things, then you will not be disappointed. I grew up watching the classic Japanese monster movies in the afternoon, so Godzilla: King of the Monsters was everything I had hoped for. Your mileage may vary.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released the film on various home video formats (including a 3D version that seems to be limited to certain retailers) and if you have a 4K TV at home, this is one you will want to get, especially if you also have a good sound system installed. Godzilla: King of the Monsters looks as good, maybe even better, in 4K as it did on the big screen. Even though the video presentation appears to be a 2K upgrade, it’s still spectacular, presenting a wide range of colors that accentuate the film’s lighting scheme, serving realistic skin tones and sharp detail, particularly in the textures of the mighty beasts. The film also has moments of darkness and the 4K presentation gives up the blackest of blacks without any artifacting. It is a stunning presentation. The Dolby Atmos audio (which automatically rolls down to 7.1 if you don’t have a Dolby system) completely envelopes the viewer, putting you right in the center of the action, including various vehicles and monsters that fly overhead, with a lot of directional panning of effects, while also featuring the score and keeping the voices front and center (as well as directionally when needed). All in all, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a reference quality disc.
And for the real fans, the package is crammed full of bonus material, nearly two hours of extras! All of the bonus material is featured on the Blu-ray that comes with the 4K in order to give the video more breathing room. One bonus, a commentary track by director Michael Dougherty, producer Zack Shields and actor O’SHea Jackson, is included with the 4K disc so you can see the film in its highest quality and still get the commentary track. Included on the Blu-ray are:
- Monsters 101 (5:32) – A collection of four (very) short videos that give basic information about the film’s four major monsters: Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah.
- Evolution of the Titans (27:24) – This piece makes up for the shortness of the previous one, giving viewers another multi-part look at the monsters, how they were brought to life for the movie and reactions from cast and crew.
- Monarch in Action (32:56) – This even longer, five-part piece delves into the film’s five major settings: Yunnan Temple, where Mothra is born, Castle Bravo, the underwater base, the Antractic base where Ghidorah is released, the Isla de Maro volcano from which Rodan exits, and Godzilla’s undersea lair. This piece goes into a lot of detail about the making of the film and is the most satisfying of the extras, aside from the commentary.
- Millie Bobby Brown: Force of Nature (4:07) – A quick look at Brown and her involvement with the film, with the biggest surprise coming in learning she’s actually British.
- Monster Tech: Monarch Joins the Fight (8:34) looks at the real and (mostly) invented technology used in the film.
- Monsters are Real (14:18) features ‘experts’ in the field of monsters connecting the myths with the monsters depicted in the movie.
- Welcome to the Monsterverse (3:42) gives us a look at Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island with hints at what is to come.
- Deleted Scenes (5:01) – Only two scenes including an extended version of Mark’s flashback and ‘Boxing Practice, Argument, and Radio Room’. Neither would have added much to the movie they aren’t complete wastes.
- Theatrical Trailers (12:08) – Four trailers for the movie titled ‘Life’, ‘Supremacy’, ‘Over the Rainbow’ and ‘Wonder Rumble’.
If you want a movie with giant monsters battling it out to the death, then Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the movie for you … just don’t expect much from the scientific parts of the movie or question some of the geographic logic. If you’re not a fan but still want something to give your home video system a good workout, you could do worse. I enjoyed the movie on the big screen and I enjoyed it on my home screen. Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a keeper in my book.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment generously provided Hotchka with a 4K version of the film for reviewing purposes.
Share this post
