Movie Review: Pacific Rim (2013)
Written by Anthony Sargon
The summer movie season is always packed with sequels, prequels, reboots and spinoffs. As an audience, we're rarely treated to something new, something wholly original, or even something that's highly imaginative. Well, Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim" is unlike anything you've ever seen before and boasts some of the most entertaining action sequences ever put on screen. Michael Bay, time to jot down some notes.
Sometime in the near future, giant creatures labeled as "Kaiju" have risen from a submerged portal in the Pacific Ocean. Millions of human lives are lost, and natural resources are becoming extremely scarce. To fight the Kaiju and contain the invasion, humanity places all of its chips on the Jaeger Program; AKA giant robots who can beat the crap out of the Kaiju.
The action is by far some of the coolest I've ever witnessed, and Guillermo del Toro should be commended for his sense of fun and enthusiasm while orchestrating these set pieces. Colors pop and are saturated, reminding me of "Speed Racer" thanks to a distinctively bright color palette. The fights are beautiful to behold and don't suffer from the same issues that have plagued recent sci-fi action movies like "Transformers" or "Battleship". The action is clear and beautifully shot; you'll get to see every impact, every blow, and it's freaking crazy.
You feel the weight behind every punch, and the team over at ILM has done an awesome job with the visual effects, not to mention the Jaeger and Kaiju designs. Audiences have gotten so desensitized and spoiled that it's becoming increasingly difficult to impress us with original monsters, but del Toro and ILM have come up with some truly memorable creatures. The universe that del Toro has created is really interesting as well, and the whole two-pilot setup is actually pretty cool once you see it executed.
If you're wondering about the human characters and what their part in the story is, don't. They're only there to move the plot forward and pit Jaegers and Kaijus against one another. They're one dimensional characters that you just don't care enough about, which was a little surprising given del Toro's strength in creating relatable and likable protagonists. Charlie Hunnam is probably the film's weakest link, and he doesn't have enough charisma to be the lead. There are only three memorable performances, and they come courtesy of Idris Elba as Stacker, a badass captain and ex Jaeger pilot, Charlie Day's Dr. Geiszler, and Ron Perlman's Hannibal Chau. There's also a long stretch in the middle of the movie that really slows it down, but as soon the action picks back up, so does the film's energy.
The film is definitely light on substance but very heavy on style. If you're looking for something that's going to make you think or get emotional, then this isn't aimed at you. If you want a big dose of imaginative action and fun, however, this'll be just what the doctor ordered. Watching the Jaeger-Kaiju battles reminded me of what it was like to be 9 years old, playing with my mech warriors or godzilla action figures, and I can't ask for much more than that.
Anthony's Verdict:
As home entertainment systems become more sophisticated, people are becoming more than happy to skip a trip to the theater. "Pacific Rim" is the kind of film that was made for theaters, the kind of film that makes people fall in love with cinema. For a little over two hours, I felt like a kid again, and for that I say thank you Guillermo; you nailed it.
Numerical Score: 8.5/10
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