Synopsis:

Buffeted by tsunami strength winds, Monster Island, the home of Mothra is taking an incredible beating. So much so that Mothra's egg is unearthed via this incredibly advanced water erosion and the egg ends up adrift I the Sea of Japan. The storm carries her egg to a small coastal village where the fishermen have taken claim of their newfound prize! Someone else has seen the egg as well and intends to exploit it for all it's worth. Emissaries from Monster Island beg the businessmen to return the egg but to no avail. Suddenly, Godzilla appears and begins to wreak havoc and carnage throughout Japan. The only way to effectively combat Godzilla is by gaining the assistance of another giant monster to fight with Godzilla. Unless the safe return of her egg is completed, Mothra will have no part in protecting the humans from Godzilla's rage. All this time, her egg has been incubated by the businessmen and is about to produce another unexpected twist to a film that's chock full of fun and surprises! Godzilla vs. Mothra is without a doubt a great action movie!

Audio/Video:

The audios for four (4) of the five (5) features in this collection are all in mono. As such the platform fluctuates from poor to fair and even to OK, the longer you listen to the tracks. Godzilla vs. Mothra is sadly one of the four with a mono track. The audio for this feature and indeed all the features never stumbles into the unbearably crappy audio that it could have easily become. That's not to say that the audio is great, it's just to say that it's listenable even though it's merely a mono recording.

The video is a widescreen presentation that really shows it's age. Flecks, scratches, hairs, you name it and it's found it's way onto the print for the picture. Surprisingly enough, the images are bright and fairly clean. The quality of the presentation never goes beyond maybe a great cable-TV image though. As digital imagery goes, this is close to the middle/bottom of the barrel. Simitar must have only spent $5 restoring these films and transferring them. That's really too bad because, camp though they may be, they are still very entertaining films and worthy of a decent transfer.

Overall:

Godzilla is one of my favorite pastimes! I truly enjoy all the exploits his film career has presented. Because of this, I am greatly disappointed in the poor way in which these films have been transferred. The extras that don't work coupled with the poor audio and video presentations almost make these discs unwatchable. However, the true fan will have them just to complete the library. They are marginally better than the VHS editions that currently exist and are a welcome addition to the digital medium. I just wish a company with some class and vision had taken the initiative to give them the treatment they deserve! As a fan of the films, I can find enjoyment in watching them even in this shape however, if you are not very interested in Godzilla, these will definitely leave a sour taste in your mouth. Even though, Simitar did a ****** job in presenting this film, it's still one of the best of the Showa era and deserving of your attention. Recommended