Possible enjoyment of Pacific Rim hinges on one question. Does the thought of a rocket-propelled mechanical fist smacking the chops of a huge monster excite you? It shouldn’t be tricky to answer.
No film is made in a vacuum and this one is clearly inspired by everything from Godzilla to Independence Day. There is very little to Pacific Rim that is new, but it does mash together enough ideas that it feels fresh and different amongst the usual throng of super-hero films.
No one is going into this for the dialogue or acting. We want to see massive mechs fighting massive monsters. All good on that front. The Jaeger and Kaiju designs are all cool and distinctive. More importantly each fight is understandable! Transformers take note, this is what you get when you use CGI correctly on a massive scale. A sense of awe instead of confusion. Not sure why they bothered with a 3D conversion though, as it didn’t add anything.
Guillermo del Toro’s affection for the genre is evident, and it’s great for modern audiences to get a taste of it. Though the film contains massive amounts of destruction, a point is made of telling us that everyone has been evacuated. It’s a nice change and a welcome relief to remorselessly enjoy a film.
Bar one awful Australian accent the cast does well with what they’ve got, which is next to nothing. The film is more interested in giving each character a mini-arc rather than really fleshing them out. It’s cool; just don’t expect too much characterisation. The film is more occupied with lining up the next fight, but that’s what you’re here for!
The biggest takeaway is Idris Elba give a rousing speech that’s up with there Bill Pullman. Cancel the apocalypse? Hell yeah!
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