In the history of cinema there have been many notable monsters, but only one has earned the title the King of the Monsters. That moniker rightfully belongs to the one and only Godzilla, who has been a staple of the silver screen for more than 70 years. In all of those many decades, the King has appeared in dozens of feature films. Few — if any — are as harrowing as 2016’s Shin Godzilla, which is going to be even more harrowing thanks to a new 4K Ultra HD upgrade.
Earlier this year, GKIDS acquired the North American rights to the film from directors Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi. Their first order of business? Re-release the modern kaiju classic on 4K. This is long overdue and a most welcome upgrade for longtime fans. It’s also an outstanding excuse for more casual fans to catch up with what is unquestionably one of the greatest Godzilla movies ever made, right up there with the original 1954 cinematic classic that started it all and the Oscar-winning, groundbreaking Godzilla Minus One.
How Was Shin Godzilla Received Upon Release?
Originally released in 2016, Shin Godzilla was met with widespread acclaim. It came at an odd time, a couple of years after the MonsterVerse launched with director Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla in 2014 but before that universe truly started taking shape. It was also the first Japanese entry in the series since 2004’s Final Wars. Ignoring all other existing continuity, this particular film offered up arguably the most horrific, deadly version of the classic monster to date.
In the film, something has surfaced in Tokyo Bay in the form of a horrific creature of tremendous size, leaving destruction in its wake after coming ashore. The Japanese authorities assemble a task force to contend with this unpredictable force of nature. Meanwhile, an American envoy delivers a top-secret folder bearing the name: “Godzilla.”
Met with some of the best reviews in the history of the franchise, it went on to sweep the Japanese Academy Awards, becoming a huge financial hit in the country as well. However, it made less than $2 million at the box office in the U.S. during its original run. By comparison, Godzilla Minus One made nearly $60 million in North America and $113 million worldwide. In that way, Shin Godzilla is — or at least was — underseen relative to its reputation.
Why Is Shin Godzilla Important to See Now?
Because so many people outside of Japan missed this movie during its original run, now feels like the perfect time to amend that. GKIDS did re-release the new 4K version of Shin Godzilla in theaters earlier this year. As someone who saw it on the big screen I can attest to the fact that it looks better than ever.
Part of the problem is that the movie wasn’t really ever readily available on streaming services and even the Blu-ray was hard to come by for a long time. No longer. The biggest reason to watch this movie now comes down to straight-up accessibility. In an era filled with more choices than ever on numerous streaming services, creating barriers to accessing a movie is going to limit its audience. In this case, those barriers are thankfully coming down.
Beyond that, we’re talking about a franchise that has been going for 71 years and is debatably having its peak moment in the broader cultural sphere. Between the ongoing MonsterVerse movies, the success of Minus One, its forthcoming sequel, and even the new Kai-Sei Era comics from IDW, it feels like Godzilla is bigger than it’s ever been. For those hungry for more, this is the hidden gem worth seeking out.
It’s unlike any Godzilla movie before or since. A terrifying vision of the monster, it’s the most overtly horrific entry in the franchise. It’s also far less outlandish than something like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, for example. It exists at the opposite end of the spectrum, serving as one of the better arguments for Godzilla as true cinema in existence.
What New Features Does the Shin Godzilla Blu-ray Have?
As for the new 4K releases, viewers have options. There is a three-disk Steelbook, retailing for $36.99, that includes the movie on 4K, Blu-ray and a special features bonus disk. There is also a four-disc collector’s edition that also includes the black and white “ORTHOchromatic” version of the movie. That’s more expensive but the set is truly impressive. Definitely a great option for more serious physical media collectors out there. As someone who owns the four-disc Minus One collector’s edition, I can attest to Toho’s quality output with regard to these sets.
Most importantly, no matter which version one chooses, all of the bonus features are included, which is a nice surprise. So, unless one is committed to getting the black and white version on disc, that Steelbook should suit most folks just fine. The full breakdown of special features included with the release are listed below.
Disc Breakdown:
- Purple Disc: Shin Godzilla Feature in 4K UHD Format
- 120 minutes / triple-layer (100GB) / 4K UHD 2160p 16:9 scope size / HDR10
- Audio: (1) Japanese DTS-HD MA 3.1 (2) English DTS-HD MA 3.1
- Subtitles: (1) English subtitles (2) English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (3) Latin American Spanish subtitles (4) French subtitles
- Red Disc: Shin Godzilla Feature in Blu-ray Format
- 120 minutes / dual-layer (50GB) / HD 1080p 16:9 scope size
- Audio: (1) Japanese DTS-HD MA 3.1 (2) English DTS-HD MA 3.1
- Subtitles: (1) English subtitles (2) English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (3) Latin American Spanish subtitles (4) French subtitles
- White Disc: Bonus Features in Blu-ray Format
- 224 minutes / dual-layer (50GB) / HD 1080p 16:9
- Audio: (1) Japanese DTS-HD 2.0
- Subtitles: (1) English subtitles (burned-in)
- Enclosures:
- 3-disc Steelbook case
- J-card
- Insert
- Bonus Features:
- Promotional Video Collection
- Making Of Shin Godzilla
- Deleted Scenes
- Outtakes
- Previs Reel Collection
- Previs and Special Effects Outtakes
- Visual Effects Breakdown
- Trailer 1
- Trailer 2
- Teaser 1
- Teaser 2
