The film takes place in a world where monsters, known as MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms), have been awakened by nuclear tests in the Pacific Ocean. The story follows a team of scientists, led by Dr. Ishirō Serizawa (Ken Watanabe), and a team of military personnel, led by Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), as they attempt to stop a male and female MUTO, referred to as Godzilla and the MUTOF, from wreaking havoc on San Francisco.