Y'know, I'm not really one of those people who complains about remakes and reboots. I've seen remakes like Get Smart and the A-Team, that I thought were a lot of fun. I even respect True Grit, though I still slightly prefer the original, as a well made film that stands on its own two feet. And while a lot of sequels grate on me, it's only because I've seen such well made sequels that I refuse to accept half-baked ones. I harp on Iron Man 2 a lot, but that's only because I've seen Spider-Man 2. Or the Dark Knightor Toy Story 2 & 3. I know that films can continue the story of their predecessors while still standing on their own feet. All that being said, I admit that it's an absolute joy seeing something that's not based on a book, a sequel, or another installment in a franchise that really should take a breather. And something that doesn't just feel like someone trying to kickstart a franchise, to boot.
Not to say the Pacific Rim is completely without influence or precedent, as it has shades of both Godzilla and Japanese Mecha Anime series, but it manages to carve out a nice identity for itself. And Really, it's probably not really possible to do something totally unprecedented anymore, your best bet is to take something that inspired you once, and deliver it to audiences in a package that they might not be expecting. That's what Star Wars did, mixing Sword and Sandals epics with Flash Gordon, and it's what Indiana Jones did, being an homage to 1930's Adventure Serials. So this is what Pacific Rim does.
I liked Pacific Rim on a number of levels, so let's run through them all quickly:
Story, Setting, and Characters:
Our two lead characters, Raleigh Beckett and Mako Mori inthe coolest cockpit this side of a Star Wars film
The Story is pretty simple, it's about the end of the Kaiju War. (Kaiju being Japanese for monster, the film throws a few terms at you, but thankfully, it actually starts the film with a definition for both Kaiju and Jaeger, which is German for "Hunter," and is what the massive robot warriors are known as throughout the film) That's it. It's about the days leading up to the final assault and the character journeys surrounding it. What's really interesting though, is the optimistic and sincere attitude the film has. People die, yeah, but the film is defiantly not nihilistic, and it has no desire to wink at the audience and tell them that this is stupid, it knows it's a fun film, but one with heroic characters, who struggle to do the right thing.
The Characters have been accused of being a tad simple, and while that has some truth to it, you care about them leagues more than you do most of the characters in the Transformers films. Scratch that, you just care about these characters, their stories are simple, but also clear. You get why most of these characters do what they do. And the film doesn't waste our time with too many side characters, either. There's a Russian Jaeger team, and a Chinese Jaeger team that are in the film along with the American and Australian teams that are the focus of the film, and while they have a unique visual look that ensures that you can see what they're up to in any crowd shot, the writers resist the urge to shoehorn them into the plot past what they are needed for.
The real star of the show here is definitely the world the directorcreated, it was a gripping, interesting, lived in, and well thought out fictional world that pulls you in, almost effortlessly, with details littered about for you to munch on. There was one scene where I realized I was instinctively turning my head, because we were only getting a small glimpse of a room and I wanted to get a better look around. I would love to wander around in this place, apocalyptic monsters attacking every week notwithstanding, and I think that speaks volumes for the amount of thought put into this setting.
The Action and Visuals
Gypsy Danger, Front and Center, and ready to kick some butt
Of course, let's be honest with ourselves, when you go see a movie advertised as Giant Robots fight Giant Monsters!!! You want to know if the action is any good, and the answer is a definite yes. Unlike the Transformer films, these are shot very clearly, though the fast paced editing is till kinda annoying. But also unlike the transformers films, instead of the spectacle coming from the amount of pure chaos going on, the spectacle is built slowly, building, and setting up a moment, then basking in the unfettered coolness of said moment. A particular favorite moment of mine comes from a clash between Gypsy Danger, The antique American Jaeger and a winged Kaiju. The Kaiju picks up Gypsy Danger and smashes it into a few buildings before flying up into the stratosphere, probably hoping to suffocate the pilots. How the Gypsy Danger gets out of that predicament, I won't spoil, but it's not really complicated, the pilots activate a Hail Mary weapon, and when they actually use it, the film seemingly stops for a moment to just let the audience enjoy the fantastically cool image that it just built too. The action also pauses during these city leveling brawls occasionally, just to add a comedic touch that is in total contrast from the scale of action we're beholding. These moments are perfect and used sparingly to avoid over reliance.
Before I go, can I add one more thing? The Cinematography is great, and the Special Effects are perfect, and all that stuff, but I gotta say, from a pure design perspective, I really dig most of the Jaegers. They're just awesome. Gypsy Danger is definitely my favorite, but all the Jaegers have a nice solid, and interesting design that I just loved.
All in all, I think you should see this film, if you enjoy a fun, action romp set in a world with giant robots. The only upsetting thing about the film, is that aside from some harsh language and sprays of blue Kaiju blood, this would be every kids favorite film ever. The addition of the profanity is annoying though, and while it isn't ridiculously frequent, but it is probably more than most of the parents I know being comfortable with their ten-year-olds and younger seeing. (on that note, if you are sensitive to that thing, you may want to skip the mid credits scene, which, while hilarious, does feature one last profanity) So, if you like Science Fiction, old Godzilla movies, good action films, or GLaDOS, I recommend this film, it's fun, it's optimistic, despite its harsh environment, and it feels like the sort of film made for your inner child.
No, seriously, GLaDOS is in this movie, sorta. Just watch it.
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