Posted in: Movies, Recent Updates | Tagged: analysis, breakdown, bryan cranston, entertainment, film, gareth edwards, godzilla, ken watanabe, remake, trailer

Massive Godzilla Trailer Breakdown Has Some Spoilery But Also Intriguing Revelations

Patrick Dane writes for Bleeding Cool.

Yesterday saw the release of another trailer for Gareth Edward's upcoming Godzilla. While the first teaser conveyed the rather po-faced tone that the film is aiming for, this new trailer focused more on the set up, giving us clues of where Godzilla came from and, possibly more importantly, where he has been in the meantime.

That and a lot of broken aircraft. Seriously, if this trailer tells you anything, it is that you shouldn't be in an airfield when giant monsters attack.

So as with last time, I'm here to take you through this trailer step by step. It actually does have a fair few secrets up its sleeve. In fact, this might get a bit spoilery, so at least be aware that I have warned you.

Here is the first of many destruction shots this trailer has. Also, move your counter for damaged aircraft up to one.

This shot is accompanied by Bryan Cranston's monologue, but I will tackle that all in one go in just a little bit.

Nice bit of symbolism here with a nuclear power plant falling. It will be interesting to see if the film does have a strong anti-nuclear stance, but I'm pretty sure that this film is frying a different fish.

Also, I'm about 90% sure that this isn't the work of Godzilla. This is almost certainly one of the burrowing nasties he will be up against.

A shot of Bryan Cranston running in what looks like some sort of meltdown. I'll refer you to the last trailer breakdown where I threw out some theories about this. Could this be the power plant that is falling over?

Here is a military money shot. Not exactly sure where they are going, but I'd hzard a guess that it is maybe Las Vegas. You'll see why in a few shots time.

Some more destruction fairly reminiscent of the original Comic Con footage. I'm not 100% sure where this is but I'd maybe hazard a guess at San Francisco. Maybe you can help me with this one…

This next one is interesting. Gareth Edwards seems to be pulling a bit of a Cloverfield here with the destruction of the Statue of Liberty, but if you look for more than a second, you will realize this definitely isn't New York. There does seem to be a roller-coaster behind the statue, so my guess is this is the roller coster at the New York, New York hotel in Las Vegas.

But is Godzilla really that far inland? And why does it seem there are no other Las Vegas monuments, even smashed to pieces in the background? This one is a bit of a mystery to me.

Alright, I'll get into that Cranston monologue now. He's playing 'Joe' a nuclear physicist who seems pretty upset with somebody about some sort of disaster. I'd hazard a guess it's the same disaster that we saw him running towards at the power plant and the one that trapped his wife (it is in the trailer! It isn't really spoilers!).

It appears that he finally understands the magnitude of what is going on, even if 'the stone age' line feels a little on the nose.

It is hard to see full  form a still, but here you can see Godzilla swimming underneath an airline cruiser. It is an old trope in these kind of monster movies, but it doesn't make it any less foreboding a shot.

What a big boy.

This is in Honolulu, so this will likely be Godzilla's first touchdown onto American soil. Not even sure how much stomping he is going to need to do to raze the city after this.

Here are some soldiers on some Pacific Coast island. They are certainly looking for something, but I'm not sure if what they find is what they were expecting.

Top tip: Don't go messing with around radioactive ooze.

This is Ken Wantanabe as Daisuke Serizawa. He has a significant importance to Godzilla, but I will get to that in just a bit.

What is important here is that Godzilla was first encountered in 1954. That is the same year that the original Ishiro Honda movie was released. It appears that Godzilla's been somehow covered up for over 50 years, and those famous pacific Nuclear tests? Yeah, they were just an attempt to kill Godzilla.

The surf most certainly is up.

This is the second time in as many movies that Gareth Edwards has featured this kind of 'death and destruction over the hill' shot. It is easy to see why. It is effective.

This is pretty much our first look at Aaron  Taylor-Johnson without a mask on the whole marketing campaign. He is playing Lt. Ford Brody and Bryan Cranston is his father.

I'm not entirely sure where they are or why they are digging around in an abandoned… place. Although, it does seem to have Japanese typography, so perhaps they are investigating the bombed Pacific Island.

