Godzilla Box Set

Rating:
Summary: If only I had waited...
Review: It's too bad I didn't just get the other three-pack released back in October, instead of the five-pack, wasting my money on the same old G2K DVD I allready had. Then I could have waited for this one to get Mechagodzilla. But sadly, Tristar decided to announce this a week after my 5-pack arrived. Too bad. Now I have to buy SOG and GMMG seperately.

Rating:
Summary: A Worthwhile Boxed Set for Godzilla Fans
Review: This Godzilla boxed set from Columbia Tristar includes three films of varying quality: "Son of Godzilla," "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla," and "Godzilla: Tokyo SOS." Combined, they make for a very enjoyable evening for any Godzilla fan.
"Son of Godzilla" is easily the weakest of the three films. Though its special optical effects are surprisingly good, the other special effects are very limited and unengaging. The addition of a Godzilla son (Minya, or Minilla) was a goofy mistake, and the human subplots are extremely unengaging. To top it all off, the monster battles are almost non-existent, and the various monster opponents are appallingly sub-par.
"Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" is one of the best of the 70s Godzilla movies (and certainly the best to be directed by Jun Fukuda). The story involved alien monkeys trying to take over earth with the help of Mechagodzilla, a giant mechanical Godzilla clone. This marked a definite improvement over previous entires with its mature, gritty atmosphere and very enjoyable monster battles (additional monsters include the forgettable King Caeser and, briefly, Angillas).
"Godzilla: Tokyo SOS," a recent Godzilla movie, is my favorite of the set. It's almost plotless, and is basically made up of an engaging three-way battle between Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, and Mothra. This is among the best monster action Toho studios have produced, and the special effects are top-notch. What little plot there is is made more interesting than usual by the presence of the star of the original "Mothra" reprising his role, and a connection between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla that is explored at the film's conclusion.
The DVDs for "Son of Godzilla" and "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" are revealations. The 2.35:1 image is spectacularly sharp and bright, with almost no scratches. "Godzilla: Tokyo SOS" looks surprisingly lacklustre for such a recent film, with heavy grain and some truly grotesque moments of edge-enhancement. Purists will be happy to know that the original Japanese audio is included along with the English dub. All films include some random trailers, but "Godzilla: Tokyo SOS" contains a 20-minute Toho-produced documentary about the special effects. It's a bit too slow for the casual fan, but die-hards will enjoy it.