Movie Reviews

Following the French atomic bomb tests in the South Pacific, an unknown creature is spotted passing westward through the Panama Canal. Scientist Niko Tatopolous is called in to investigate the matter, and he quickly arrives at the conclusion that a giant, irradiated lizard has been created by the explosions. Godzilla then makes its way north, landing at Manhattan to begin wreaking havoc in the big city. Even with the combined forces of the U.S. military to fight the monster, will it be enough to save the people of New York?.

After Independence Day we were all waiting for the next big spectacle from Emmerich. Unfortunately this is what we got. While it looked good from the trailers, and did manage to deliver some big screen popcorn action, the story was almost embarrassingly bad and so was the acting. But if you like to see New York get beat up….

This transfer was surprisingly softer than I would expect from Sony. Not horrible, but not to the level I typically see from them. Close ups looked good and contrast levels weren’t bad, but the image has a haze to it that is hard to ignore. The DTS-HD soundtrack delivers though and the sound design is actually pretty fun even when the movie isn’t. Plenty of bass, surround action and general whizz bang.

The Blu-ray includes a code to download the film on a PSP plus some interesting BD-Live features. You can search info on the film, actors and production online while you watch the film. There is also a feature commentary on the SFX, some production features and a music video.

This one has always been a disappointment for me but I know it has its audience. The Blu-ray delivers the goods, though doesn’t live up to the high standard that I typically set for video from Sony.