Godzilla just slinking away between buildings. He really does put the Superman and Zod fight to shame.

I have literally no idea what is going on here. Something seems to have laid eggs around a missile. Is it the same missile from that last trailer? And if it is, does that mean it didn't work on its intended target, only to be repurposed as some kind of nest?

And whose nest is it anyway? I really doubt the movie will go into the Godzilla baby thing again, so I assume it is one of the other monsters. But which one?

Ken Wantanabe is playing Daisuke Serizawa minus the eye patch. For those who haven't seen the original 1954 film or need a refresher, a character with that name was a key player in the original movie.

The character was responsible for the Oxygen Destroyer, the weapon that killed Godzilla in the end of the original movie. Serizawa was worried that his creation would be used as a weapon, much like nuclear power had been, and was a character that basically summarised the film's themes.

I feel he may have a similar function here. In this film, you can hear him later on saying "the arrogance of man is thinking Nature is in their control." Edwards has said in the past that this Godzilla is force of nature and that the film will focus on environmental themes. Expect Serizawa to be wrapped up with that in some way.

"Can you kill it?" Which "it" is this? Godzilla 'it'? One of the other monster "it"s?…

…Rodan "it"?

Wait, what?! Rodan? It isn't entirely clear, but it does look like this could be Rodan. Rodan was one of Toho's first monsters, so it would make some sense for him to turn up here.

I really am beginning to wonder how many monsters are in this thing. This damage for sure isn't being caused by Godzilla. Also, notice all the jets falling in the second shot. That counter is pushing up!

The next few shots are from the previous trailer, which I already have covered.

This shot is new and probably the saddest of the exchange where it looks like Joe's wife perishes.

See, I'm almost convinced that is Jonathan Banks on the left in this picture, but as far as I know, he isn't in the movie…

That is definitely Ken Wantanabe though, getting sciencey in some kind of massive skeleton. It looks pretty snake-like from what I can tell.   More and more and more planes falling to their deaths. Also, the Golden Gate Bridge isn't looking so good. Told you we were heading to San Francisco.

This shot is quite nice. A nice bit of quiet in the midst of all of the destruction.

These flares come to show something massive moving. I assume it is Godzilla, but it is drenched, seems to have glowing red slits on its body and there is something very… silky about the way it is moving.
This definitely is not Godzilla. Maybe it's one of the insecty looking monsters from the Comic Con footage.

Possibly the only aircraft to stay in the air through the whole trailer.

Also, it looks like they are carrying a big missile. I'd wager it is the one from the last trailer.
Another shot of the tram attack from the first trailer, although it now seems we know that Ford is on board too. I assume this carriage is in Godzilla's mouth so it will be interesting to see how he gets out of that one.

One of Ford's major missions in this films seems to be centered around a train taking a missile to some place. Judging by his army gear and the train track, I'd say that this moment might be where it goes wrong, or gets very close to going wrong, all depending on where the train is in relation to the Godzilla-spine.

Ford is taking a dip with Godzilla though!

Here in the penultimate shot of the trailer, we get our first look at Elizabeth Olsen, who is playing Elizabeth Brody, Ford's wife. I assume that is their son in her hands.

And here is the money shot. Say Cheese Mr Godzilla.

So yeah, it is a pretty revealing trailer if you know what you are looking for. Although there are still some key questions like, "How many monsters are there?", "What are the specific themes of this movie?" and "Rodan!?"

But for me, the most interesting question coming out of this, for me anyways is, how does this relate to Gojira (1954)? They name drop 1954 in relation to Godzilla's discovery and if you cut out all of the middle films and assume that the Japanese some how covered up the existence of a prehistoric beast that destroyed Tokyo, this could be a direct sequel to that film. Except for the existence of Daisuke Serizawa. Unless he's a son or a grandson.

On the other hand, the film's protagonists are an older scientist and a younger couple (one of whom is a nurse) much like in Ishiro Honda's film. Yet this one has a much stronger military influence and apparently a whole cavalcade of extra monsters. Are we looking at a "remake-of-sorts?"

Hopefully, I should be coming back to you in just a few days with some answers…

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