Pacific Rim

Lately movies that claim to be monsters and action have proved a complete failure, and, to be honest I thought this was not going to be the exception.

Any change to see a real action movie with almost unstoppable battles monsters, and a dose of special effects so amazing you just leave you with your mouth open.

Of course, not everything is good, but entertaining plot is somewhat similar to that of other films: The hero gets a big pain that leaves the battle, then when the world needs the triumphant return finds the love of his life between the two due to the bad, the nearly died, and finally live happily ever after (like a soap opera).

We must clarify that thanks to special effects, battles, and good performances, the plot is not uncomfortable. I really think it's worth watching.

Sometimes when I sit down and watch a movie I just want to be swept away and be dazzled with both sight and sound. The movies don't have to be dramatically perfect just capable of blowing all my sensors.

Battleship and Pacific Rim are 2 of those movies.

Pacific Rim takes a cool concept for a story, Monsters vs Machines and entwines a human element (the pilots) to result in a really fun extravaganza. The movie is not deep but has enough story to piece together the fighting sequences.

Sit down, hit the lights, pump the volume, disengage brain and have a blast :)

Entertainment is not just a story. It is not just drama or social commentary. It is not something that can be measured by terms like "latest and greatest" or "cutting edge". This movie is not Man of Steel or Star Trek into Darkness where there is a child-like obsession with being "taken seriously" by adding grotesque violence or depressing overtones. This is not Transformers 3 or the Hobbit where special effects and action scenes are a cluttered mess of ADD rave parties that try to up the excitement with jumpy editing. THIS IS A SINCERE MOVIE.

Sure it has lack luster actors, but they are mixed with some fine ones as well. Yes this has giant robots and that is the main reason to see the film, but they are not just jingling keys in front of us. These action scenes have atmosphere. The fights are exciting because of anticipation and build up. This movie (while very flawed) should be a model example of popcorn entertainment. I came in, saw some good fights, and got a happy ending without bullshit. This was the kind of fun I remember as a kid.

This is a movie (strangely enough like John Carter) that should just be enjoy. They may not have had the best plots or most original stories, but they had substance that can honestly be felt. Genuine love for what they are doing in the film and real effort in making us as the audience part of that fun. They can be dumb or dull, but it feels more like a circumstance of a rushed schedule or odd-ball casting. It feels like Hollywood at its best since they just want us to have a good time.

I not only hope for a sequel, I hope for loving imitators who don't aspire to pretentious greatness (Rise of the Guardians), don't have something to immaturely prove (Man of Steel), and actually have their own story to tell even if its derivative (Star Trek into Darkness is not only a Rip-off of Wrath of con, but it is practically a sequel that is DEPENDANT on it).

This is not the degradation of film, this is the much needed laxative in a world of fast edited adaptations, sequels, and reboots with emo endings.

Unlike some, I had no problem with the high concept of the piece: Transformers vs Godzilla. It had a lot of potential. And when the movie concentrates on what we are all here to see (giant creatures and robots beating on each others with oil tankers and smashing through skyscrapers) it is very successful. But when things get quiet... less so. Too much time spent on "Top Gun" like fighter pilot shenanigans. Not enough nuance in the characterizations. An ultra linear plot with few attempts to confound expectations. The acting isn't bad - and isn't required to be great in this sort of film - but it is nothing special either. Sort of universally "meh". Good for a Blu Ray rental.

"Pacific Rim" is a highly explosive, exhilarating, exuberant, energetic, and exciting hell of a ride. When I saw the trailers, I knew the action sequences would be massive in scale, but the film just blew me away because the scale was just incredibly enormous. Every action sequence in this film was just mind-blowing.

Unlike "Transformers", this movie has a real sensible plot. Giant monsters (known as Kaijus) are the extraterrestrial beings that are currently ravaging Earth. However, they don't come from above the atmosphere, instead they come from beneath us. A portal in the bottom of the ocean serves as the method of transport these Kaijus use to reach us. These Kaijus are arriving one by one, and as they do, they increase in size. They're so massive in size (I reckon they're bigger than Godzilla) and the amount of destruction they cause is just indescribable.

But the humans don't stand around doing nothing. They build their own monsters, gigantic robots known as Jaegars, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked by a neural bridge. This allows them to synchronize their movements. However, despite these mighty Jaegers, the seemingly bright future for the humans turn dim as they begin to lose the war against the Kaijus. All of this was clearly covered in the prologue, quickly but properly.

Now that seems like a basic plot, but I can tell you that there's actually more than that and the story is deeper than it looks from the outside. "Pacific Rim" provides sensible explanations for the phenomenons that occurred in the film. Now I'm not a genius or a scientist, but the explanation is logical.

The characters. Our protagonist is Raleigh Becket. He's had a bad time after his partner and older brother Yancy died in a battle against a Kaiju before. But he's recruited by Marshal Stacker Pentecost to pilot one of the four remaining Jaegers. His new partner is Mako Mori, a Japanese girl who wants to be a pilot to avenge the death of her family. Becket's and Mori's Jaeger is the American-made Gypsy Heart.

The cast behind the characters were great too. Charlie Hunnam was terrific as Raleigh. Idris Elba gave a commanding performance as Stacker. Rinko Kikuchi rocked as Mako Mori. The chemistry between Hunnam and Kikuchi was excellent too. But I have to give special credit to Ron Perlman (who previously played in del Toro's "Hellboy" films) as the black marketeer Hannibal Chau who makes a living by dealing with Kaiju organs. He has style and charisma. I also loved Burn Gorman and Charlie Day as Dr. Hermann Gottlieb and Dr. Newton Geizler, respectively. Their chemistry was absolutely perfect and these two were just amazing.

The visual effects were undoubtedly incredible. Everything was mind-blowing and the gigantic scale of the action sequences allows you to be fully immersed into the scene. And the sets were extremely magnificent and glorious. I did not feel any sense of boredom when I was watching this film. Even the drama scenes were enjoyable too. The scenes where explanations were uncovered were exciting too and the music is a prominent part of this.

Guillermo del Toro also did a great job in his directing because I gradually became supportive of the Jaegers and every time they fought, I rooted for them to win. I became immersed into the movie. Every time a Jaeger was in trouble, I was rooting for them to get back up and fight back again. I wanted them to smash the Kaijus to pieces.

"Pacific Rim" is just simply awesome. Now, it may not be for everyone, but if you love action, giant monsters, and giant robots, you'll definitely love this. Or if you're just trying to have some fun, watch this. It's got both brains and brawn.

Rating: 9/10

Final Verdict: "Pacific Rim" is an amazing and explosive ride that is plenty of fun to watch, accompanied with dazzling visuals and a coherent plot.