The past year hasn’t been great for films since the pandemic has caused so many exciting movies to be delayed. However, with Warner Bros. releasing their entire 2021 slate on HBO Max alongside their movies’ theater releases, it’s finally safe to feel that upcoming-blockbuster hype again. With the streaming and theater release of Godzilla vs. Kong just around the corner, Warner Bros. unveiled the film’s action-packed trailer, revealing some of the first looks at what we should expect to see. Let’s break it all down like a Tokyo skyscraper. 

The trailer kicks off with civilians running for cover as something attacks the city above them. That something definitely doesn’t seem to be Godzilla or Kong, as there’s a red light coming from what or whoever this is. Perhaps this could be Mechagodzilla since he often has red lights on him. It could also be Mecha-King Ghidorah, as we saw that the human criminals discovered one of his severed heads at the end of Godzilla: King of the Monsters. It’s tough to see who or what exactly it is due to the smoke, though. 

A group of humans transport a tied-down Kong via boat. This is very reminiscent of the original King Kong from 1933 when Kong was taken to New York City after being captured. Perhaps that original film will serve as more of an inspiration for this one. 

“The world needs Kong to stop what’s coming,” is uttered, begging the question “what is coming?” Whatever it may be, Kong is likely more than capable of dealing with it. This seems to tell us why they are taking Kong away from Skull Island. They clearly need his help with a threat that, given the film’s title, is probably Godzilla. It’s still unclear if he is being taken against his will or not, though. 

The trailer introduces us to a young girl who is able to communicate with Kong. This brings up a few questions. Who is this little girl? How are Kong and the little girl able to communicate? How was this communication method discovered? Why are her and her parents on Skull Island to begin with? Perhaps they are there for research purposes. It’s safe to assume the actual movie will provide these answers. 

The scale of Kong next to the little girl is undoubtedly incredible. Establishing the size of these beasts is important, so it’s a welcome addition to the trailer. She’s literally smaller than his finger tip, making his size feel extraordinarily intimidating. 

The trailer takes almost no time getting to what the film’s title promises: two of the most iconic kaiju ever duking it out! What we see of what appears to be their first encounter is absolutely epic. Plus, we actually get to see the monsters in their entirety this time. However, how can a ship hold the weights of both of these giants without immediately sinking? That part is a little immersion-breaking. 

Kong is noticeably larger than when we last saw him in Kong: Skull Island. If you’re wondering why, it’s because he was an adolescent ape back then, and decades have passed between that movie and this one. Now, he’s around the same height as Godzilla and just as ready to take on any incoming threats. 

One of the more interesting shots in the trailer is with Shun Oguri’s character in what looks to be in an ominous villain scene. Behind him is a screen with some very telling information. The words are cut off, but appear to read “”Emergency Systems: Medium Charge.” This further indicates that we’ll be seeing some sort of mechanical monster in the film, and perhaps he’s the one controlling it. Even more telling is an outline of what absolutely looks like Mechagodzilla even though its head is not in frame. It certainly appears the human villains could be controlling Mechagodzilla this time around. It makes one wonder if the King Ghidorah tease after the end of Godzilla: King of the Monsters plays into this at all.

Godzilla and Kong are ready to battle it out in a city where the skyscrapers are covered in neon borders. I have no idea where that city is, but it allows for a pretty cool aesthetic. The city itself looks to be a fun battlefield for the kaiju. 

Kyle Chandler’s character shouts that “Godzilla is out there hurting people and we don’t know why,” and Millie Bobby Brown later says “There is something provoking him that we’re not seeing here.” It appears that there’s something causing Godzilla to go on a rampage and that it may not actually be him voluntarily attacking anyone. This means he’s still on the right side of the conflict while providing a reason for Kong to fight against him. 

A map is shown featuring locations where Godzilla has attacked. It appears that the central human characters are trying to figure out Godzilla’s potential motive and next targets. Something mentioned a couple times on this board is Apex and their facilities. What exactly is “Apex?” Are they part of Monarch, the organization that deals with titan activity around the world? Are they an evil version of Monarch set out to use the titans as weapons? Only time will tell.

Also on this chart is information about a potential nuclear cover-up. It’s nice to know that even when the focus is on fighting Kong, a Godzilla film sticks to the nuclear theme. 

It’s clear that there are both returning human characters, like Millie Bobby Brown’s character, and new ones like Rebecca Hall’s character. This is a good way to expand on the story and show that these events impact people around the world while also tying things together using those who are returning. 

It’s briefly been mentioned that there was a war fought between the different titans, which ties into some of the information discovered in the previous films. It looks like we’ll finally be learning more about that epic war and why it was fought.

Kong is seen fighting other creatures on Skull Island. This could be a glimpse at that war that was mentioned. It also means that Godzilla fighting Kong will not be the only action seen throughout the movie, which is exciting. More giant monster mayhem means more fun.

The words “One Will Fall” show on the screen, indicating that we may be seeing the last of one of the titular beasts. Could this mean that the one falling will be the mechanical menace, or does it strictly mean Godzilla and Kong? Could this be a fakeout? If one falls, what would that mean going forward? Perhaps one will cease to appear in the franchise, or one will perish to be resurrected at a later time. There are a lot of possibilities there. 

Locked in combat, Kong uses a giant hammer against Godzilla as Godzilla fires his radiation breath at the gigantic ape. At a closer look, it appears that the top of Kong’s weapon is made out of one of the scales from Godzlla’s spine. If that’s the case, not only is it cool, but it definitely adds insult to injury. 

The action seen throughout the trailer is incredible. It delivers on what the title promises while also including other fights. It’s sure to be an action-packed thrill ride. However, it is a little concerning to think that we may have seen footage of all of the action scenes in the movie. Hopefully they did leave some surprises for the film’s release.

There’s no telling what the outcome of this film will be until we finally get the chance to see it, but it certainly seems like either Godzilla or Kong will be meeting their demise. One theory is that Godzilla will be the one who falls, allowing Kong to reign supreme. So far, Kong has only been referred to as, well, “Kong.” We all know he was originally “King Kong” back in 1933 and in other incarnations. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, it was established that there will always be an alpha for the titans to bow down to. It’s possible that Godzilla will perish, leaving Kong to take over as alpha, finally making him King Kong. We’ll have to wait and see when the film releases, though. 

Godzilla vs. Kong looks absolutely incredible with huge action and a suspenseful storyline. The best part is that the monsters appear to be completely visible, which was a bit of an issue with previous installments in this Monster-verse of movies. It’ll be fun to catch up with returning characters and meeting new ones while also seeing if any other famous monsters make surprise appearances. The world is ready for this epic showdown, and the trailer has hyped up audiences everywhere. Let’s hope the final product is just as intense. 

Sound off in the comments if you’re excited for the latest giant monster flick or if the hype isn’t quite getting to you with this one.