Pacific Rim Review

[Cary Kollins]

Saw it in IMAX 3D, totally worth it.  Movie kicks ass. 

 

I didn't realize Jax from Sons of Anarchy was the main character, and Ron Pearlman playing the sleazy mob guy role is always great. 

 

Great cast all around.

[pstall]

seeing it at the matinee this Friday. btw speaking of matinee. does anybody cut prices anymore for early viewing? geez. 8 or 9 instead of 10.00? gee thanks big movie theater chain place deal.

[SOJA]

saw in regular 2D. 

 

My review: spotty dialogue and acting, but holy crap it was fuging sweet. Awesome battle scenes, cool CGI and technology, and a yay humanity vibe. Definitely see this bad boy in theaters

 

Alright my biggest plot hole complaint is: THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BRAIN CONTROLS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BODY AND VICE VERSA. If his left arm is fuged up, he needs to be accessing the left hemisphere not the right.

 

also what the fug is up with the UN not immediately channeling all available funding into the Jaegar program after the wall breach in Sydney? 

 

Finally, anyone notice the parallel between the girl losing her shoe and that being a symbol, then when Ron Pearlman dies he loses a shoe, and Charlie just tosses it aside. Not sure of symbolism intended. 

 

Also I love Charlie, but man is that guy typecasted into a role.

 

was definitely worth going, was an awesome summer film. Go see this and not stupid Grown ups 2. 

[Proudiddy]

No offense to those that enjoyed it, but my wife and I almost got up and walked out about 10 minutes in. There were so many holes in the plot and the characters were extremely hollow and shallow. I can't count the number of horrible cliches used throughout either. I was just unimpressed. For me, it was like Transformers, but only with C-list actors and no cohesive plot. At times it seemed like a joke and kind of campy.

I was actually shocked it received so many good reviews. About halfway through, I started figuring that it was a kid's movie because the only way to appreciate it was to ignore all of the things I mentioned above... But, then I remembered it was PG-13, so it's not really a kid's movie.

[Cary Kollins]

No offense to those that enjoyed it, but my wife and I almost got up and walked out about 10 minutes in. There were so many holes in the plot and the characters were extremely hollow and shallow. I can't count the number of horrible cliches used throughout either. I was just unimpressed. For me, it was like Transformers, but only with C-list actors and no cohesive plot. At times it seemed like a joke and kind of campy.

I was actually shocked it received so many good reviews. About halfway through, I started figuring that it was a kid's movie because the only way to appreciate it was to ignore all of the things I mentioned above... But, then I remembered it was PG-13, so it's not really a kid's movie.

 

 

Shindler's List it ain't.

 

It's a giant robot vs. giant monster movie.  It's supposed to be campy. 

 

Like others have said, it's the kind of movie you check your brain in at the door, and just enjoy it for the spectacle it is.

[Proudiddy]

Eh, I get that, but you shouldn't have to suspend critical thinking for the duration of it. It just got to the point that I found it way too predictable and corny to enjoy it... And this from a kid that grew up watching reruns of the 60s Batman TV show and loved it.

[cookinwithgas]

You've forgotten what it's like to be a kid. That's pretty important to appreciate this movie the way it was intended to be shown. To say you shouldn't have to suspend critical thinking when watching a movie about giant robots fighting monsters from another dimension seems a bit odd.

 

I wanted more del Toro in the movie and didn't get it, so I left the theater after my first viewing a little let down but still entertained. The second time I saw it with my stepson and my stepgrandson (is that a word?) and enjoyed it a lot more for what it was. It's a tightly written well paced movie with some odd del Toro bits thrown in. I could watch Moris memory scene over and over again, that was beautiful.

[pantherclaw]

Once again.

Some people just don't know how to enjoy a movie for what it is.

Pacafic Rim is a fantastically fun, modern day Godzilla film.

As for those who say they can enjoy this movie, but not transformers, I don't see how, I really don't.

Don't bother to explain it to me either.

[Proudiddy]

You've forgotten what it's like to be a kid. That's pretty important to appreciate this movie the way it was intended to be shown. To say you shouldn't have to suspend critical thinking when watching a movie about giant robots fighting monsters from another dimension seems a bit odd.

