Reel Hungry Review: Pacific Rim

Can Pacific Rim wow mainstream audiences? Find out after the jump!

In a time when it's hard to find a popcorn blockbuster that can deliver on colossal level action and the genuine impression that the director loved making this film. Its completely different from going to watch a Transformers movie by Michael Bay, who sadly probably didn't give a rat's ass about the source material and strolled his way to the finish line to collect his cheque. In the end you just feel dirty and guilty for actually paying to them to see this soulless corporate CG mash up. Now I have nothing against Michael Bay he makes good action movies when he actually in the mood like "The Rock" and "Bad Boys" to name a few. Where as Bay's Transformers felt like a empty vessel, Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim feels like a rock concert. Pacific Rim is the encapsulation of childhood nostalgia and all things cool. For fans of anime, mech and giant monster movies like me; make no mistake this is Holy Grail.

Image: Comicvine

Pacific Rim is set in world where massive monsters, known as "Kaiju", started appearing from a portal under the Pacific Ocean, wreaking havoc around coastal cities. The world sets aside all their differences to find an answer to combat the Kaiju menace. The "Jaeger" program was humanity's solution to the Kaiju threat. Jaegers are giant mechanized robots designed to find and destroy Kaiju and exterminate with extreme prejudice. Due to the Jaeger's tremendous size it takes a team of two, to pilot it through mind melding and fighting as one. Yes its sounds a bit hokey but hey, there're giant robots and monsters here, so whatever works. British commander, Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), is charged with the earth's last line of defence and the world's few remaining Jaegers. Pentecost looks to recruit a washed up American pilot, Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), who had lost his co-pilot and Jaeger 5 years prior during a routine Kaiju assault. Raleigh's would be co-pilot is Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) an intelligence prodigy who has her own baggage which she must carry into battle. Along with Jaeger teams from Australia, China and Russia they must pull a last ditch mission to stop the Kaiju invasion once and for all.

Image: moviefone

Del Toro paints a vibrant fleshed out world combining beautiful detailed locations and fascinating anime styled technology brought to the big screen. The designs of everything from the Jaegers to the command hub look futuristic but at the same time feels like they were designed by a insanely smart 14 year old from the 1940s. Loads of clunky buttons, toggles, exposed gears and wires, the complete opposite of what we use to seeing in sci fi movies nowadays. Incredible detail help create such a sprawling world, black market contractors harvesting the remains of fallen Kaiju to sell on for medicinal purposes, whole streets built around Kaiju bones and over-religious masses believing the Kaiju are demons sent by the gods. Pacific Rim leaves no stone unturned and gives a world worth saving.

Characters are and I believe intended to be rather cartoonish in Del Toro's attempt to pay homage to old school anime and monster B-movies. It works on some levels but the avid movie completist will feel left wanting better dialogue and character depth. Idris Elba is the stand out performer delivering weight and gravitas to his character. Charlie Hunnam and Rinko Kikuchi were acceptable even though we know both of them are capable of so much more. The romance between Hunnam and Kikuchi did feel shoe horned in and just feel kind of forced. Charlie Day and Burn Gorman are the film's comic relief as contrasting Kaiju scientists who are always bickering, which is always great for a few chuckles. The characters and dialogue isn't Pacific Rim's strength but its does enough to get on by. The scenes outside the massive set pieces can get bogged down due to these problems but once the fight for Hong Kong starts you'll quickly forget them. I do love how in Pacific Rim, it's not just America being at the epicentre of the big event and swooping in to save the day but a multinational team banding together.

Image: Boxofficebuz

The scale of Pacific Rim's set pieces are truly a sight to behold and changes it up enough that it doesn't feel too repetitive. These colossal battles look and sound earth shattering, although the stormy sea fights were a bit hairy at times other than that, amazing. Also if you listen closely you'll hear the collective sound of audience's jaws hitting the floor after each big fight. I highly recommend seeing Pacific Rim in 3D and watch it on the biggest screen you can find because it's the best looking blockbuster this summer. A friend of mine said it's this decade's fresh take on "Independence Day" and that is exactly what Pacific Rim is.

Final thoughts and Score
Pacific Rim is a simple but immensely fun summer movie. It delivers on what it sets out to do and give us the thrilling rollercoaster ride we need! If you can get on board with what Pacific Rim is selling and look past its flaws you'll have a fantastic time. It's a must see summer movie!

Also we had to revamp our rating system and scrapping the category scheme.
In doing so I had to retcon my Man of Steel Review and gives me a chance to reevaluate the score without the hype glasses on.

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