Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Gojira tai Kingu Gidora) (1991)

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General		Extras
Category	Science Fiction	Teaser Trailer-x 3 Theatrical Trailer Gallery-Photo Gallery-Poster Trailer-Madman Trailers
Rating
Year Of Production	1991
Running Time	98:38
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Kazuki Omori
Studio Distributor	Toho Company Madman Entertainment	Starring	Kosuke Toyohara Anna Nakagawa Megumi Odaka Katsuhiko Sasaki Akiji Kobayashi Tokuma Nishioka Yoshio Tsuchiya Kenji Sahara Kôichi Ueda Sô Yamamura Yasunori Yuge Kiwako Harada Kenpachiro Satsuma
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	$14.95	Music	Akira Ifukube

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	Unknown	Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	Yes

     In 1992 a time machine lands near Japan’s Mt Fuji. Inside are a number of humans from the year 2204 lead by “gaijins” Wilson (Chuck Wilson), Grenchiko (Richard Berger) and Japanese woman Emmy Kano (Anna Nakagawa). Together with android M-11 (Robert Scott Field) they have come to warn the Earth that in the 21st Century Godzilla and nuclear pollution will lay waste to all Japan, leading to the total destruction of the entire country. They do have a rescue plan: in 1944 Japanese army forces on the island of Lagos in the Marshall Islands led by Colonel Shindo (Yoshio Tsuchiya) were saved from annihilation by US forces by a dinosaur like creature. It is believed that this dinosaur was mutated by US nuclear testing on nearby Bikini Atoll in 1954 into Godzilla. The plan is to enlist some Godzilla experts and to go back to 1944 Lagos Island, capture the dinosaur and transport him deep within the Bering Sea so that he is not affected by nuclear testing and so never becomes Godzilla and threatens Japan.

     The expedition to 1944 Lagos Island is joined by writer Kenichiro Terasawa (Hiromi Matsushita), dinosaur expert Professor Mazaki (Katsuhiko Sasaki ) and psychic Miki Saequsa (Megumi Odaka). There they witness the invasion by US forces and their defeat by the dinosaur, which is badly wounded enabling them successfully to transport the creature away from the island. Before they leave the island Emmy releases three small winged reptilian creatures called dorats.

     Back in 1992, the true purpose of the future humans is revealed. Rather than saving Japan, their purpose is to destroy Japan to stop it becoming a world economic power. Their weapon is the three headed dragon King Ghidorah; when the nuclear weapons testing occurred on Bikini Atoll in 1954 it caused the three dorats left there by Emmy to join and create King Ghidorah. This monster is controlled by the future humans and is unleashed upon Japan in a wave of death and destruction. However, this part of the plan has been kept hidden from Emmy, who is naturally upset at the thought of the destruction of her people. She joins with Terasawa in an attempt to find a solution that would stop King Ghidorah and save Japan.

     Elsewhere Shindo, now a successful businessman, and others hit on the idea of sending a nuclear powered submarine to the Bering Sea to see if they can revive the dinosaur to fight King Ghidorah. They get more than they bargained for; the creature indeed revives, destroys the submarine, adsorbs the nuclear energy and becomes a 100 metre high Godzilla, bigger and meaner than the possible “earlier” Godzilla. When Godzilla and King Ghidorah meet amid buildings and flying debris, the earth indeed moves. Godzilla is losing until Emmy and Terasawa break into the time machine, reprogram M-11 and sabotage the computer controlling King Ghidorah. This is the edge Godzilla needs; he rips off one of the three heads of King Ghidorah and casts the body far out into the sea. Japan is seemingly saved. But then Godzilla does indeed start a rampage of carnage, destroying the cities in his path as he heads towards Tokyo. So, in another reversal, Emmy and M-11 take the time machine back to 2204 where there is the technology to remake King Ghidorah as an armoured Mecha-King Ghidorah, including a new metallic head. From the head the half living monster, half metal creature is controlled by Emmy who returns to 1992 just in time to fight Godzilla in the streets of Tokyo in a final welter of destruction.

