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The Movie: Possibly the last of the old-school "Godzilla" adventures as we know it, "Final Wars" (2004) marks the 50th anniversary of the big green lizard. Once again, this isn't a CGI creature (instead it uses GIS - Guy In Suit - effects - there is some CGI elsewhere, but it's primitive), and there's more cheese here than an entire state's worth of Pizza Huts. The film has Earth being protected by the elite Earth Defense Force, a group of fighters who are capable of "Matrix"-esque fight moves (despite seeming like an odd fit, the film borrows from the "Matrix" trilogy at times.) Alien race Xiliens soon arrive on Earth and unleash an attack that includes a series of monsters (including Rodan, Mothra, King Caesar and many others) who smash up big cities around the globe. So, the military quickly realizes that there's only one option: get Godzilla out of the ice and set him against the other creatures wrecking the world's major cities. The film's major monster battles are entertaining in their low-budget, yet over-the-top way, but the dramatic scenes between humans are rather underwhelming, as the corny dialogue eventually starts to be a bit much. At a surprisingly long 125 minutes, the film could have easily been cut down 25 minutes in order to make the story a bit more straightforward, improve the pacing and get to Godzilla sooner, as it takes too long for Godzilla to become the focus. Obviously, these films are not meant to be taken seriously, and if "Mystery Science Theater 3000" were still on the air, it'd have a blast with this picture. Still, even as a goofy monster movie, there could have been some improvements, starting with some considerable tightening down from 125 minutes. The editing is also ridiculously rapid-fire, and the performances (understandably) vary. Overall, not too bad if you're in the mood for it. The DVD VIDEO: "Godzilla: Final Wars" is presented by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen. The presentation quality is generally quite good, showing off every detail of the fairly low-budget production. Sharpness and detail remained solid throughout much of the film, with only a couple of moments of random softness in the image. As for flaws, the picture did show some slight edge enhancement, as well as a couple of minor artifacts. On a positive note, the print appeared to be in great shape, with no wear and only some minor grain. Colors appeared bright and well-saturated, with no smearing or other faults. Overall, a pretty fine presentation of the material. SOUND: Presented with both English dubbed (pretty badly dubbed, no less) and Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks, "Final Wars" is an audio assault, complete with some fairly substancial low-end bass. Surrounds kick in aggressively throughout much of the film, constantly throwing sound effects around the viewer during the film's many action sequences. Overall, the audio remains as over-the-top as the movie. EXTRAS: 17 minutes of B-roll footage and previews for other titles from the studio. Final Thoughts: "Final Wars" offers quite a bit of action, but Godzilla takes center stage a bit late and the picture goes too long at 125 minutes. While entertaining in its own big B-movie way, some tightening of the film would have helped make this into something even more enjoyable. 
Film Grade The Film C+ DVD Grades Video 88/B Audio: 87/B Extras: 70/C- |