Kraken Releasing to put RETURN OF GODZILLA on Blu-Ray

[Goji 84]

[Deathless]

[Hybrid Gojira]

I watched my copy tonight, specifically the dubbed version. Compared to the subbed versions I've seen, the dub seemed pretty accurate and far better than the later International dubs of the Heisei films. The bum was especially hilarious. The picture quality was grainy in a few spots, but overall I am happy to own this. As others have pointed out, I don't understand the need to subtitle text on top of Japanese lettering - that was a dumb decision. It was also kind of odd that the "Goodbye Godzilla" song plays during the title menu - wouldn't the main Godzilla theme have been more appropriate (and less annoying)?

PS - Godzilla 1985 is still my preferred cut of this movie.

[Dr Kain]

[Jinzo Ningen]

Got my copy the other day. What a HUGE disappointment. This is supposed to be a hi-def format release?!? The video quality is about on par with your average dollar store DVD. Those raving about this are watching through rose-colored glasses. Check out Kraken's other releases for hi-def transfers that look GREAT - and those movies are 10-15 years older than G'84. Regardless of where Kraken got their source print - it blows. Focus is more often than not rather soft, with the exception of handful of shots. The colors are washed out looking and there are minor scratches and so forth throughout. Sorry for those gushing about this, but while it is nice to have a missing piece of the G-release puzzle, this was an extremely under-whelming offering.

The movie itself is a tedious ho-hum affair. It's more about the sailor, his sister, the reporter and the Charles Bronson-esque scientist than Godzilla. The government officials just sit round arguing and frowning... and those two losers representing USSR & USA? I'd forgotten how awful they were, but at least the New World dub made them palatable. This "International" dub is by the same bunch of monotone morons who did the other 70's G-films. Ugh. Lots of "Godziller" & "Godzilly" throughout. The big complaints about how New World 'bastardized" the original version by making the Russians the badguys, etc. is a pretty minor plot point, IMHO. This film benefited tremendously from the trimming New World did for their version if you ask me. I may be in the minority here but I was pretty bummed after watching this. Yes, my only exposure was to the G'85 theatrical release version, but after watching the original Japanese cut (do yourself a favor and skip the terrible dub; watch subbed only) I feel the New World edits were for the better. And Raymond Burr's presence is sorely missed... especially his voice over during the final scene. 3 out of 5 STARS (barely) for the film, 2 out of 5 STARS for the Blu-ray.

[lhb412]

As with many other Toho transfers, the main problem is just the brightness blowing out the image. Turning down the brightness and boosting the color a smidgen doesn't make for a perfect image, but it can improve it dramatically; making for a more natural image and revealing detail that can be missed with the brightness.

[Dr Kain]

[KaiserGhidorah]

[canofhumdingers]

Blargghhhh!!! Can everyone please stop referring to home video transfers as prints? It's grossly inaccurate.

And kain, that's incorrect. The reason the other Kraken releases look better is because Sony made their OWN HD video masters entirely separate from Toho. Sony never did a transfer of G84 (for obvious reasons), so kraken had to use the only currently available HD transfer, which WAS done by Toho and thus suffers from all the common problems most every HD Godzilla video master they made suffers from.

And as lhb pointed out, because this is sourced directly from toho's HD master which is calibrated for Japanese tv's it will invariably look washed out and flat on American sets. That is, unless you compensate for the slight differences in Japanese and American calibration standards by turning down the brightness a bit and slightly boosting the contrast and color saturation. It won't completely fix the problems inherent in the transfer like the softness or the video noise, but it does make a pretty drastic improvement.

One of the articles about the release before it came out made it sound like perhaps Kraken was going to adjust the picture quality to account for this calibration difference, but I guess they didn't. I can't say for sure since I don't have the disc yet, just going by what others are saying in this respect.

[lhb412]

^I wonder if Toho doesn't want third party distributors tinkering with the picture on their provided transfers?

[Dr Kain]

[Goji 84]

Nah. Trust me, you're the only one here who seems intoxicated on a regular basis.

[O.Supreme]

Fell asleep watching the dub of this. Why does everyone in this version sound generally unhappy and unpleasant. The Prime Minister in G1985 was very soft spoken and reserved, and yet firm. But in this version he's just got this really bad attitude, that's just one example. The voice acting and dubs definitely makes a world of difference. I am glad to have an official Blu-Ray of this, but I can without a doubt say I wholeheartedly enjoy G1985 better.

Now I just wonder, if/when we will hear any news from Kraken if they will be releasing Son of Godzilla or Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla any time soon.

[Jinzo Ningen]

The "International" dubs just flat-out suck, almost across the board. Obviously the final product from these folks are not "approved' by anyone whose actual first language is English. These dubs are wretched. The GODZILLERs and GODZILLYs alone are enough to make me want to kick out my speakers and they further reinforce the "dumb Japanese monster movie" bias because of how laughably bad they sound. The voice "actors" (and I use that word in its loosest possible definition) sound like they are reading a tax refund form or something. There's almost zero emotion behind their delivery, unless of course strong emotion is not warranted... or they go the polar opposite and dial up a slightly emotional delivery by the on-screen actor and make his dubbed voice sound like he's having an apoplectic fit. It is so frustrating. Granted, they aren't Malaysian-bad... but they're not winning any 'Super-awesome all-time greatest ever dubbing' awards either. The people doing these seem to be one step away from drifting off to sleep in damn near every film they dub, kung fu flicks included, not just Godzilla movies. It makes the lake of the inclusion of the beloved AIP dubs in the various Godzilla DVD/Blu-ray releases here in the State even more heart-breaking.

[lhb412]

^ The '70s dubs are awesome! The Godzilla vs. Gigan dub is the height of human achievement.

[Dai]

[O.Supreme]

[lhb412]

"Stupid, but at the same time cunning."

[Benjamin Haines]

I love the international dubs for all of the 1970s Godzilla movies. I actually prefer Hedorah's international dub over the one by Titra/Titan. I only knew that film with its international dub for years until I got the Smog Monster version and that dub just sounds odd to me. I just like the voice casts from the '70s dubs. I don't like the international dubs for the '66-'68 films. Even though I grew up with the international version of Destroy All Monsters, I find the Titra/Titan dub for that flick to be vastly superior. I recognize a lot of the same voice actors from the '70s Godzilla dubs in the international dubs for Gamera vs. Barugon and Gamera vs. Gyaos.

I'll have Kraken's new disc soon, then I can finally watch The Return of Godzilla with its international dub.

[canofhumdingers]

[swfreakjpb]

mine does not play in my player. I guess it is too old. They do not offer new firm ware for it anymore. I guess it is the layering.

[Tom R VanSlambrouck]

[lhb412]

^Yeah, wasn't that like '04 or something? It was from the early days of HD's march to dominance.

[Goji 84]

Like I mentioned earlier, it's from 2007.

[O.Supreme]