Description

Godzilla vs. Biollante – Blu-ray Disc

Criterion Collection | 1989 | 105 min | Not Rated | March 18, 2025

Genres: Sci-Fi | Drama | Fantasy | Supernatural | Action | Foreign

Disc Specs

• Blu-ray Disc (BD-50)
• Video: MPEG-4 AVC | 1080p HD
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Original: 1.85:1)
• Audio: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 (encoded as 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Blu-ray Region A (locked)

Blu-ray Video Quality

3.5/5

✔️ 1080p presentation sourced from Toho’s new 4K restoration
✔️ More organic than the 4K disc in some areas due to lack of HDR or overprocessing

• Offers an upgrade over the 2012 Echo Bridge Blu-ray with sharper detail and better color fidelity
• Still exhibits some edge enhancement and occasional digital smearing, but to a lesser degree than the 4K disc
• Grain is visible but more consistent in standard HD
• Color balance is generally strong, though cyan tint issues persist in some dark scenes

➤ A respectable HD transfer that might be preferred by viewers sensitive to digital noise and over-sharpening on the 4K

Audio Quality

5.0/5

Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.0 track is rich and energetic
Sound effects and battle sequences retain strong channel separation
️ Dialog is clean and well-mixed
English subtitles are excellent and accurate

➤ Same powerful audio as the 4K disc. No compromise here.

Special Features (Blu-ray Disc)

• ️ Audio Commentary with Sam Deighan
  → A deep dive into Godzilla’s symbolic power, Omori’s direction, and Biollante’s genre hybrid identity
• ️ The Making of Godzilla vs. Biollante (1993) – 49 min
  Archival behind-the-scenes documentary featuring director Kazuki Omori, FX cinematographer Kenichi Eguchi, and FX director Koichi Kawakita
• Behind the Design (1993) – 3 min
  Special effects legend Kawakita discusses the creation of Biollante and the Super X2
• Trailers (10 min) – Includes 7 vintage trailers with English subs
• TV Spots (2 min) – 5 promo clips for the original Japanese TV broadcast

Overall Score

3.5/5 – A Solid HD Upgrade

✅ A more even and watchable presentation than the 4K, thanks to less aggressive digital tinkering
✅ Same excellent audio and loaded with fan-friendly extras
A must for kaiju collectors, and possibly the best version for casual HD viewers.