Re: Godzilla KOTM... from the Criterion Collection!?!?!
Posted: Thu Nov 07, 2019 9:45 pm
Barnes & Noble delivered my set. They're not kidding when they say this book is big. It's just barely too tall for my most spacious shelf.
I started off by watching Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla with the English dub, although I did turn on the subtitles for the scene where Professor Miyajima names the metal that he built into his pipe’s bowl. Whoever transcribed the dubtitles for the Sony DVD just gave up and typed “a???” and I always thought he said “astrenochron” in the English dub. According to Criterion’s subtitles, it’s actually astanopkron, and when I listened closely to the dub this time I could actually hear that! I don’t know if that’s just because I read it or if the dubbed audio track on this BRD is actually clearer than previous releases. Like the Sony DVD, switching back and forth between the audio options on this BRD reveals that the Japanese track sounds much more crisp and robust, especially in the music and sound effects.
Speaking of the music, the English audio track on this BRD retains a unique quirk that I haven’t heard since the days when I was watching Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla on VHS.
Right after the statue blasts open the cliffside, when the smoke clears and the sleeping King Seesar is revealed, the first note of Masaru Sato’s musical cue actually repeats itself. It doesn’t do that in the original Japanese audio but it was always like that when I watched the movie on dubbed VHS tapes as a kid. I was perplexed back when Sony released their DVD and that scene’s iconic music cue seemed slightly shortened from how I remembered it, but it’s back to repeating that first musical note in the English audio on Criterion’s BRD! It occurs at the 1:03:45 mark on the BRD, right at the beginning of chapter 11, “Waking a defender.” That moment on the Sony DVD is at the 1:03:56 mark just before the start of chapter 10, “King Caesar™.”
After putting Sony’s DVD in my laptop to check on that, I went ahead and rewatched the ending of the movie from the moment when Godzilla joins the battle, with Criterion’s BRD playing on my TV and Sony’s DVD playing on my laptop right in front of me, allowing me to glance back and forth between the two. I don’t have a way to take BRD screenshots but after comparing both discs in real time, I think Criterion’s presentation looks better overall. They adjusted the contrast on Toho’s transfer so the colors are vibrant, if not quite as saturated as the colors on Sony’s disc. Sony’s color palette actually leans pretty heavily blue, to the point where Godzilla himself looks blue-tinted in a few shots. It’s especially noticeable in the interior scenes of the alien base and the closing shot of the Azumi shrine. The blue sky on Sony’s disc certainly pops more but I think Criterion has the more natural-looking color palette. Criterion’s picture is also a bit brighter, so blacks aren’t as deeply dark but more details are visible in dark areas. The HD upgrade is significant as there’s a lot more visible detail all-around. I’ve always known that Sony’s transfers were cropped and that never really bothered me but watching it at the same time as Criterion’s BRD struck me with just how cropped Sony’s DVD really is on all four sides. Criterion’s presentation really does enhance the cinematography. I’ve got nothing against the picture on Sony’s DVD, I’ve been happy to have it as my go-to option for watching Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla over the past 15 years, but Criterion’s BRD is a welcome improvement.
I don’t like how it’s unclear which language options I’m selecting on the main menu. However, I do like how when I use the PS4’s options button to toggle between the audio tracks while the movie is playing, it automatically switches the subtitles on or off as appropriate.
I started off by watching Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla with the English dub, although I did turn on the subtitles for the scene where Professor Miyajima names the metal that he built into his pipe’s bowl. Whoever transcribed the dubtitles for the Sony DVD just gave up and typed “a???” and I always thought he said “astrenochron” in the English dub. According to Criterion’s subtitles, it’s actually astanopkron, and when I listened closely to the dub this time I could actually hear that! I don’t know if that’s just because I read it or if the dubbed audio track on this BRD is actually clearer than previous releases. Like the Sony DVD, switching back and forth between the audio options on this BRD reveals that the Japanese track sounds much more crisp and robust, especially in the music and sound effects.
Speaking of the music, the English audio track on this BRD retains a unique quirk that I haven’t heard since the days when I was watching Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla on VHS.
Right after the statue blasts open the cliffside, when the smoke clears and the sleeping King Seesar is revealed, the first note of Masaru Sato’s musical cue actually repeats itself. It doesn’t do that in the original Japanese audio but it was always like that when I watched the movie on dubbed VHS tapes as a kid. I was perplexed back when Sony released their DVD and that scene’s iconic music cue seemed slightly shortened from how I remembered it, but it’s back to repeating that first musical note in the English audio on Criterion’s BRD! It occurs at the 1:03:45 mark on the BRD, right at the beginning of chapter 11, “Waking a defender.” That moment on the Sony DVD is at the 1:03:56 mark just before the start of chapter 10, “King Caesar™.”
After putting Sony’s DVD in my laptop to check on that, I went ahead and rewatched the ending of the movie from the moment when Godzilla joins the battle, with Criterion’s BRD playing on my TV and Sony’s DVD playing on my laptop right in front of me, allowing me to glance back and forth between the two. I don’t have a way to take BRD screenshots but after comparing both discs in real time, I think Criterion’s presentation looks better overall. They adjusted the contrast on Toho’s transfer so the colors are vibrant, if not quite as saturated as the colors on Sony’s disc. Sony’s color palette actually leans pretty heavily blue, to the point where Godzilla himself looks blue-tinted in a few shots. It’s especially noticeable in the interior scenes of the alien base and the closing shot of the Azumi shrine. The blue sky on Sony’s disc certainly pops more but I think Criterion has the more natural-looking color palette. Criterion’s picture is also a bit brighter, so blacks aren’t as deeply dark but more details are visible in dark areas. The HD upgrade is significant as there’s a lot more visible detail all-around. I’ve always known that Sony’s transfers were cropped and that never really bothered me but watching it at the same time as Criterion’s BRD struck me with just how cropped Sony’s DVD really is on all four sides. Criterion’s presentation really does enhance the cinematography. I’ve got nothing against the picture on Sony’s DVD, I’ve been happy to have it as my go-to option for watching Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla over the past 15 years, but Criterion’s BRD is a welcome improvement.
I don’t like how it’s unclear which language options I’m selecting on the main menu. However, I do like how when I use the PS4’s options button to toggle between the audio tracks while the movie is playing, it automatically switches the subtitles on or off as appropriate.