Godzilla vs. Kong appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie looked great.
At all times, sharpness appeared positive. I thought the image seemed accurate and well-defined from start to finish, with virtually no signs of softness on display. I noticed no signs of shimmering or jaggies, and the movie lacked any print flaws.
Like most other modern action flicks, GvK favored stylized colors, and as usual, those colors tended toward teal and orange. Actually, the palette broadened at times, so while it stayed heavily stylized, at least more red, blues, pinks, purples and greens emerged. Given the visual choices, the hues felt positive.
Blacks were always deep and tight, and I saw good contrast as well. Shadows seemed clear and appropriately opaque. The Blu-ray became a strong reproduction of the film.
Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, I felt just as pleased with the impressive Dolby Atmos soundtrack of GvK. A movie packed with mayhem and action, the mix used all the channels in a lively, involving manner. Vehicles, weapon-fire, monsters, and similar elements popped up from all around the room and delivered a smooth, engrossing soundscape.
This meant nearly constant material from the surrounds. The back speakers delivered a high level of information and created a great sense of place in that domain. All of this melded together in a vivid, satisfying manner.
Audio quality was also strong. Music seemed full and bold, while speech was consistently natural and crisp.
Effects became the most prominent component, of course, and packed a solid punch, with positive clarity and range. People invest major bucks in home theaters for flicks like this, and GvK delivered the goods.
The comments above address the 2D version of GvK. How did the included 3D rendition compare?
On the negative side, the 3D disc only provided DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio instead of the 2D’s Atmos. I thought the 7.1 still offered a powerful track, but Atmos fans will feel disappointed the 3D edition didn’t boast that format.
Otherwise, the 3D became the easy winner. Both sported nearly identical visuals, so the 3D didn’t take much of a hit in that domain.
Even if the 3D looked a smidgen weaker than the 2D – and it was only a sliver - the stereo effects more than compensated. This version brought excellent 3D visuals that created an engaging and immersive setting.
I won’t claim the 3D made GvK a better movie. However, those elements gave the flick enough added oomph to turn it into a more enjoyable and fun screening.
Note that GvK also can be purchased in a 4K UHD version. A native 4K production, that Dolby Vision presentation excelled and offered visuals that topped the 2D Blu-ray.
So if I watched GvK again, would I opt for the 4K or the 3D? I’d go for the latter, if just because the 3D imagery added so much spark.
Without a doubt, the 4K UHD offered better definition, colors and blacks. However, the extra dimensionality of the 3D simply transformed the movie in a way that made it my preferred version, even if picture quality didn’t match up with the reference-quality 4K.
We get a mix of extras here, and these launch with an audio commentary from director Adam Wingard. He offers a running, screen-specific look at story/characters and connections to the earlier films, sets and locations, cinematography and music, cast and performances, various effects, influences/references and related areas.
Though he occasionally goes AWOL for brief periods, Wingard mostly provides a solid chat. He remains chatty and engaging as he gives us a fine view of the production.
Under The God, we get two featurettes: “Godzilla Attacks” (6:25) and “The Phenomenon of Gojira, King of the Monsters” (9:52). Across these, we hear from Wingard, producers Mary Parent and Alex Garcia, production designer Thomas S. Hammock, 2014 director Gareth Edwards, 2019 writer Zach Shields, On Monsters author Stephen T. Asma, 2019 director Michael Dougherty, Haunted author Leo Braudy, and actors Kyle Chandler, Julian Dennison, Brian Tyree Henry, Millie Bobby Brown, Sally Hawkins (2014), Bryan Cranston (2014), David Straithairn (2014, 2019), and Vera Farmiga (2019).
These examine the depiction of Godzilla, some human characters/actors, and reflections on the Godzilla series. Both offer some decent notes but they tend to feel a bit fluffy.
Four more featurettes show up within The King: “Kong Leaves Home” (7:56), “Kong Discovers Hollow Earth” (7:53), “Behold Kong’s Temple” (5:52), and “The Evolution of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World” (8:25).
These include notes from Wingard, Hammock, Garcia, Dougherty, Brown, production designer Owen Paterson, costume designer Ann Foley, 2017 director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, 2017 costume designer Mary E. Vogt, 2017 production designer Stefan Dechant, and actors Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, Demián Bichir, Eiza González, Tom Hiddleston (2017), Brie Larson (2017), and Corey Hawkins (2017).
Here we examine the movie’s depiction of Kong and other characters, costumes, creatures and vehicles, cast, set design, and Kong over the years. Though we still get some superficial elements – especially during “Wonder” – the “King” featurettes usually offer good content.
With The Rise of Mechagodzilla, we get a seven-minute, six-second reel that features Wingard, Dennison, Paterson, Hammock, Garcia, Brown, Henry, and executive producer Jay Ashenfelter.
As expected, “Rise” views the design and execution of Mechagodzilla and related sets. It becomes a pretty useful overview.
Finally, The Battles breaks into three clips: “Battle at Sea” (5:01), “One Will Fall” (5:58) and “Titan Tag Team” (7:59). In these, we hear from Wingard, Hammock, Ashenfelter, Garcia, Henry, Skarsgård, Ashenfelter, Paterson, and Chandler.
We find a mix of notes connected to the movie’s fight sequences. These become reasonably informative featurettes.
While not devoid of thrills, Godzilla vs. Kong never lives up to the excitement promised by its premise. With a messy narrative and too many extraneous story beats, the movie fails to capitalize on its potential. The Blu-ray brings excellent picture and audio along with a generally informative set of supplements. Too much of GvK feels slow and inert, though the 3D version added real punch to the proceedings and made the film more enjoyable.
To rate this film visit the prior review of GODZILLA VS. KONG