With films like Timecrimes, Extraterrestrial, and some shorts in V/H/S Viral and ABC’s of Death, Spanish filmmaker Nacho Vigalondo has made a name for himself for executing original ideas with heart and meaning behind whatever sci-fi or horror backdrop he uses. Not many people have done as great a job as he has on a consistent basis, while providing excellent characters and monsters all in the same film. Whenever there is a film with Nacho Vigalondo’s name attached to it, you need to run to the theater, grab your favorite candy and simply enjoy what’s about to be shown, because you won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.
That brings us to his latest opus called Colossal. There is so much more to this story than giant robots, monsters, and Kaijus. Colossal tells the story of Gloria (Anne Hathaway), who would rather get drunk every night than be responsible. Because of this, she loses her job and boyfriend in a posh Manhattan building. After this loss, she heads back to her small hometown to live and sort things out. Gloria runs into old flames such as Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), who owns the local bar, as well as some town locals she grew up with as she tries to make a new life for herself.
She is still off the proverbial wagon, getting drunk and making a mess of things, which is when she finds out that she is oddly connected to a giant Kaiju (monster) that has appeared and is attacking South Korea. There are many layers underneath this sci-fi aspect, which Nacho Vigalondo captures and tells perfectly in every scene without giving too much away right at the beginning. There is a path of crumbs and clues he leaves in each scene that furthers the story into what’s really going on with Gloria that might hit home for some viewers with some aspects of addiction, loss, and love.
The visual effects are outstanding and never overly done, but rather executed in a simple way when we see the Kaiju monsters appear in South Korea. The characters are very fleshed out and you grow attached to them early on with Vigalondo’s excellent screenplay as well as Hathaway’s performance, which is one of my favorite roles she’s been in. Sudeikis is also amazing here and is something different than the usual comedic roles we’re used to seeing him in. Bear McCreary’s score is fantastic as always, leaving this small indie film called Colossal one of the better movies you’ll see all year long.
Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Colossal comes with a 50GB Blu-ray Disc and a DVD copy of the film that is Region A Locked. There is an insert for a digital copy as well. The discs are housed in a hard, blue plastic case with a cardboard/lenticular sleeve case.
Colossal comes with a 1080p HD transfer and is presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The image looks great and keeps with the tones and themes of the film itself with a subdued color palette. For most of the film, there is a slight blue/gray filter that keeps most colors subdued or as if you're under the influence of a drug or alcohol. Nothing is hazy, but there is a colder look to the whole picture. This is not the case in the first scene of the film in New York City, which brings out the brightness of reds, whites, and greens inside the posh apartment.
Other colors that stand out are the neon signs at the pub in the film or when things go haywire in the bright city lights of Tokyo. Detail is sharp and vivid too, but never glossy. The heavy CGI effects of the monster look good, but not Oscar worthy; however you'll be able to distinguish the main crease lines in the monster's body. Individual hairs, wounds, and makeup blemishes show up easily too.
Wider shots show the dirt, rain drops, dew, and dust on the rural county's buildings and trucks. Black levels are deep and inky always and the skin tones are natural too. There were no major issues with any banding, aliasing, or video noise to speak of, leaving this video presentation with good marks.
This release comes with a great lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix. The sound effects are robust and very effective when they need to be. When the monster shows up in Tokyo, the low end kicks in with the bass where its movement pack punch. The different dynamics when the monster is being shown on televisions live, as to seeing it person sounds very distinct and well balanced. Other sound effects can fully capture the moment in the surrounds when in a crowded pub or outside when people are running for their lives, screaming about the monster.
Ambient noises of people talking or nature sounds all make this track worthwhile and has an immersive quality to it. The music of the movie always adds to the suspense and dramatic elements without drowning out any other audio aspects. Lastly, the dialogue is crystal clear and easy to follow, and free of any pops, cracks, hiss, and shrills.
Deleted Scene (HD, 4 Mins.) - Just one deleted scene is included that isn't even that amazing.
Colossal is a fantastic film that is told perfectly by the amazing Nacho Vigalando. His ability to tell a small story on such a grand scale is no small feat and he executes it perfectly in his script, filming and with the actor's performances. Also, I'm happy to say that this film never takes itself too seriously, which makes it all the more fun. The video and audio presentations are both great, but there is only one extra (a deleted scene). Come on, now. We can do better than that. Still, this amazing jewel of a film is Recommended!
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