Pacific Rim 3D Review

Rated PG-13 (Sequences of Intense Sci-Fi Action and Violence Throughout, and Brief Language)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 11 Minutes

Cast-

Charlie Hunnam-Raleigh Becket

Rinko Kikuchi-Mako Mori

Idris Elba-Stacker Pentecost

Charlie Day-Dr. Newton Geiszler

Burn Gorman-Dr. Hermann Gottlieb

Clifton Collins Jr.- Tendo Choi

Ron Perlman-Hannibal Chau

Max Martini-Herc Hansen

Robert Kazinsky-Chuck Hansen

Diego Klattenhoff-Yancy Becket

Robert Maillet-Aleksis Kaidanovsky

Heather Doerksen-Sasha Kaidanovsky

Mark Luu-Cheung Wei Tang

Charles Luu-Hu Wei Tang

Lance Luu-Jin Wei Tang

Mana Ashida-Young Mako Mori

Ellen McLain (voice)-Jaeger A.I.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

Jaeger 'Gipsy Danger' prepares to duke it out with a Kaiju in rain-drenched Hong Kong in Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim." 

Note: Screened on Monday, July 8, 2013 at AMC Empire 25.

Japanese pop culture has always held a deep fascination with giant robots and monsters. By far the most famous movie monster of all time is, of course, Godzilla. Commonly referred to as the 'King of the Monsters,' Godzilla made his debut in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film of the same name and quickly spawned one of the longest-running franchises in cinema history with a total of 28 installments. A classic in the 'Kaiju' subgenre, the massive beast initially personified the Japanese populace's fears of science and technology run amok as well as the destructive power of nuclear weapons, which was appropriate since Japan was still reeling from the effects of the atomic bomb nine years prior. Despite the widespread havoc the creature wrought on Tokyo, audiences sympathized with Godzilla as he was only acting out of self-preservation. In some bizarre way, Honda's film insinuated that Japan deserved this hell as the use of nuclear weapons had unbalanced nature.

Similarly, the 'mecha' or 'Kikaiju' subgenre was borne out of the Atomic Era with Mitsuteru Yokoyama's 1956 manga Tetsujin 28-Gō, whose literal translation is ironically 'Iron Man #28.' Almost sixty years later, mecha anime has become a ubiquitous part of Japanese pop culture from the billion-dollar "Gundam" franchise to the critically-acclaimed "Neon Genesis Evangelion" series. The appeal of mecha lies in their ability to transcend their own genre conventions and of course, it's just plain awesome to watch these metal monstrosities beat the living crap out of each other. What kid hasn't dreamed of piloting a Giant Death Robot? Now, Kaiju and Kikaiju are coming together this Friday to duke it out for the fate of the world in Guillermo del Toro's latest film, "Pacific Rim." Highly underrated, del Toro is one of my favorite directors and I love how he always exhibits a passionate, child-like glee toward his own work. This is one person who truly loves to make movies and share them with the world. A staggering visual feast for the eyes, "Pacific Rim" is nothing short of an orgasmic experience for everyone that grew up with "Power Rangers," "Ultraman," "Godzilla," and "Gundam," and stands tall as near-perfect summer entertainment.

In the not-too-distant future, a mysterious portal unexpectedly opens at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and unleashes a wave of massive beasts known as Kaiju upon the world. The first of these 'trespassers' leveled San Francisco before it was brought down with a nuclear strike. As the frequency of Kaiju attacks increased, conventional weaponry quickly proved to be ineffective, forcing governments to put aside their petty differences and pool their resources on a new type of weapon: the Jaeger. A building-sized, mobile exoskeleton controlled by two-to-three pilots via a mind-meld dubbed the 'Neural Handshake,' the advent of the Jaegers finally gave humanity a fighting chance but the war continued to drag on. In 2020, Marshall Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps sends Jaeger 'Gipsy Danger,' piloted by brothers Yancy (Diego Klattenhoff) and Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), to battle against a Category 3 Kaiju known as 'Knifehead.' However, Gipsy Danger is severely damaged during the fight, with Yancy torn from the Jaeger while still connected to his brother. Raleigh manages to barely survive but the loss of Yancy is too much to bear for him, and he subsequently goes into early retirement. Five years later, only a handful of Jaegers remain, with even fewer skilled pilots to control them. With humanity slowly losing the war against the Kaiju, Pentecost seeks out Raleigh and convinces him to return in a last-ditch attempt to save the planet. Paired with an ambitious rookie named Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), Raleigh prepares to assault the breach with the last remaining Jaegers while scientists Hermann Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) and Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day) try to determine a weakness that they can exploit before the apocalypse is upon them.

