It is finally here. We just got our first trailer for the fifth Monsterverse film, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Fans have been waiting for this trailer ever since we got the teaser back in February. We were supposed to get this trailer during San Diego Comic Con, but was canceled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. That strike is done and over with allowing us to get that first look for the trailer. I will say that this trailer came a little too early, I think. We do still have Monarch: Legacy of Monsters that is still airing. It would have been better if we got this trailer in mid-late January or at least some time after the show is finished since the show is supposed to have some connection with the movie. Before I give my thoughts on the trailer, lets start off by breaking down the trailer from the beginning.
The trailer begins with a seismograph getting some seismic disturbances and then seeing some helicopters flying towards what looks like a Monarch outpost. We get a really nice shot of the pyramids in Egypt and suddenly the ground erupts in an explosion. The seismograph goes crazy and the ground tunnels in where we see a Hollow Earth entrance opening up and a large hand coming out of the entrance. We also hear Dr. Ilene Andrews (played by Rebecca Hall) say, "For most of human civilization, we believed that life started on the surface. What else were we wrong about?"
We do know based on the poster that this hand does belong to Kong since it shows him wearing the gauntlet. Why he is wearing the gauntlet? That part is still unknown. It could be he broke his hand seeing he is only wearing the one on his left hand. If it was to help him enhance his strength then it would show him wearing two of the gauntlets, one on hand.
We see the Leaf Wings soaring through the Hollow Earth and then we see Kong jumping out of the tree line making his routine inspection around his territory while being followed by some sort of new drone. They're definitely not the HEAVs from Godzilla vs Kong, but it could be tech that was left over by APEX that Monarch got their hands on. We see the doors from this drone opening and we see Ilene Andrews and a new character not yet named played by Dan Stevens. Dr. Ilene Andrews continues, "This world has more secrets than we can possibly imagine." This is followed up with Kong seeing a silhouette of what appeared to be something very large, at first. Kong is ready to battle until the silhouette shrinks smaller and smaller revealing a baby Kong.
So far, the trailer is telling us this movie is exploring where human civilization first started in the Hollow Earth. We can even see a human tribe similar to the Iwi later in the trailer. I remember back in 2021 I talked about the possibility about seeing a baby monster in Godzilla vs Kong. I was talking about a baby Godzilla appearing and that was how Godzilla would get enraged in the movie. However, my biggest reason I mentioned in that post was that baby characters just sells and we would see a baby monster eventually. It worked with Grogu (aka baby Yoda) in The Mandalorian, baby Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy, and people liked the Mini-Puffs from Ghostbusters Afterlife. If done right, then baby Kong could definitely attract other audiences aside from the fans of Godzilla, Kong, and the Monsterverse.
We see Dan Stevens looking up at a wall with a giant hand print asking Ilene what that is and Ilene responds saying that is not Kong. We see Kong falling down a chasm finding himself in a cavern full of crystals. Using his axe like a torch he finds piles of skulls. Not just any skulls. These are skulls of his ancestors. Ilene asks what could have done this and then we see a whole den of Kongs and a close up Skar King's eyes, which are glowing blue.
We see Kong being chased by giant Hyenas followed up with what looks like Jia (played by Kaylee Hottle) from behind. We see an entire civilization that may be similar to the Iwis that Jia can relate to and Bernie Hayes (played by Brian Tyree Henry) and Dan Stevens staring up at awe. This whole entire civilization is giving me Ghostbusters vibes reminding me of Gozer's dimension with the pyramids and the giant staircase. We see a giant spear-like weapon falling down the streets of Rio de Janeiro with civilians running for their lives, Kong is mesmerized by something while we hear Bernie mention that Kong can't fight this [Skar King] alone. We see Jia walking up the staircase made out of purple crystals and we see her reaching up for something. That is when we hear Ilene respond, "He won't be alone." That is when we see Godzilla either frozen in ice or in a cocoon waking up in a new EVOLVED form and announcing his reawakening to the entire world.
We see the Skar King purched on his throne, he walks closer, jumps in the middle of the den of Kongs and roars at the Kongs and then the beach goers at Rio de Janeiro. Evolved Godzilla begins charging up, Kong roars, and Godzilla fires his pink atomic breath. We see Godzilla and Kong running through a tunnel of crystals in the Hollow Earth in Avengers like fashion and the trailer ends with Jia and Bernie seeing the baby Kong for the first time.
My honest thought is this movie did not get me as excited as previous Monsterverse films. I feel kind of indifferent after watching this trailer. It could be because I have already seen the leaked toy of the "EVOLVED" Godzilla or it could be that with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters approaching the Monsterverse more seriously I expected this movie to be approached similarly. Either way, this trailer did not impress me at all. I just think this movie is trying too hard to be, dare I say, "campy." Perhaps campy is not the right word, but it is definitely in the realm of getting a little too ridiculous.
While Godzilla (2014) is not my favorite Godzilla film, it started off with a very grounded and realistic introduction to the monster. Then, Kong: Skull Island took it a little further with the Hollow Earth theory, but still kept it all grounded. Suddenly, Godzilla: King of the Monsters threw away any sense of realism out the window replacing a more sci-fi approach. Finally, we got the peak Monsterverse film Godzilla vs Kong, which blew the lid open on the Hollow Earth and gave us the rematch we have been waiting for ever since King Kong vs Godzilla. Each film I accepted them for what they did and how they were approached. I even had more fun with some than others. Godzilla x Kong, however, I am just not completely sold on yet with where this movie is heading.
I am still keeping an open mind on Godzilla's new design as I do think every director should leave behind their own version of Godzilla or Kong. However, this is a drastic change in Godzilla's design that I am not so sure I will like. I'm not a fan of the pink dorsals and atomic breath. I'm not sold on the longer arms and slimmer body. He just looks like a stereotypical millenial minus the tattoos. Just give him a cup of Star Bucks coffee or frapaccino and he would fit in with the "modern" crowd. I just can't wrap my head around the idea that this is Godzilla yet. Nothing about this design tells me this is still Godzilla. There is just too much going on with this design to compare this design with the previous two designs from 2014 and 2019.
I did like some of the scenes shown off such as the Hollow Earth civilization looking beautifully lit by the crystals. I just do not find the new villain, Skar King, as big of a threat. We saw Godzilla whoop Kong's butt TWICE in Godzilla vs Kong, so we know that Godzilla can handle this enemy by himself. The whip that Skar King wrapped around him is not going to do anything to Godzilla much like the axe. So I don't find him as a big threat.
What I found completely laughable was how very human Godzilla and Kong were running at the end of the trailer. If you add the Avengers theme song, it would fit perfectly. It looked really bad, especially when there is no weight to each step they take while their running. They're just running a full sprint, which looks unnatural. I hope that the next trailer can sell me on the movie because my expectation right now is about average rather than high. I am all for cheesy movies, so I am not against this movie yet. I just have some stuff that I didn't like.
I want to know what your thoughts are on the trailer. Did this trailer get you excited for the movie? What did you or did you not like about the trailer? Leave a comment in the comments section of your thoughts on the first trailer of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Minds, MeWe, Gab, and TRUTH Social to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.