The plot is that gigantic alien creatures, called Kaiju, are
traveling to earth via a dimensional rift in the Pacific Ocean and are
destroying civilization as we know it. In order to combat the threat the
nations come together and create the Jaeger Project, huge robotic automatons
each piloted by two mind-linked individuals. Can they avert the apocalypse?
The answer is… well, I won’t ruin it for everyone. But I
will say that this is quite possibly the most consistently entertaining film
I’ve seen all summer and there were times that my jaw literally dropped. Even
during the character development scenes and filler in the second act I still
was absolutely mesmerized by what was flashing by on the screen and when the
end credits began to roll I wanted more. It’s rare that a flick sucks me into
its world in the way Pacific Rim did,
and I’m here to say it is one incredibly awesome ride.
Writer/director Guillermo del Toro is one of my favorite
filmmakers. Not only does he know how to tell a story extremely well, he is
supremely imaginative and comes up with some of the most hauntingly beautiful
designs I have ever seen (the Faun in Pan’s
Labyrinth, the marketplace scene in Hellboy
II: The Golden Army). The sad part is that, Blade II aside, his American made movies usually fail to find the
audience they deserve. I have loved all of his films (if you haven’t seen his
debut, Cronos, get off your ass and
do it now) and I now stand by Pacific Rim
being my absolute favorite (The Devil’s
Backbone being a close second). Not only does he give his characters a good
amount of development, he also has created a world where the population has
adapted to the constant threat of the Kaiju. All the world’s resources are
focused on the Jaeger program, so the rest of the world is on a ration program,
walls are being built along the coastlines to (hopefully) protect from Kaiju
incursions, the remains of defeated Kaiju are harvested by black market dealers
who tout their medicinal properties and the Jaeger pilots are treated like rock
stars. It’s well thought out and intriguing to boot. I want to see comic books
or novels that further expand on this world.
On the filmmaking side of things del Toro can do spectacle
like no other. The Jaeger vs. Kaiju battle scenes are epic in every way and are
super cool to watch go down. There are geeky touches thrown in once in a while
that just adds to the awesomeness of it all (when Gipsy Danger’s head attached
to its body the first time it forced me to quote Voltron aloud – “And I’ll form the head!”). He’s also not afraid to
make things comical to lighten the mood. Some of the funniest moments of the
summer come from Pacific Rim, most
I’m sure were adlibbed dialogue by his cast. The Kaiju, a homage to Toho’s
iconic Godzilla (or Gojira for superfans), all are unique
and look rad as hell, each new one topping the design of the last. The Jaegers,
which are glorified versions of the battling ‘bots in Robot Jox, are not quite as cool at first, but as we get to see
their capabilities they get so awesome that it will make your brain melt. But
the reason I like del Toro’s films so much is that even though they feature
fantastical shenanigans and ridiculous action they never lose sight of the
human element and they are ALWAYS full of heart.
Guillermo has always had a way with actors, and gets the
majority of his cast to turn in great performances. I’ve never heard of Charlie
Hunnam before (I have never seen a single episode of Sons of Anarchy), but he impressed me here. He’s not entirely
successful in covering up his British accent, but for the most part he did
well. Rinko Kikuchi (Babel) comes off
a little restrained, but it is all part of her character and in the end I
thought she was great as well. Charlie Day steals every scene he’s in and gets
all of the good lines (“I can’t tell you, it’s classified. But it’s awesome. I
might tell you. Okay, I’ll tell you.”). The oddball casting of the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia vet
turned out to be a gamble that paid off. Burn Gorman (Torchwood) seemed to be a strange bit of casting too, but he fit in
better than expected. Ron Perlman isn’t given a large role as a black market
Kaiju organ dealer, but his inspired costume and props, along with his
eccentric performance, make for some of the best moments in the film. When he’s
paired up with Day its comedy gold! But it’s Idris Elba (Prometheus, The Losers, Thor, Luther) who impresses the most. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he
is the MVP, as he always turns in fantastic performances no matter what the
quality level of the project may be. Here he gives a measured portrayal that
ends up being the stabilizing force of the whole film. When his character gives
his short, but rousing speech about “cancelling the apocalypse” I wanted to
stand up and cheer. He’s the real deal and I always look forward to seeing what
role he might take on next. Some of the supporting cast don’t fare so well, as
they are either too dull or too over-the-top for their own good (Clifton
Collins, Jr., I’m looking at you).
There is one scene that stayed with me long after the movie
ended, and that was a flashback scene involving a young Mako Mori (Rinko
Kikuchi), played by little Mana Ashida. Holy crap did del Toro go all out to
make you feel for this character by showing the horrors of her past and the
moment that defines her current state. Ashida is one talented little actress
and sold every single second of her screen time and more. So awesome.
As with most of del Toro’s films there is always something
“off” as well. In Pacific Rim it’s
the major plot holes that pop up during the finale. I will not discuss them due
to their spoilery nature, but when a specific thing needs to happen to make
something work and then it is conveniently ignored in order to make for a
happier ending I have to call bullshit. Plus, there was such an easier solution
to the rift problem that was so obvious that it was twenty feet away from the
damned thing, but it was pushed aside to make for a more histrionic and
visually stunning finale.
A minor quibble are the names the characters and Jaegers are
given. Who names someone Stacker Pentecost?! The robots get handles like Gipsy
Danger, Striker Eureka, Crimson Typhoon, Cherno Alpha and Coyote Tango. What
the hell is a Gipsy Danger?! What does that even mean?!
Regardless of my issues, which are minor, it didn’t take
away from the complete and utter geekgasm that is Pacific Rim. Visually stunning, strongly acted, action packed and
filed to the brim with humanity, it’s THE
movie event of 2013 (at least so far, but I don’t see any movie even coming
close to topping it). I just saddens me that more people decided to see Grown-Ups 2 this past weekend instead.
What is wrong with America?! Stop giving Adam Sandler’s talentless ass money
and go for what is clearly the superior choice! I know the good word of mouth
will win out in the end and Pacific Rim
will be a success. Not only is it the most fun I’ve had at the movies this
summer, but it has me super hyped for next year’s Godzilla reboot. And I hope its success will allow Guillermo del
Toro to finally make his long gestating Lovecraft adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness. Make it
happen Hollywood!
4.5 out of 5
No comments:
Post a Comment