Customer Reviews

Godzilla - The Ultimate Collection (Godzilla, King of the Monsters/Godzilla vs. Mothra/Godzilla's Revenge/Terror of Mechagodzilla/Rodan)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Part of me is really pleased that these classics are available on the market again (and Rodan on DVD for the first time!). And the box design is truly nice, the best that kaiju films have ever seen in the U.S.

But Classic Media (and Toho, and Sony) should be ashamed of themselves for the really poor quality of the transfer itself. Others have written plenty here about it, and I couldn't agree more. For the first time, I will actually be holding onto my VHS versions as the sound and image quality of some of my VHS is far better than what was presented here. Of course, what do we expect for [money] But I think many of us would *gladly* pay twice as much for just *one* of these movies presented with a clean image, widescreen if available, subtitled original available, and decent extras (well, maybe not for Godzilla's Revenge ;-)

I had really hoped for so much more, especially as these might preceed some release from Sony/CTHE of the more recent (and excellent) films "Godzilla vs Megagairus" and "Godzilla|Mothra|King Ghidorah". But disasters like this set, the American GINO film, and the general treatment of Godzilla movies over the years leads me to believe that those who control this market just don't care about the property, or those who love it.

So I'd like to see the set sell well so that Godzilla continues to get the exposure deserved, and perhaps to encourage the studios involved to provide us with better quality product...

A lot of people are dwelling on the negatives of this box set, but I want to talk about the positives. Maybe it isn't truly the ultimate collection, but it's enjoyable, and the quality is far better than was available on video, and unbelievably better than watching it on late night UHF television in the 1960s and 1970s.

I too, subtracted a star for the lack of widescreen format, although, to me that is largely irrelevant, as this is the way I remember these films from when I saw them on TV as a kid. I have seen a lot of complaints about dirty and abused transfers, but, honestly, I think the DVD quality looks reasonable for films of this age, certainly better than many films of this vintage that are currently available on DVD. All told, my assessment of the prints is that they aren't perfect, but they are still very enjoyable to watch, and more than adequate.

As far as the collection itself goes, I might have made other choices for the five movies, likely leaving out 'Terror of Mechagodzilla', and 'Godzilla's Revenge' (although if you have kids, 'Revenge' is a good way to initially expose them the Godzilla.) It is wonderful to see 'Rodan' in the collection. To my recollection, this is the first time 'Rodan' has been on DVD, so for that alone, the set is worth the money.

It is easy to pick these movies apart from a technical point of view, or to endlessly argue about which movies would be better included in an "ultimate" collection, but until someone releases the entire series in widescreen, with tons of extras, you can't make everybody happy, and even then, people will be complaining about the $200 price tag.

Take this set for what it is: five fun monster movies. With that in mind, sit back, relax, and enjoy.

I've waited for years for someone to do the original Godzilla series justice but obviously I'll have to wait longer. This is an unusual selection, probably due to copyright laws; two of the most dismal episodes in the series, "Terror of Mechagodzilla" & "Godzilla's Revenge", make it into what is called the 'Ultimate Collection'. Terrible transfers, video-quality sound and no widescreen presentations. It pains me that American distributors continue to treat these classic films as unworthy of serious attention. Anyone who has experienced the pure joy of "Son of Godzilla", "Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster", "Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster", "Ghidrah the Tree-Headed Monster" or "Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster" will share my disappointment in this DVD box set. I would love to get the entire series in widescreen and especially with the option to view the films as they appeared in the original Japanese as well as the English dubs. Special features? I'd even sacrifice those for a clean transfer and 5.1 surround sound. This isn't to suggest that this box set contains any special features, just the occasional trailer and the ubiquitous advertisement for a Godzilla-themed video game. What I wouldn't give for the chance to see "Godzilla King of the Monsters" in the original Japanese and without the Raymond Burr scenes! Someday...

You spend a lot of money for education, read scholarly books and see interesting movies and watch Jeopardy. But hiding secretly in the back of my DVD colection away from prying yes.... GODZILLA!

I remember as a kid staying up late at night to watch the movies on TV. The stations in NY played them all the time on Saturdays and late night. The local theaters would play double and triple features and we'd wait in line, pay our 35 cents and stay for all of them. Sometimes twice. Imagine watching Godzilla movies from 10 am until midnight! Popcorn was dime and the drinks a nickel. Rocking!

I still love the movies but now I understand them a little better. They're not just monster movies. Well, they are monster movies, but like the Japanese, not everything is visible on the surface.

First of all this is great collection. I think the quality is just fine, I am happy with the video and the sound, no complaints. The movies, oh the movies.

The first is still the best. Yeah, the old boy strolls through Tokyo like he has arthritis, yeah the models look like, well, models, yeah you can almost see the zipper on the back of the monster suit. But the quality of the acting is suprisingly good. Not only that but it was scary. It has suspense and in some scenes you actually felt the fear and the horror of being chased and stalked by a 400 foot fire breathing radioactive monster. Not bad really.

After watching the movies again ( and again ) I realized that they are realy more than just monster movies. Godzilla is a Japanese icon. He went from destroyer in the first movie and eventually morphed into Japans protector and hero.

I see a parallel to postwar Japanese cultural history, I can all be really summed up in Godzilla movies. In the first movie he was killer radioactive beast bent of destruction. People died. Raymond Burr starred as an Amercan jouralist and if you watch the role here you see a microcosm of Japans relationship with the US in the interactions. The Japanese being the only nation ever nuked, were understandably afraid of things radioactive. Yet the US sort of played the role of big brother and guide and protector while they showed their humility in front of the US. This can be seen quite clearly in this move. Later, when the Japanese accepted things nuclear, Godzilla became less of a threat and more of a partner or at least one with concurrent ends. Hey, if the old boy kicks Ghidras ass, then that gets Ghidra off Tokyo's case. Later the Japanese could actualy summon the old boy to helkp out in a fix.

With Mecha-Godzilla, the Japanese examined their relationship with advanced technology and the implications of getting too technological and forgetting their roots. Godzilla wins - the real one, the natural one.

The films all had detectable themes relating to Japans cultural and technological standing. From Japans embracing of technology, to their interest in spaceflight, concern for the environment and desire to take their place in world commerce and culture. It's all here.

Anyone wanting to study Japanese cultural history from the end of WWII I would say the these movies would as valuable as any reference material on the subject. Not to mention the girls are all pretty, the acting quality is acceptable and the movies are fun as hell!

I just hope my friends don't catch me watching them. Uncultured louts all of them! They will just never understand.

I can't wait to share these with my granddaughter.

I've fumed about the treatment of Godzilla video releases in America in other reviews. Simitar is the only company to come close to getting it right. (I didn't own a DVD player at the time so this collection is all I have on DVD.) The Simitar collection has been handed over to and given little respect by Sony Media Entertainment. All movies are shown in full-screen here, even though Simitar offered some letterboxed tapes.

The 1956 edition of the first Godzilla movie is the only good thing in this collection. The image quality is much better than the Goodtimes DVD. It would be great if the original 1954 edition was available in America like Neptune Video offered the original Japanese edition of the first Gamera movie. In 1956, scenes with Raymond Burr were added in as he simply observed the events in the original 1954 film. You can see the differences in the approach to filmmaking.

Godzilla vs. Mothra (aka Godzilla vs. The Thing) was available in letterboxed format from Simitar so I know Sony could have offered it too. Godzilla's Revenge has been shown in letterboxed format on AMC. In English, Terror of Mechagodzilla has only existed as a censored print since 1980. In 1979, there was an essentially uncut version being shown on TV. The reason for Mechagodzilla's defeat is totally missing because a death scene was censored out. Now, the ending makes no sense.

Sony Entertainment and possibly Toho are simply going through the motions to sell DVDs. NONE of the Godzilla movies are being shown any respect that the fans want to see. Some of the companies handling the Gamera movies are doing what fans want. Neptune Video offered letterboxed and subtitled tapes of 3 of the older Gamera movies. ADV is selling the newer Gamera movies as both subtitled and dubbed on DVD.

I'm tempted to say don't buy this set or the individual DVDs and get the Gamera ones (at least the new ones) in the hopes that someone at Sony might notice what fans want, but I don't think Sony or Toho care about the American fans. Not buying them could simply mean the titles go off the market like the other older Godzilla titles at the moment.

There are no current DVDs of Gigantis - the Fire Monster (aka Godzilla Raids Again), King Kong vs. Godzilla, Ghidrah - The Three Headed Monster, Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster, Son of Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Hedorah (aka ...vs. The Smog Monster), Godzilla vs. Gigan (aka Godzilla on Monster Island), Godzilla vs. Megalon, Gozilla vs. Mechagodzilla (aka ...vs. The Cosmic Monster, ...vs. The Bionic Monster), Godzilla 1985, Godzilla vs. Biollante, and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II. ...plus all movies after 2000. There might be some discontinued DVDs of a few titles, but all of these appear to be missing on DVD right now. A truly ultimate collection should include all or most of these titles or at least all of the first set of movies from 1954-1975 (Japanese release dates). That would include the original through Terror of Mechagodzilla. ...which also had the same actor in the Godzilla suit for all of them. He was also in the suit for Godzilla 1985, I think. I can't remember his name.

As a fan, I feel insulted with each video release from Sony. I also wish Toho would display some interest in fans and push for quality DVD releases that show some respect for the titles.

While the set itself looks nice in the artbox, and is at a good value price, skip this release. On September 5, 2006 Classic Media will be re-releasing these same films, plus Godzilla Raids Again and Ghidrah the Three Headed Monster (but minus Rodan, which is rumored for re-release later). The new releases will feature both American and Japanese versions of the movies, and in their original aspect ratios (and with great extras!). Bottom line, only get this set if you're a casual movie viewer and don't care if your films are hacked up to be formatted to the screen. If you're a hardcore G-fan, I'm sure you already knew all this. (I would like to add, the rating I gave reflects the film presentation, not the actual films themselves.)

I've always wondered what Godzilla films' on DVD would sound like, and look like. So many explosions and effects exploding in sharp colour, and awesome roars and the rika-tika of army machine guns on a sorround sound stereo is what I wanted. My expectations were a bit too high. First of all, the selection. Godzilla, King of the Monster. An INSTANT essential in any Godzilla collection with the word 'Ultimate' included. Godzilla vs. Mothra was a nice choice, not bad at all. Godzilla's Revenge. OK, now do not get me wrong folks, i am obsessed with all Godzilla films and love them all more than any movie, well any thing in the world. But why did they have to include this one out of all the films? I would have prefered Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, Godzilla vs. Gigan or Godzilla vs. Ebirah if we are talking in terms of the showa series. Thats alright, this is still a pretty fun film, just wondered why that one of all was included. Terror of Mechagodzilla. This is a great Godzilla flick, not a bad choice - but it is thrown in with the earlier Showa flicks which is a bit odd, since TOM is the last Showa Godzilla Film. Rodan. Rodan? Rodan. Rodan?! Why? I thought this was a Godzilla Collection! Well, Rodan is awesome as Godzilla's sidekick in his films, and Rodan is a pretty good film but I wanted them all to be Godzilla Films. Godzilla vs. Hedorah or Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla prehaps? Now that that is out of the way, on to the transfer. Godzilla King of the Monsters - The Sound Transfer is very very nice on my sorround sound, no inconvenient humming or buzzing during the quiet moments. The soundtrack transfer rocks! The Picture has been sharpened a bit, but still is a tad bit murky. Godzilla vs. Mothra - The Picture is nice and sharp, better than GKOTM. The Sound is great as well. Mothra's chirping does get annoying though, lol. Godzilla's revenge - The Picture quality is pretty much the same as my video, scratchy in places. But the sound is amazing! The jazz score the beggining kicks! Terror of Mechagodzilla - Both Picture and Sound are excellent on this transfer.Rodan - Sound is a bit musty and murky, a bit blurbed if you will - but the picture is good.
I dont know why people complained about the transfers so much - They are actually pretty good. Maybe something is wrong with their Stereo or Screen. I have a big screen and 5-piece sorround stereo set up so I notice alot of the details.
Anyway, this is a nice set. Good Transfers, All the films rock -
but the inclusion of 'Rodan' sags the rating a bit.

This is a set that you should not hate or love. Here are my reviews for each movie in the set.
Godzilla King of the Monsters: 5 of 5. This is the Godzilla movie that started it all. This Godzilla is awsome and Raymond Burr gives this film an amazing boost.
Godzilla vs. Mothra: 4 of 5. This film is very enjoyable but needs a new ending because Godzilla is not that weak he pummald their mother for goodnesss sakes!
Godzilla's Revenge: 2 of 5. The plot stinks, the dubbing stinks, Minya looks like an overaged Barney, and there's stock footage all over! But I liked it when Gabbara got his butt kicked.
Terror of Mechagodzilla: 4 of 5. Good movie, good fight, boring middle.
Rodan: 5 of 5. Rodan sweeps Tokyo off their feet.....litarely!
Also there's nothing to do on the DVD. So basicly this is an average set but next time no Godzilla's Revenge.
Featured Monsters: Godzilla 1954, Rodan, Godzilla Showa, Mothra Larvae, Mothra Adult, Kamakuras, Kumonga(Spiega), Ebirah, Ookonduru, Red Bamboo Jets, Anguirus, Gorosaurus, Manda, Minya, Gabbara, Mechagodzilla, and Tittanosaurus.

This box set is a complete waste. These versions are the reason giant monster movies get a bum rap. These are the same old tired versions that aired on tv. Anyone who has any of these movies on video, should just keep your videos and forget about it. All the companies out there who plan on making a fast buck with poor versions of movies, keep your crappy DVDs we don't want them. It is about time that we get some quality versions of the older monster movies. In Japan you can get every film uncut and in widscreen; why can't we be treated the same, isn't are money just as good. We are fans who love these films and want to enjoy the very best version that we can. In the future please think of the many fans out there. We will probably be the ones that buy 99% of the movies and we know when we get cheated.

Let me just quickly state the multiple reasons why this collection is totally unworthy of the title: THE ULTIMATE GODZILLA DVD COLLECTION. First off, there's only 3 films in this box set that Godzilla fans really go for. And 2 of them, fans don't even consider the best. There are no special feature options. No widescreen option (which a lot of people prefer for some reason). And even though the picture quality is a bit more sharper than the regular VHS versions, the sound is horrible, forcing you to really crank up the TV just to hear it. These Godzilla films are not the original Japanese versions, and it's all completely dubbed in English. Some of the scenes have been AMERCANIZED, and some of the Japanese scenes taken OUT! Pitiful. Someone must really hate us Godzilla fans, because we are always forced to resort to buying our uncut 'Zilla movies from low budget, underground distributors who get films that have been copied over a dozen times by other foreign distributors, and hence us (the audience) gets to see our original 'Zilla movies through a tint of haze and static. Hopefully, in the future, more 'Zilla DVD box sets will come out.

And if you're not interested in all that, and just want to buy a few good monster flicks for your child, then that would make this DVD collection a bad choice, since none of these would really entertain a child's mind. They're more for adults, who are kids at heart. Talk, talk, talk, throughout each film, which no kid wants to sit through. If you want a 'Zilla movie for your child, get him/her either 'Son of Godzilla' (I loved that one when I was a kid) or, 'Godzilla 1985' which probably has the most realistic fight/city destruction scenes of any Godzilla movie, and it doesn't take forever to get there. Another favorite of mine when I was a child, if not my most favorite.