Godzilla vs. Biollante: Godzilla Faces a Lesser-Known Foe, with Mixed Results (Criterion Blu-ray)

The Film:

Godzilla has faced numerous foes throughout a remarkable span of 70 years and dozens of films, with some of the most popular being Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, and, of course, King Kong. One that most people are probably not familiar with is Biollante, a plant creature that only had one big film appearance in "Godzilla vs. Biollante" from 1989. With the film having recently celebrated its 35th anniversary, Criterion is celebrating by adding it to their prestigious collection (which already contains numerous entries from the "Godzilla" series), so now it's time to go back and see how this lesser-known outing stacks up to others in the long-lasting and ever-popular franchise.

The film picks up after Godzilla's recent attack on Tokyo and his imprisonment in Mount Mihara, a currently dormant volcano. Some of his cells are stolen and sent to a science institute in Saradia, where Dr. Shiragami (Kōji Takahashi) and his team plan to merge them with modified plants in hopes of creating stronger ones that will grow in the desert. However, before this can be accomplished, a terrorist bomb destroys the lab and the cells, killing Shiragami's daughter in the process.

Five years later, Shiragami has turned his attention to roses, which he has merged with some of his daughter's cells in hopes of getting a reaction of some sort. Elsewhere, other Godzilla cells are being used to create "Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria," which some are hoping to use as a weapon against Godzilla if he should ever escape his captivity. Those in charge of the project attempt to recruit Shiragami, who initially declines, but after an eruption from Mount Mihara sends tremors across the area, he agrees to assist.

However, the first thing he does is merge the Godzilla cells with one of his roses, which ends up creating a plant creature later dubbed Biollante. The situation quickly gets out of control with science groups from Saradia and America attempting to acquire the bacteria, Biollante escaping into a nearby lake, and the inevitable release of Godzilla from his prison. Can the infamous creature be stopped before he's able to cause yet more destruction?

As you can clearly see, the plot of this entry is a little all over the place. From Shiragami trying to keep his daughter's spirit alive through roses (and accidentally creating a gigantic, deadly plant creature in the process) to different groups fighting over the bacteria that eats nuclear material to Godzilla breaking out of his captivity to cause more havoc, it can easily be said that the film is spread a little thin in trying to encompass so much. On top of that, with so much to set up within the various plotlines, it takes quite a while to truly get underway, as well as quite a while to get to the classic Godzilla action that fans are wanting & expecting.

That said, while the plotting & pacing are unfortunately some of its more negative aspects, there are a number of elements to like, and even admire, about this particular Godzilla entry. For starters, this was back when Godzilla films were truly Godzilla films (i.e. direct from Toho). They weren't afraid to have plots that were completely bonkers like this, ones that were rather silly, but treated seriously enough in the context of the film (as opposed to the far more serious films of late). Nor were they afraid to use the classic effects that featured an actor in a suit strolling through a model city, which still looks great and is actually much more pleasing to the eye than the recent over-reliance on CGI.

Unfortunately, all things considered, it's still a somewhat middling entry. If they had been able to clean up the busy plot a bit, perhaps by focusing on just one or two essential elements, and trim down the rather talkative first half a bit to get to the meat of the film faster, it likely would've worked a lot better. As mentioned, there is certainly a lot to be admired about the way these films were made back then, but sadly it's just not enough to overcome the problems with its messy storylines, resulting in a Godzilla outing that never quite comes together.

Video/Audio:

"Godzilla vs. Biollante" comes to Blu-ray in a 1.85:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of outstanding quality. The new 4K digital restoration looks absolutely stunning throughout the film's entire duration, perfectly highlighting its extensive special effects. Likewise, the 5.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is marvelous, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Criterion has done a wonderful job restoring the film in both areas for this new release.

Special Features:

Commentary with Film Historian Samm Deighan: An informative commentary featuring the host of the "Eros + Massacre" podcast and co-editor of the book "Revolution in 35mm."

The Making of Godzilla vs. Biollante (49 Minutes): A fascinating making of featurette from 1993 that features director Kazuki Omori, special effects director Koichi Kawakita, special effects cinematographer Kenichi Eguchi, and more.

Behind the Design (3 Minutes): A brief featurette from 1993 that looks at different designs for Biollante and the X2.

Deleted Special Effects (7 Minutes): A silent reel of footage featuring effects that didn't make the final cut of the film.

Conclusion:

"Godzilla vs. Biollante" features many admirable qualities from the period in which it was made, including a completely bonkers plot and classic special effects that aren't overloaded with CGI, but thanks to its rather busy collection of storylines, it ends up being spread rather thin as it tries to encompass so much, ultimately leaving us with a Godzilla entry that's middling at best.

Score: 3/5

Available on Criterion Blu-ray starting today.

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