PACFIC RIM - REVIEW

PACFIC RIM - REVIEW

Giant Monsters taking on Giant Robots in this visually spectacular epic, which looks to entertain with a solid big adventure yet it underwhelms with the characters and the story.

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes - a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) - who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Pacific Rim will dazzle with its impressive Special Effects, as it is real easy on the eyes. The scope of the film is impressive as the Jaegers and Kaiju battle it out on both land and sea.

Del Toro’s mastery is at work during all these scenes taking extra care in every action scene, giving us a real sense of these monsters and robots physicality and destruction.

As we watch the story unfold its clear to see that Pacific Rim does have some brains to it, however it doesn’t offer any surprises. It’s really a straightforward narrative, which gives us what we expect and doesn’t leave room for more.

Some of the characters really suffer under the weight of the Robots vs. Monster battles, as you never get invested to them. Charlie Hunnam who plays Raleigh, leads this film yet is character is pretty one-dimensional. While Hunnam plays the character pretty well, audiences would come out of film without remembering his character’s name.

Rinko plays Mako, a character that was much more interesting, as she is someone who is afraid, yet has to overcome that fear every time she steps into the Jaeger.

The real stand out characters in this film would be Idris Elba as Pentecost, Charlie Day as Dr. Geiszler and Ron Perlman as Hannibal Chau, a badass black marketer. When Perlman comes on screen his aurora, charisma and charm breaks through the screen instantly, as he takes the screen in his stride in what’s sure to be another memorable role for Perlman.

While the story and characters could certainly be improved the film really is about the war between the Jaegers and Kajiu, which is simply splendidly wonderful.

The film a sense of wonder and amazement, it offers us an excitement ride as we watch Robots obliterate these monsters trying to take over the world. But could it have been a little better? The simple answer would be yes.

My Rating

6.5/10