Following French atomic bomb tests in the South Pacific, an unknown creature is spotted passing through the Panama Canal. Scientist Niko Tatopoulos 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 in Manhattan to begin wreaking havoc in the big city.

For thoughts on Godzilla (1998), please check out my unboxing on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/8LVGW1SoP0U?si=JWI6q_B28JH3uVj4&t=1124]

Video Quality

The new 25th Anniversary 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Godzilla offers a tremendous uptick in quality over the accompanying Blu-Ray, which is sourced from an older master that was released in 2009. The film was already released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray four years ago, but I have not had the pleasure of checking out that release. From my understanding, that release is a true winner and the only noticeable difference on the video side of things with this new release is the inclusion of Dolby Vision, which can usually tidy up encoding issues in addition to more vivid colors and even more stable contrast. What we can say is that Sony has delivered another formidable 4K UHD disc that reminds you why they are one of the best.

This transfer features a welcome amount of film grain that resolves favorably without being clumpy or unnatural. Even the most unsparing gradients do not betray the picture with loose grain or banding, always leaving you stunned by its complexity. As expected, Sony has not had any digital tinkering done to this transfer, so this disc is free of DNR, compression artifacts, and other encoding issues. The production design of the city and practical effects work is presented with flawless clarity and tremendous depth. Take a look at the nest to see a wide array of gross details that are visible thanks to the 4K resolution. Skin tones appear much more natural than the Blu-Ray with healthy doses of fine detail apparent on faces such as raindrops from the frequent precipitation. The outfits and textural output of the environment are simply marvelous to behold with everything rendering without any issues. The digital effects work looks a bit dated and stands out in a bad way, but this is inherent to the source and not an issue with the transfer.

A major gain of this transfer is the implementation of Dolby Vision/HDR for a more sumptuous color spectrum. The film itself is not the most colorful outside of some of the opening locales thanks to the prevalence of overcast and rainy days in New York City, Nevertheless, the use of HDR is vital as you get a much stronger command of contrast. The black levels might be the MVP of the presentation, always staying deep and nearly perfect with great detail. Highlights in the film are spectacular with the whites pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. The colors that are featured are complex and completely accurate to what was intended by the creative team. Everything from the most lush foliage to the metallic maze of the city offers glorious stability. Sony has knocked it out of the park.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray replicates the previous Dolby Atmos track that gives the film a showstopping soundscape that is one of our favorite on the format. The disc also provides the original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that still holds up perfectly after all of these years. Those who choose to embark with the original track may not utilize every speaker you have, but you will be treated to a favorable experience without any obvious age-related flaws.

With the Atmos track, you will find a slight emphasis on the front channels for dialogue and other primary sounds, but this is one of the more expansive tracks we know of as activity extends to the surrounds, rears, and overhead speakers to make things feel more robust and all-encompassing in a way you will not soon forget. Atmospheric sound effects are rendered with precision within the mix so that directionality is never an issue. Some panning moments between speakers will blow your mind. The sounds up above are present way more than normal thanks to the consistent rainfall and other flourishes. The low-end effects from the subwoofer live up to the expectations that come with an insanely destructive action movie. The soundtrack holds up with no issue. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting trampled by the music or sound effects. Sony has done very well with this release.

Special Features

Sony has provided Godzilla (1998) with a sleek new SteelBook featuring artwork that is truly lovely in person. The front artwork is Godzilla standing in the middle of the city, and the rear features helicopters flying to take Big G out. The interior sports a still photo of some taxi cabs nearly being crushed by Godzilla’s foot. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.

4K UHD

Teaser Trailer #1 (1:36)

Teaser Trailer #2 (1:56)

Theatrical Trailer (1:46)

Blu-Ray

Audio Commentary: Visual Effects Supervisor Volker Engel and Associate Visual Effects Supervisor Karen Goulekas deliver a decently informative commentary track that focuses largely on how the various visual effects were realized on the big screen along with additional insights about the production including the shooting locations and cast members.

The Ultimate Godzilla Multi-Player Trivia Game

Behind The Scenes with Charles Caiman: A seven-minute featurette in which the character played by Harry Shearer hosts a series of interviews with the cast and creative team as they discuss the development of this new version of Godzilla, the special effects work, the performances, and much more.

All-Time Best of Godzilla Fight Scenes: A ten-minute video piece that shows highlights from the most exciting fight scenes in the catalog of Godzilla titles.

“Heroes” Music Video by The Wallflowers: The four-minute music video is provided here.

Previews

2012 Sneak Peek (2:32)

Final Thoughts

Godzilla (1998) is not a great movie, but it is not nearly as bad as its legacy suggests. Where it mainly falters is in its title; if this was a generic destructive lizard monster movie not tied to one of the most iconic movie monsters of all time, people would embrace it much more. The characters are a bit thinly drawn, but the action delivers the appropriate thrills along with some dramatic set pieces that outpace the last several Jurassic World movies. If you want to turn your brain off and indulge in some Roland Emmerich madness, this is not a bad time. Sony Pictures has released an excellent new Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook in celebration of the film’s 25th anniversary featuring a virtually flawless A/V presentation as well as a decent amount of special features. If you only own this one on Blu-Ray or not at all, this package is a no-brainer for anyone looking to add the best version to their collection. Recommended

Godzilla (1998): 25th Anniversary Edition is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.