I wanted more del Toro in the movie and didn't get it, so I left the theater after my first viewing a little let down but still entertained. The second time I saw it with my stepson and my stepgrandson (is that a word?) and enjoyed it a lot more for what it was. It's a tightly written well paced movie with some odd del Toro bits thrown in. I could watch Moris memory scene over and over again, that was beautiful.

I admit at times that my cynicism runs a little rampant, but I still love to be a big kid. Man, I just finally got around to watching The Avengers last week and it was AWESOME. All the Iron Man films (although I haven't seen the third yet), the recent Batman trilogy, Transformers... love them all. I posted about this one a couple months back as well, but Wreck-It-Ralph may have been the best movie I saw all of last year.

I can fully buy into any movie or concepts they develop within them, but Pacific Rim just didn't present it very well, IMO.

All the characters were extremely lacking on personal level. The one that we probably got to know the most was Mori. Everyone else we barely got to know. What made them tick? Why were they who they appeared to be? Instead, for the majority of them, we just got canned lines from every military/action movie of the last 30 years or so.

Examples: Beckett's "I can't go back in there... I felt his pain..." (dramatic pause as he looks into the distance). Marshall's plan to send out all of the bots on a suicide mission, only to tell them to retreat which is met with resistance, to which he responds, "that's a direct order!" Lol. The reveal that Marshall is a sort of surrogate father to Mori, but then he dramatically tells Beckett that he doesn't have to explain who he is or where he's from... No! That's exactly what you need to do! Its called character development.

Hannibal talking junk about the dead monster, only to surpisingly become dinner.

Aside from the lacking script... there were many holes in the plot itself. The only time we saw the monsters specifically target anyone was if they "drifted" with them. Well, out of the entire city, why was that Kaiju specifically targeting Mori in her memory? Had she drifted with him? Lol.

Charlie Day just seemed out of place.

What was the obsession with nose bleeds and injuries throughout?

Why were those idiots attempting to build a gigantic wall made of the same materials that the Kaiju were tearing through at the start of the movie? Which brings me back to the horrible writing, when one of the workers sees one of the Kaiju bresking through a similar wall elsewhere and questions unabashedly, "Did you see hiw it just tore through that wall?!?! Why are w e even building this thing?!?!" Brilliant observation, captain obvious... lol.

And in script writing, two if the biggest principles you are to adhere to is 1) character arc/development/evolution, and 2) when you're dealing with unknowns and hypothrticals, you have to explain the rules from the beginning. This movie did very little to none of both.

I believe it was you that mentioned earlier the problem of them figuring out how to enter the breach but were able to freely exit without the same rules apparently.

Also, if you can't even kill them with plasma blasts or missiles, how were they just able to be beaten to death more often than not?

Ultimately, it never wowed me with the concepts it was working with and never presented me with any true surprises. I felt like someone said, I want to make a movie about massive giant robots fighting Godzilla-like monsters and we'll just fill in the blanks around that.

I'll stop being such a party pooper now, I just expected a lot more considering the hype and reviews going in. I promise I'm not an overly-cynical stickler with no imagination, lol.

(Probably a lot of typos throughout as I'm typing this on a new phone.)

[TheRed]

Not really sure how you can love The Avengers, but loathe Pacific Rim.

[Proudiddy]

I'm thinking maybe it was because I was somewhat familiar with the characters prior to seeing any of their movies. There was minimal to no background given on the characters in PR. And, the plot to Avengers was fluid and followed a good arc.

I wouldn't say I loathe it, but from what I've seen, I think it garnered like 8.5+ out of 10 on imdb, 85%+ on metacritic, and so many people on FB said it was awesome... I just think its more like a 5/10, with the 5 being the visuals.

[Cary Kollins]

Pdiddy, a lot of what you wrote in the spoiler section above I think is just wrong, and was explained in the movie. 

 

 

 

All the characters were extremely lacking on personal level. The one that we probably got to know the most was Mori. Everyone else we barely got to know. What made them tick? Why were they who they appeared to be? Instead, for the majority of them, we just got canned lines from every military/action movie of the last 30 years or so.

Examples: Beckett's "I can't go back in there... I felt his pain..." (dramatic pause as he looks into the distance). Marshall's plan to send out all of the bots on a suicide mission, only to tell them to retreat which is met with resistance, to which he responds, "that's a direct order!" Lol. The reveal that Marshall is a sort of surrogate father to Mori, but then he dramatically tells Beckett that he doesn't have to explain who he is or where he's from... No! That's exactly what you need to do! Its called character development.

