Release Date: July 12th, 2013             Director: Guillermo Del Toro

One of my most anticipated films of the year was Pacific Rim. I tried doing a media blackout on it like I did with Cloud Atlas but couldn’t, fortunately I’d forgotten most of what I’d seen by the time I entered the theatre. My stomach was full and my mind was clear.

I had to see it in 3D which I sort of didn’t  mind. If you were to see any movie in 3D this summer, Pacific Rim would be the one best suited for the format. It is very flashy, very minimalist, that aims for nothing more than escapism. For some people the lack of substance may be a turnoff, as the movie really just consists of 3 giant battles, and a small scientific plotline for comic relief.

The cast is very good and the acting shows there aren’t any weak points on the acting front. Every character has a purpose and every actor fulfills their role. Rinko Kikuchi has wide eyes that are able to convey her emotions very well for a character who speaks very little. Charlie Day and Ron Perlman are fun to watch in their small scenes that break up the action and have a good rapport, playing extensions of their typical characters. Idris Elba rounds out the cast as the general leading the ‘Jaeger’ (giant robot) program. He is stern, yet charismatic and also memorable. Despite it being more or less a norm, to a Canadian such as me I still find it funny to hear a British accent coming from a black guy, especially someone like him who has portrayed a variety of different accents (Texan in Prometheus, California on The Office, and other films) even though its his native voice. I will say though that I don’t think Charlie Hunnam as the lead protagonist is a really good a good avatar for the audience as he’s not a relatable character. None of the cast would be anyways as the film takes place 12 years into this invasion/ war.

This is a movie I would recommend seeing in theatres or at the driven as the sound design is very immersive. Some viewers have made the transformers argument for this film, saying that in this film it is difficult to see what is what with all the clanging metal in this film. I to address this argument, I found it much easier to see than in those films as the director seems to have a more relaxed less-shaky style and instead of giant robots vs giant robots, its super giant glowing robots versus super giant glowing monsters and the ramped up scale provides great reference points and a good array of wide shots. This is a canvas for action blockbusters, a well staged, well oiled lean fighting machine.

Rating:

-3           -2           -1           0           +1           +2           +3

Tidbits

• Look forward to Godzilla from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures on May 16th, 2014 from ‘Monsters’ director Gareth Edwards starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and Juliette Binoche.