Trailer Analysis: Godzilla Comes Roaring Back in First Official Trailer

DJ Arruda ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

First announced in 2010, fans have eagerly awaited Legendary Picture’s reboot of Toho’s iconic franchise. At long last a trailer for the Gareth Edwards–who also directed Monsters–film has been released, and it does not disappoint.
Opening with a narration about facing unknown danger played over a group of soldiers HALO jumping into a city currently occupied by Godzilla, the trailer sets a dark tone for this reboot. The massive monster is only glimpsed amidst smoke and rubble, and its terrifying size makes this apparent suicide mission all the more tense.
Focusing mostly on the humans, the trailer gives us glimpses at Bryan Cranston, of Breaking Bad fame, as Joe Brody; Aaron Taylor-Johnson , the titular star of Kick-Ass, as Lieutenant Ford; Elizabeth Olsen, currently seen in the Oldboy remake, as Elle Brody; and Ken Watanabe from Inception. But we do not get a clear picture of who these characters are, or even what the story of the film is, knowing only that Godzilla is a force of nature and that these characters must deal with his arrival.
With cuts to frantic civilians fleeing what is presumably the monstrous titan, the trailer does a good job of keeping the focus on the humans, which hopefully bodes well for a character driven story. Cuts to soldiers and scientists and the destruction caused by the monster only add to the hype and add more mystery to the story, as there is no dialogue other than the initial voice over. The other half of the story, the mysterious M.U.T.O Research group, was missing from the trailer. Having just launched a viral marketing campaign involving them, however, it appears we will be seeing more of the force behind the monsters that Godzilla will also fight in the film.
Overall, the trailer does a great job setting the tone with the red flares and lightning filled clouds coupled with the narration and haunting music, and the montages of panic and destruction in the wake of the iconic monster’s return only make the wait harder. The trailer ends on a perfect note, showing the king of all monsters shifting through smoke only to turn his head and utter his signature roar.
Expect Godzilla to take on both the military and other monsters when Godzilla releases on May 16, 2014.