Pacific Rim, American movie (2013)

Hello everyone, it’s time to get things kicking into high gear with another movie review. This one will be the first science fiction film review for the current Theme month and it was requested by Bizarre Brunette. Now, if you don’t know who she is yet, I suggest you quickly take a trip over to her blog as I am pretty sure she will appreciate it. I came across her blog somewhere last year and I really love the content it contains. She covers a very diverse amount of topics with posts about boardgames, novels, comic books, real life, tv-series, and the list just goes on and on. Needless to say, it is a blog that is well worth checking out, as it has something in it for everyone. And just like most bloggers, she is also a very kind person who always responds to your comments. So head on over there and start reading her posts! Bizarre Brunette has requested a review for the awesome blockbuster Pacific Rim that was directed by the talented director Guillermo del Toro. It is a movie that I myself love very much as well, and when I rewatched it for this review I think it must now be the fourth or fifth time that I have seen the film. So, all systems go: let’s get started on the review!

The Review

Row, row, row your boat…gently down the, erm…robot?

One day an enormous and monstrous creature arises from the ocean depths and begins to wreak havoc on humanity. After a long and bloody struggle that left thousands dead, the monster, that gets nicknamed Kaiju, is finally defeated. But just when everyone thinks it’s over, another Kaiju arrives, and then another, and another….With every passing day the human race struggles to stay upright against these monsters. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Former differences are set aside and everyone in the world bands together to create a new weapon system: The Jaegers. These giant robots that are piloted by two people, are finally beginning to turn the tide and humanity is slowly starting to win the war. Or so they think. The terrible aliens are quick to adapt and more powerful and deadly Kaiju’s start appearing, and slowly but surely the Jaegers are beginning to lose ground. Twelve years after the first monster appeared, the funding for the Jaeger program has stopped and instead money has been put into building giant walls. But this plan seems pretty futile. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, Marshal Stacker Pentecost is in command of the final four remaining robots. He has a plan that might put an end to the alien threat once and for all. But he will need the help of the former Jaeger pilot called Raleigh. But Raleigh has a severe trauma from his past, and is very reluctant to help out. And with the attacks of the Kaiju becoming ever more frequent, humanity’s dusk seems close at hand……

Looks like he drew the short end of the stick…..yeah better move on I guess.

Okay, I’m not going to be very subtle in this review so let me just come out and say it right here and right now: I freaking love this movie. It has the word “geek” written all over it, and as I am geek myself and very proud to be one, it is hard to be objective for a film like this. I often hear people say that films such as these are trash and are not even worthy of the name movie. As you all know I love films, but I also have a very open mind when it comes to the type of movies that I watch. I can find enjoyment in arthouse movies, classic films and yes blockbusters such as these. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a movie that isn’t overly complicated but has enormous entertainment value. And this one has just that. It certainly isn’t without it’s flaws, that’s for sure. But before I get to that let me first focus on the things that I love in this movie. For one thing it has giant robots that make the very ground shake, beat the crap out of gigantic alien monstrosities. It is Del Toro’s loveletter to the anime genre known as mecha, that usually features robots piloted by humans fighting either each other or some kind of other threat.

Look mum, I finally made it on tv!

And boy or boy are these fights fun to watch. In one of my favorite scenes from the film, we have the giant lead robot known as Gypsy Danger fight a Kaiju using a ship as a club. It doesn’t get much better than that. The special effects in this film are astounding and the absolute highlight of this film. But how about the actors? We have a pretty impressive cast that amongst others, features the always charming Idris Elba and Charlie ” Sons of Anarchy”  Hunnam in the lead roles. Idris plays the charismatic Marshal Pentecost and is the driving force in this film. He is calm under fire, has a really commanding presence, and is very protective of the young Japanese woman called Mako. His bond with her is very touching, especially when you learn exactly why he is so protective of her. Charlie plays the brash pilot Raleigh, and while I certainly would not call it on Oscar winning performance it gets the job done. Just like Elba he has a very natural charisma in the way he acts, and that’s why it’s hard not to grow attached to his character. Also be on the lookout for a very hilarious appearance by actor Ron Perlman, who in this film has the best pair of shoes ever seen in a motion picture.

Get to the chopper!!….whoops…wrong movie.

But yes, I did promise to at least try and stay objective in this review. So, I guess I now have to adress the fact that as mentioned the film also has it’s flaws. There at times is some cringeworthy humor in the movie. Humor is of course a very personal thing, but there were times I just had to roll my eyes at certain scenes. But on a good note, it luckily is nowhere near as bad as in the Michael Bay Transformers movies. Then again if there is anything even worse than the “humor” in those movies, I really don’t want to know. The script of the film admittedly does have a few holes in it. The storyline such as it is, pretty much comes down to having the film move forward from fight sequence to fight sequence. But to be fair, there is also a human element in this film, that definitely creates a kind of heartwarming atmosphere so to speak. Which is saying something as it at certain points is also a very bleak and dark movie.

I’m blue, laba di laba da…..

But, despite all that, at the end of the day this is just a fun filled movie. The Jaegers and Kaiju beating the living daylights out of each other is pretty much the sole reason why you should see this film. The other one being the fun characters that really also create a heart in this movie that goes along with all the special effects. If you like your films to have a deeply layered storyline, it is probably very wise to avoid this one. If you are like me though, and you want to keep your inner child alive, this is the movie to do that with. Later this year the sequel for this film will be arriving in theatres. Having seen the trailer for it I honestly have to admit I don’t get the same vibe from it as this one. It looks like it’s going to be more of the same, only a little bit less impressive. But then again I could be wrong. You can definitely expect a review from me for part 2 later this year. For now though I hope you enjoyed this one!

I give Pacific Rim a 9 out of 10 score.