Pacific Rim - Review

Boy I really got spend more time working on this blog. This film came out what seems like forever ago, so this review is seriously overdue. Oh well. There's no two ways around this folks, Guillermo Del Toro is one hell of a filmmaker. While I'm not quite willing to call him a master director yet, I will say that there are few directors working today whose films are as consistently effective and entertaining. His obvious affinity for genre films and cult classics shines in his works, and even though he's only had one or two films that could be honestly considered near-masterpieces, nearly every one of his movies demonstrates the guy's vast array of talents. Whether we're talking a slow-brooding horror film, a subtle fantasy, or a big scale sci-fi/action epic like Pacific Rim, it's obvious that he has a broad range of skills and knowledge of film-lore. His newest film, Pacific Rim, isn't going to be considered a masterpiece by anyone, but it's nonetheless a well-made film that's so far arguably the best flat-out "pure fun" summer blockbuster of the season.

Sometime in the near future, a cross-dimensional portal at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean is opened, releasing a dozens of giant alien monsters known as Kaiju that wreck havoc all over the world. Humanity, facing the possibility of total destruction, develops giant humanoid war machines known as Jaegers to combat the Kaiju. The program succeeds at first, as the formidable Jaegers are able to easily take out the attacking Kaiju. Once the Kaiju are able to adapt to the Jaeger's fighting style and attack methods, the Jaeger's start dropping like flies. Once again faced with planetary destruction, humanity turns to an underground league of Kaiju fighters, primarily disgraced Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) and the untested rookie Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi)... both of whom are haunted by past events. With a seemingly unending number of Kaiju popping up all over the world, Mako and Raleigh must overcome their demons in order to save the world from a Kaiju takeover.

Pacific Rim has been called many different things, and has been compared to a number of films. Films and shows ranging from Godzilla, Independence Day, Power Rangers, Voltron, Professional Wrestling, Transformers, the works of Ray Harryhausen, and others have all been points of comparison. Now I'm not 100% on exactly where Del Toro drew his inspiration, but it seems like the Kaiju designs are essentially digitized versions of classic "guy-in-rubber-suit" monsters featured in the Godzilla series and other classic Japanese monster flicks. There's definitely a bit of Ray Harryhausen influence in there as well. All of that is set against a story structure that, probably not coincidentally, is greatly reminiscent of Independence Day... or at least contains the fun factor of that film. Only this time, the characters are a bit more creative, better developed, and more interesting. I'm sure there are other movie buffs that could pick out other references, shout-outs, or tributes to various shows, movies, comics, and other sources, but that's most of what I was able to find. At the very least, Pacific Rim is one of those films that's a celebration of pretty much all things nerd, and for that, I freakin' love it!

This film isn't any kind of movie that's going to change your life or offer anything particularly challenging, but it's nonetheless an example of a more-or-less mindless blockbuster done right. Take this for instance... the plot isn't particularly intelligent but it doesn't make you feel stupider after watching it (like say the Transformers movies for instance), the characters aren't particularly deep but they're not one-dimensional either, and while the story itself isn't exactly profound, it's at least a generally engaging flick that's well paced and constantly entertaining. Some of the characters don't exactly steer away from the usual sci-fi archetypes, but there's generally enough going on to make them work. The ending doesn't have any huge shocks, but there are enough little twists and developments to keep you invested. To no surprise, none of the actors are especially Oscar-worthy or anything like that, but they get the job done. Overall, there isn't much of Pacific Rim that's going to change one's perception of story or film narrative, but the movie at least doesn't feel the need to half-ass it's script and at least does provide some decent storytelling. Take that as you will.

Now with all that said, if there's one thing a movie like Pacific Rim needs to deliver, it's kick ass action. If that's what you're looking for, Pacific Rim has plenty for ya! In terms of straight-forward sci-fi/action blockbusters, Pacific Rim is hands down the best of the summer. For starters, the cgi is some of the best I've seen in a while. The Kaiju creatures all have creative and interesting designs with top notch cgi to boot. The Jaeger look pretty awesome too, with well detailed robotic designs and movements, they do their job well. In terms of action... there's pretty much everything you could want and more. Big ass monster fights, huge explosions, and mass building destruction... yeah there's a bit of everything. Out of all the films I've seen this summer, Pacific Rim's action has got to be the best. Add in some top notch sound design and camerawork, and you've got yourself a winner. For all the action junkies, this one pretty much has it all.

So that's Pacific Rim for you. While by no means a perfect film, it's got pretty much everything you could want in a straightforward summer blockbuster. Great effects, great action, and an enjoyable concept... that's Pacific Rim. I know I waited a long time to post this review, but if you haven't seen it and it's still playing, check it out! If not, it'll definitely make a good Blu-Ray watch down the line.