Plot: What’s it about?
In Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla, we find Godzilla with a special transmitter implanted inside him, so the government can keep track of the lovable lizard. Of course, Godzilla still hates Tokyo, and nothing would please him more than to crush the city beneath his green paws. Out of nowhere, a strange variant of Godzilla, Space Godzilla, appears, and starts to pick a fight with the big green guy. The two battle it out, on an intergalactic scale, and the government sends in their own monster, the metallic Mogera, to rumble with the bad boys.
This entry in the Godzilla series is decent, but lacks the punch of the better movies in the series. The effects in this one are quite possibly the worst in the series. I know, you’re saying all the movies have bad effects, but this one is bad in a not as good way. Make sense? Anyway, the monsters are there, the battles are there, but the movie, especially the ending, lack the usual Godzilla zest. That being said, I’m still happy to have a nice edition of the film, as I have a special place for that guy in the lizard suit.
The second movie of the double feature is Godzilla vs. Destroyah, which flat out rocks, I say. Godzilla is in the middle of a personal meltdown, literally. He is glowing like a Christmas tree and nearing critical mass as we speak. Of course, some citizens of Tokyo might like the idea of Godzilla melting all the way down, but if Godzilla goes, the whole damn city will be wiped off the face of the Earth. In other words, the big guy needs a vacation, avoid stress. But that ain’t happening, as some monstrous crabs have hit the shores and formed a mean old baddie out to stomp Godzilla, Destroyah. And there’s gonna be a showdown of course, but which monster will come out on top?
Now this is the type of Godzilla flick I love! The ending is awesome, a fantastic monster showdown battle. The effects are great, in a cheesy way of course, but they are classic Godzilla. If you like Godzilla movies, you’ll love this one. I know what you’ll think, but what I am about to say is true. This movie has some decent tension and drama, I’m serious. If you’ve been looking for a classic Godzilla movie, or two, to check out, this double feature would be a great choice.
Video: How does it look?
In a great move by Columbia, both movies are shown in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, and they both look better than ever. The framing can be a bit odd at times, but it’s still usually the same as the lasers and VHS tapes before it. The colors look vivid and rich, with almost cartoonish hues, very fitting to the theme of the series. The shadows are layered well, and detail level is high at all times, due to the deep and correct black levels. The only trouble I had was the print condition, which is pretty grainy in both films from time to time, but on the whole, very good.
Audio: How does it sound?
The disc provides only the English dubbed track, which is comical, and stereotypical of all poor dubbing examples. The stereo track is good enough for me, with clear vocals and music, what more could I want? The thundering footsteps sound good, not much more I can say than that. I would like to have the Japanese language track, but hey, it’s an imperfect world.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Let’s hope for a future special edition, be it from Columbia or ToHo. This disc is devoid of all bonus materials. Not even a single trailer, come on Columbia! These versions are worth picking up even as bare bones as they are. The video is good enough to warrant a purchase.