     The plot of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Gojira tai Kingu Gidora) may sound convoluted, but the film is one of the best of the entire Godzilla series of films. Writer / director (Kazuki Omori), who also directed the less than impressive Gojira tai Biorante in 1989, here directs with verve and skill a tale that flies along, which is just as well as some of the logic in the time travel plot is less than convincing. The special effects by Koichi Kawakita, a combination of models, men in suits plus early CGI, are exciting, explosive, colourful and effective; there is enough destruction of model buildings, vehicles, bridges and roads, and monster battles, to satisfy the most demanding fan. The budget was also enough to get into shot some real tanks and helicopters. And, as an added bonus, original Godzilla composer Akira Ifukube returns to the series with a rousing score that beautifully complements the on screen action. The Godzilla March has never sounded better.

     As usual, the human actors are not as impressive as the creatures, although Anna Nakagawa is good as the woman of conflicted motives from the future, while Yoshio Tsuchiya as the soldier turned businessman Shindo gets the best human scene. In the midst of Godzilla’s rampage towards Tokyo Shindo and Godzilla come face to face. There is a moment of quiet amid the destruction as Shindo remembers the creature that saved him on Lagos Island that he had helped to recreate. Godzilla also pauses for a moment, seemingly searching for some hidden memory,. before resuming his rampage. It is a poignant moment that works beautifully, and is unusual in Godzilla films.

     Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah from 1991 is a terrific Godzilla film featuring mass destruction of cities, exciting creature fights and a wonderful score by Akira Ifukube. It is an essential purchase for anyone even remotely interested in the “king of the monsters”.

Video

     Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the original theatrical ratio, and is 16x9 enhanced.

     This is a very good looking print. While some back projection scenes and CGI shots are not as sharp as they might be, the rest of the film looks very sharp indeed. Blacks and shadow detail are fine, brightness, contrast and skin tones are good and the colours warm and natural. There is mild grain but I did not notice any film or film to video artefacts except where they were intentional, such as in footage of a bombardment by battleships taken from WW2 footage, or in sequences where TV reports are shown.

     The English subtitles are in a yellow font and have no obvious spelling or grammatical errors. This print is the Japanese version: on the occasions when English is spoken (such as by the US troops attacking Lagos Island) white burnt in Japanese subtitles appear.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is a choice between Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 at 448 Kbps, Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 surround at 224 Kbps and English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono at 224 Kbps. The 5.1 is very good. Dialogue was clear, it has separation and reasonable clarity, the surrounds are used for music and effects and the sub woofer did support the music, explosions and the thump and rumble of Godzilla feet as he moves across the landscape. While not up to more recent standards this has a good enveloping feel that supports the onscreen action nicely.

    The Japanese 2.0 is surround encoded and does an OK job but is nowhere near as good as the 5.1. The English 2.0 is very much a poor relation. It is mono only and the voice cast are even weaker than usual so this track should be avoided.

     The score by Akira Ifukuba is simply wonderful as noted in the review. The Godzilla March has never sounded better.

     Lip synchronisation is was generally very good, even when the non-Japanese future people were speaking, which was a surprise given some of the poor sync elsewhere in the Godzilla series.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Original Trailers

     Included are 3 Teaser Trailers (total 1:38) and the original Theatrical Trailer (2:19)

Stills Gallery

     18 movie stills.

Poster Gallery

     6 Japanese film posters.

Madman Trailers

     Trailers for other films from Madman. Included is Godzilla vs. Mothra: Battle for Earth (1:59), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (II) (1:43) and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1:45).

     The Region 2 Japanese version has an audio commentary by director / writer Kazuki Omori and producer Shogo Tomiyama, a special effects analysis of 4 scenes with optional audio commentary by director of special effects Koichi Kawakita, plus deleted special effects, another trailer, text commentaries, filmographies, publicity and an 8 page booklet; however the feature, featurettes and commentary do not have English subtitles.

     The US Region 1 disc is in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and is non 16x9. There are a number of Region 2 European versions, none of which are 16x9 enhanced.

     Region 4 is the pick for English speakers.

     Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah from 1991 is a terrific Godzilla film featuring mass destruction of cities, exciting creature fights and a wonderful score by Akira Ifukube. It is an essential purchase for anyone even remotely interested in the “king of the monsters”.

     The film is presented on a DVD with excellent video and audio but minimal extras. Highly recommended for all fans of the genre.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall