Godzilla vs. Biollante was released back in 1989 and was part of a resurgence for the giant lizard. This Criterion Collection release offers up great video and audio transfers to go along with some solid bonus features.
Godzilla vs. Biollante
— The Criterion Collection —
(1989)
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The Criterion Collection | NR – 104 min. – $49.95 | March 18, 2025
Date Published: 03/22/2025 | Author: The Movieman
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The Criterion Collection provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
PLOT SYNOPSIS |
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Diving into delirious realms of imagination, this second film of the Godzilla franchise’s 1980s resurgence showcased the towering beast for a new generation of fans. This time, Godzilla’s foe is one of the series’ most wondrously strange kaiju creations. Biolante-a mutant plant genetically engineered from the cells of a rose, a renegade scientist’s dead daughter, and Godzilla itself. With a wild plot encompassing spies, psychic children, and bonkers biotechnology-and some of the coolest special effects in the history of Japanese cinema-Godzilla vs. Biolante stands as a high point in the ever-evolving mythology of the King of the Monsters. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3¾/5 |
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This two-disc set comes housed in a clear HD keep case and inside is a foldout poster on one side and the other essay and information on the release. Audio Commentary by film historian and author Samm Dighan, newly recorded for this release. The Making of Godzilla vs. Biollante (49:00) — This featurette is from 1993 and includes interviews by director Kazuki Omon, special-effects director Koichi Kawakita, special-effects cinematographer Kenichi Eguchi, and more. Behind the Design (3:01) — Short video narrated by Koichi Kawakita from 1993 details different design concepts for Biollante and the Super X2 vehicle. Deleted Special Effects (6:45) is a reel of silent footage. And lastly are TV Spots and Trailers. |
4K VIDEO – 4¾/5, BLU-RAY VIDEO – 4½/5 |
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The Criterion Collection releases Godzilla vs. Biolante onto 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray where it’s presented in its original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 2160p high-definition transfer (and 1080p HD on Blu-ray). The restoration, which was taken from the 35mm original camera negative, was done by Toho Archives. The picture here does looks quite fantastic with sharp and well defined detail and colors appear to be well balanced on both formats with the 4K obviously being a slight edge. |
AUDIO – 4/5 |
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Taken from the original 35mm soundtrack, this 5.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track is quite solid offering up decent dialogue which comes across relatively cleanly and the big battle scenes giving some moderate depth making usage of every channel. |