The teaser trailer to Gareth Edwards’ upcoming sci-fi adventure Godzilla was one of the finest trailers of 2013 (it even made my list of the year’s 10 best). Now, a new trailer, filled with carnage, danger and one of the most impressive ensemble casts ever assembled only ramps up the excitement even more.
The greatest thing about this new trailer is how immense its scope is. It makes Pacific Rim look like an appetizer to this monstrous entree of a thriller. Interestingly, this trailer still feels like a teaser, as we do not have a sense of the protagonist played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The two central characters in this preview are played by Bryan Cranston and Ken Watanabe, and both look very good in their roles. Although there are a few glimpses of the rest of the ensemble – including Elizabeth Olsen, Sally Hawkins and Juliette Binoche – we only get a couple of peeks at what the titular reptile is going to look like. Its roar at the end reminded me a lot of the dinosaur audio from Jurassic Park, although it still got me very excited.
Based on this early footage, it seems like a good bet that moviegoers will have little problem putting Roland Emmerich’s reviled 1998 version of Godzilla to rest. What is also spectacular (and a good sign of the film’s originality) is how the footage of tsunamis, rampant destruction and raining debris is not too reminiscent of other disaster or apocalyptic films that have been popular in the last few years. It looks like Edwards is bringing a unique vision to Godzilla and I can’t wait to see what he’s come up with.
Godzilla roars onto the screen on May 16, 2014. Check out the mayhem below, and God help us all.