No, it’s not a battle royale between parallel universes full of kaiju. (Although that would be awesome.) YouTuber and giant monster aficionado Long Live the King has made a side-by-side comparison between the new Godzilla Vs. Kong trailer, and footage from the original Japanese movie match-up, King Kong Vs. Godzilla.
Two things you should know before you watch this video: 1) The 1962 film was made by the Japanese studio Toho with practically zero U.S. involvement, so this is pure, classic kaiju cinema; 2) special effects have improved somewhat over the past 59 years.
The comparison is funnier than it is informative, and many of the matching shots are just a result of both movies having the exact same premise. But I think there are a couple of times the upcoming film is paying homage to the ridiculous original — certainly that’s the only explanation why the characters in the new movie also made the bonkers decision to ship Kong over the ocean on a flatbed sea vessel. I guess we’ll know for sure if Kong tries to shove a tree down Godzilla’s throat on March 31.
[referenced id=”1666847″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2021/01/godzilla-vs-kongs-epic-first-trailer-launches-a-clash-of-titans/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/25/flecbykvdho6ltfvyvct-300×169.jpg” title=”Godzilla vs. Kong’s Epic First Trailer Launches a Clash of Titans” excerpt=”The King of all Kaiju. The King…er, Kong. Only one monarch may rule the monsterverse — and if our first look at Godzilla vs. Kong is any indicator, then it might be our simian pal who manages to eke out an early win.”]