Kaiju and Jaeger—these are the two words you see flash on screen in the very first frame in Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim." Although it functions as a loving homage to every giant monster and robot movie that we all fell in love with as kids, the film doesn't make any overt references to them and feels original and yet instantly familiar. The mantra here is to 'keep it simple' and it is that simplicity, in both design and execution, that makes del Toro's latest one of the best summer blockbusters I've ever had the pleasure to see. Let us recall the original "Star Wars" from 1977. Pretty much everything you needed to know was presented in the opening crawl and concepts like 'the Force' was slowly introduced to the audience. For "Pacific Rim," as long as you understand what the two words shown in the beginning mean, you're all set.

With giant monsters dubbed Kaiju threatening the world, humanity is forced into an arms race and develops huge robots called Jaegers to combat them. So massive are these machines that the mental strain it takes to pilot them is too much for one person to handle. The workload is divided between two to three people, who sync up through a mind meld via a 'Neural Handshake' where every thought, emotion, and memory is shared in a space nicknamed 'the Drift.' This is a very clever concept because rather than having two individuals slowly build their trust over time, it forces them to literally take a leap of faith and open themselves up even though they're complete strangers to each other. What's really refreshing about the film is the way del Toro chooses to tell his story. With Hollywood so focused on building the next billion-dollar franchise, there's something decidedly old-fashioned in seeing a filmmaker pour everything he has into a tale that has a definitive beginning, middle, and end. Even its approach to heroism harkens back to a simpler time. Heroes today are often gripped with a sense of doubt and fear but in "Pacific Rim," the characters are proud to be heroes. In fact, they want to be heroes and it's this straightforward earnestness that makes the film such a success.

Del Toro's attention to detail, like the Troll Market in 2008's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," continues to impress me. The world that we see in "Pacific Rim" is radically different from the one we know today as the sudden appearance of the Kaiju has changed the way people live their lives. Some, like Ron Perlman's Hannibal Chau, see it as opportunity. Chau runs a black-market operation out in Hong Kong where he salvages and sells Kaiju body parts as all-natural remedies. Others see the Kaiju as a sign of God's wrath while everyday folks like you and me just try to survive from day to day. Wherever you look, the world is reacting to the Kaiju threat and it grounds the film despite its outlandish elements. It also helps that the Jaegers are presented as finite; weapons need time to charge and ammo is often limited. Of course, many of you are waiting for me to talk about the action so let me put it to you this way. If one were to look up the definition of 'orgasm' in the dictionary, you would see a poster of "Pacific Rim." The action, and by extension the CG effects from Industrial Light and Magic, are earth-shatteringly beautiful and vividly captured with Guillermo Navarro's cinematography. It's almost like you're watching a dance as Jaeger metal clashes with Kaiju flesh. Seeing these two behemoths trade blows and smashing into buildings made me feel like a child again. Although post-converted, the 3D is actually quite good and is more focused on creating a sense of depth (similar to last year's "Prometheus") rather than having objects distractingly pop out at us. When someone is passionate about their work, you can tell, and del Toro is nothing without passion. It's evident in every frame that this is a labor of love for him and he's having a ton of fun making it. That is what sets "Pacific Rim" apart from Michael Bay's "Transformers" series. Bay's creations are cold and mechanical; del Toro's has heart and soul.

Their performances won't set the world on fire (Get the reference?) but the cast manages to put in some good work. Idris Elba just exudes cool in every scene and he's the type of guy you don't want to get angry but when things get rough, you'll want him at your side. Although Rinko Kikuchi (from 2006's "Babel") has some problems with enunciating some of her dialogue, she manages to lend Mako both a wide-eyed innocence and quiet determination. The hyperactive Charlie Day and the underrated Ron Perlman provide some excellent comic relief even when their characters are faced with a literal apocalypse. The weakest link is Charlie Hunnam, who looks like a cross between the late Heath Ledger and Garrett Hedlund from "Tron: Legacy." Granted, Raleigh is the most clichéd character with his maverick-like attitude but there's still a sincerity behind his performance that fits in with the tone that del Toro was going for.

To be released on July 12, 2013, "Pacific Rim" has received largely positive reviews with 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as 'a terrific modern creature feature [that's] bolstered by fantastical imagery and an irresistible sense of fun.' The bigger question is whether audiences will flock to the theater to see the film. I hope they do because it is a genuinely good film and will lend Guillermo del Toro the clout he needs to get all his numerous projects off the ground, like "Hellboy III"! Currently it's tracking for a soft opening at around $25 to $35 million, which is not that great since its production budget is $180 million. Still, even if American audiences spurn the film the Asian market should help it turn a profit. There was a lot riding on "Pacific Rim" and I'm glad to say that the film is an unqualified success. In just two hours, del Toro has crafted a universe that might very well become the next "Star Wars."

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"Today, at the edge of our hope, at the end of our time, we have chosen not only to believe in ourselves, but in each other. Today, there is not a man or woman in here who will stand alone. Today, we face the monsters that are at our door, and bring the fight to them! Today, we are CANCELING THE APOCALYPSE!"

Make sure to stay during the end credits for a very funny scene!