 

I think the characters were all fleshed out and unique in their own way. Sure there are some standard action-type hero characters, but they each have their own motivations and arcs IMO.  Also, about Marshal sitting there explaining his backstory...that would be extremely lazy writing IMO.  That is not what good writing is.  It's easy for a character to just expound their entire backstory to the audience.  I like that there is a lot of depth to Marshal and other characters, and as an audience we weren't spoon fed it. 

 

 

Hannibal talking junk about the dead monster, only to surpisingly become dinner.

 

This was one of the funniest parts of the movie to me.  I don't know how anyone couldn't like this part.  Plus if you stayed after a few minutes of credits you'd see that Hannibal cuts his way out of the baby and asks "Where's my God Damn shoe?!".  Gotta love it.

 

 

 

 

Aside from the lacking script... there were many holes in the plot itself. The only time we saw the monsters specifically target anyone was if they "drifted" with them. Well, out of the entire city, why was that Kaiju specifically targeting Mori in her memory? Had she drifted with him? Lol.

I'm just assuming here, but the monster targeting her in her memory probably isn't exactly how it happened.  She was just a child, and the way she remembered it probably just felt like the monster was specifically coming for her.  Plot hole fixed.

 

 

What was the obsession with nose bleeds and injuries throughout?

You must have missed this part.  Marshal said he was exposed to a lot of radiation piloting the Mach 1 Jagers, which were nuclear.
 

 

Why were those idiots attempting to build a gigantic wall made of the same materials that the Kaiju were tearing through at the start of the movie? Which brings me back to the horrible writing, when one of the workers sees one of the Kaiju bresking through a similar wall elsewhere and questions unabashedly, "Did you see hiw it just tore through that wall?!?! Why are w e even building this thing?!?!" Brilliant observation, captain obvious... lol.

The Kaiju graduallly increased in size and strength.  The first Kaiju's that came through may not have been able to tear throught he walls, but later on they were much bigger and stronger.  Hence the Category 4 designation of most of the Kaijus in the film.
 

 

And in script writing, two if the biggest principles you are to adhere to is 1) character arc/development/evolution, and 2) when you're dealing with unknowns and hypothrticals, you have to explain the rules from the beginning. This movie did very little to none of both.

I think they did a damn good job of setting up rules for an entire world with an alternate universe and giant monsters.  It is a thriving and "realistic" world for what it is.  As one reviewer put it, it feels like you could go down any side street in Hong Kong and have an entire side story in itself.

 

 

Also, if you can't even kill them with plasma blasts or missiles, how were they just able to be beaten to death more often than not?

It was explained that the Kaiju could be killed with tanks and missiles, it just took a whole lot of them.  That was explained in the prologue. 

 

 

It's a shame that the general population would prefer Transformers over a movie like Pacific Rim. IMO Transformers was pretty forgetable.  I left Pacific Rim feeling like a little kid again. 

 

 

[Proudiddy]

Ck, I won't argue point for point, but I just didn't see it in that way. Idk, perhaps the movies I mentioned like Transformers resonated with me more because I grew up with those things. Even with Wreck-It-Ralph, the movie was littered with all the things I grew up with, and maybe that's why I really loved it.

I just felt like there were too many holes in PR and it left too many places where you had to make a huge assumption to fill in the gaps.

I did want to say the thing about Marshall specifically, I wasn't saying to explain his whole life story, I was saying explain THAT story. And I thought it was lazy of the writers to present that story from him, and then have him say "I'm not going to tell you my life story, I don't have time." Lol.

And the thing about nosebleeds, I did catch it... But it wasn't just Marshall. Charlie Day's character and the other weird scientist both had nosebleeds from drifting with the Kaiju. Then, when Day's character goest to meet Hannibal, Hannibal shoves a blade in his nostril. I was just saying, it seemed like a weird quirk.

Idk, maybe if I watched it again, I could appreciate it for what it is. I just felt the writers took shortcuts throughout, but perhaps I shouldn't have expected a deep storyline... It's just the previews made it seem like the backstory would be extremely intricate.

[Cary Kollins]

Lol I had a strong cup of coffee right before I wrote all that.

I do need to see Wreck it Ralph. Heard nothing but great things and I played a lot of video games growing up.