Godzilla vs. Kong

In evaluating a new Godzilla or King Kong trailer, subtle is probably not the first word that comes to mind. Yet, last time we did so in 2019, we found trailer music houses Alloy Tracks and Imagine Music supplying interesting, trailerized takes on “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and "Claire de Lune,” respectively. Doing so almost humanized the creatures, focusing on their majesty and beauty in a way that brought out the sublime in them. Seeing that in Japan they are known as kaiju—strange beasts—it was a nod to the heritage of the franchise.

Not so much for this trailer, however: This is a crossover that more closely resembles a fantasy round of Ultimate Fighting Championship—a stark change that didn’t go unnoticed in the YouTube comments for the above video.

After a mélange of atmospheric sounds to settle us in and the morose plodding of low brass, the trope of the single piano note appears. However, this is prolonged by an impromptu minor key melody. Just as soon as the instrumentation appears to drop off, another note drops in. This first minute is also used to lend us some expository dialogue (as if there were a need for logical explanation for the predicament).

From about 1:00 to 1:10 we hear a disconcerting mix of choral voices, epic percussion, and blaring synths—a bit haphazard, yet befitting the little snippets of fighter jets pummelling (presumably) Godzilla that we see between moments of entirely black screen.

At 1:21 with the first full appearance of Godzilla (helpfully explained by the dialogue just prior) we hear the tried-and-true Inception “brrrrammmm” sound (given a few different names, but most recognizably referred to by its progenitor film). New for the franchise is the full-bore playback of Chris Classic’s rap/rock track “Here We Go”. For its twenty seconds laid under combat between the two legendary titular beasts, it’s a taste of unabashed summer blockbuster material. Although due for release in March (on HBO Max and in theatres), maybe we could all use that kind of escape a little earlier than summer.

The track is then used in a lighter arrangement for more expository dialogue, though really it’s also just a bit of a reprieve before more high-octane action spectacle to close it out.

Although arguably less artistically inclined or subtle than its immediate predecessor, Godzilla vs. Kong does what it says on the tin, and does it well. The instrumentation at the beginning carefully balances atmosphere with melodic sensibility to sustain interest, and the Chris Classic track is both a striking contrast to the orchestration and a complement that heightens the epic feel.

— Curtis Perry