You know the state of film is in a bit of trouble when people are championing a film simply because it is an "original idea". By this, I don't mean that the film is necessarily original or has an unpredictable storyline. "Pacific Rim" is being championed simply because it isn't a pre-existing story. It is not based on a graphic novel or comic book. It is not a sequel. That coupled with the fact that it is directed by Guillemo Del Toro, arguably one of the most impressive directors in big-budget cinema, made many believe that "Pacific Rim" would be the saving grace of the summer. That it would deliver us from sequels and origin stories. That raises this film to an expectation that it simply can't reach. Even without the hype, "Pacific Rim" is simply a mostly interesting spectacle with occasional inspired moments. It is "Top Gun" meets "Transformers" meets "Godzilla" with elements of "The Avengers" and even Del Toro's own "Hellboy". This is not necessarily a good thing.
In the 2020s, giant alien creatures called Kaiju have risen from an interdimensional portal inside the Pacific Ocean. The Kaiju damage nearby cities and are difficult to kill. Various countries band together to creature Jaegers, towering mechanical robots operated by two humans. These humans must form a mental bond with each other in order to power the Jaegers and defeat the Kaiju. The Jaegers easily take out Kaiju after Kaiju, raising the Jaeger pilots to stardom. Slowly but surely though, the Kaiju that start coming out of the portal are becoming smarter and adapting to the fighting style of the Jaegers. With the Jaegers losing public trust, military leader Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) must ask Raleigh Bucket (Charlie Hunnam), a former Jaeger pilot who is extremely talented though he doesn't "play by the rules", to be a pilot of one of the remaining Jaeger's and save mankind from the ever-increasing Kaiju threats.
If that plot summary made you roll your eyes, this film is not for you. Del Toro seems to be aiming his film at a very specific audience. While the story is not necessarily complex or difficult to follow, it seems as if this film was created for people who are fans of monster combat movies and teenagers. There are occasional glimpses at telling a bigger and more interesting story but they are often interrupted by scenes of combat that are honestly not that impressive. Most of the combat scenes between the Kaiju and Jaegers are nothing we haven't already seen. It almost seems as if the film and Del Toro are impressed with what they are showing to a degree where they just assume you will be too. We have already seen several movies where giant beings fight. There is very little new you can show us. Although there are a few inspired moments, they almost seem like they are grasping for new ways to show something we are so used to in big-budget blockbusters.
"Pacific Rim" occasionally gives glimpses to the film it could have been. When it isn't showing us scenes of destruction, it has a few genuinely impressive moments. The opening introduction that chronicles how the Kaiju went from being murderous and devastating creatures to late-night TV jokes and children's toys is an especially interesting moment. An interesting satire exists there that would have been a nice direction that Del Toro could have easily pursued. A moment of a young child dealing with a Kaiju attack shows the true destructive powers of these creatures and give us a human element that is not really pursued otherwise. A handful of the Jaeger and Kaiju battles take place during daylight which is an uncommon occur in big-budget cinema. Often directors will hide their visual effects behind the darkness of night. These scenes allow us to get a better glimpse of the creatures and robots, although most of the fights take place at night. It is also always great to see Charlie Day and Ron Perlman on screen and the scenes they have together are especially good.
The largest problem with "Pacific Rim" is that despite being an "original" story, it feels like a mishmash of films we have already seen. The rebellious but talented Bucket feels almost as if they transposed Tom Cruise's Maverick from "Top Gun" into a science-fiction film. There is nothing he does, says, or thinks that is surprising. He doesn't feel like a hero, something that is desperately needed in a film where we are essentially cheering on soulless robots. The climax of the film echoes "The Avengers" in such an obvious way that it is almost shocking that it made it into the final cut. The filmmakers had a year to develop a different and more original way to finish the film.
"Pacific Rim" will no doubt appeal to many. It is loud, occasionally funny and the fight sequences are full of impressive visual effects. Seen through the eyes of a genre fan or a child, this film would no doubt be a lot of fun. The problem is that Del Toro films are not and have never been "turn your brain off" films. His last film "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army" was an interesting and visually-appealing big-budget film that was unfortunately ignored by audiences. It showed that you can make an original "blockbuster" film that entertains and occasionally challenges audiences. "Pacific Rim" never challenges or truly surprises. It feels like Del-Toro-lite. While it is far from a failure, it is nowhere near the film it could be.
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