# Pacific Rim (2013)



## Rodders (Dec 14, 2012)

I thought i'd start a thread about Guilermo Del Tor's new Pacific Rim due out next year. It looks like it could be fun. 

Here's a link to the trailer.


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## Foxbat (Dec 14, 2012)

Looks like Power Rangers for grown ups


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## Dave (Dec 14, 2012)

I'm a bit tired of alien invasion films unless they have some twist, but I'm sure the next world war will be fought in those "soldier boy" suits.

From the title alone it sounded like a new disaster film about volcanoes. I've even more tired of those. How long before a Comet ISON (C/2012 S1) film?


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## Connavar (Dec 14, 2012)

Dave said:


> I'm a bit tired of alien invasion films unless they have some twist, but I'm sure the next world war will be fought in those "soldier boy" suits.
> 
> From the title alone it sounded like a new disaster film about volcanoes. I've even more tired of those. How long before a Comet ISON (C/2012 S1) film?



Maybe you should know who made this film first.  Hardly Transformer type director hack.   Guillermo Del Toro is known for films like Pan's Labrynth, Hellboy, Blade 2.  I doubt he will make a boring alien film.

Plus its Idriss Alba in his first lead role in blockbuster type film.  Fav actor and visually stunning,creative director.


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## Foxbat (Dec 14, 2012)

As much as I rate Del Toro highly as a director, he's not immune to making tripe. 

_Exhibit A:_ *Mimic*....simply not a good movie.

I agree alien invasion movies are getting tiresome due their quantity in recent years but I'll reserve judgement on Pacific Rim until I've seen it for myself.


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## Moonbat (Dec 14, 2012)

I too am I big fan of Del toro, but I'm worried that this might turn out to be a bit too much, probably full of action, great looking, but not nearly as powerful as his really good stuff (I'm thinking of Devil's backbone and Pan's Labyrinth)


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## Lenny (Dec 14, 2012)

Bahahaha. Live-action *Neon Genesis Evangelion* with voice work from _GLaDOS_. Well played, del Toro, well played! 

In seriousness, it looks fun. It may not be particularly cerebral, but it's got to be better than Michael Bay's *Transformers*, which is the sort of film it's going to be compared to. That and *Cloverfield*, which it already has my vote over (eugh, shaky-cam).


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## Connavar (Dec 14, 2012)

Foxbat said:


> As much as I rate Del Toro highly as a director, he's not immune to making tripe.
> 
> _Exhibit A:_ *Mimic*....simply not a good movie.
> 
> I agree alien invasion movies are getting tiresome due their quantity in recent years but* I'll reserve judgement on Pacific Rim until I've seen it for myself.*



This is my point because no one is safe from making a bad film now and then but i trust Del Toro older works that was awesome action films or creative horror,fantasy.  I will look forward to this because i hope to see a good action film fun one.


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## Rodders (Dec 14, 2012)

I'm looking forward it. As long as the story isn't carried by set piece over mindless set piece, like Transformers, it'll be a fun ride


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## Dave (Dec 14, 2012)

I do like Pans Labyrinth. If this is 'just another alien invasion film' in the same way that that was 'just another second world war film', then you have a valid point. Unfortunately, I just watched the trailer like everyone else.


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## Teresa Edgerton (Dec 15, 2012)

I saw the trailer for Pacific Rim when I was at the theater.  As is the way of trailers, it was hard to discern the plot; it was just action, action, action.


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## alchemist (Dec 15, 2012)

Any parents out there know Big Guy and Rusty?

Looked good until the action figur-- sorry, the mega-sized Power Rangers. However, I will also reserve judgement, based on the del Toro factor.


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## REBerg (Oct 31, 2013)

Just watched this film on disc, and I was pleasantly surprised.

When I saw the first trailers, I thought that the whole monsters vs. giant robots thing was pretty hokey. All comparisons to classic Japanese monster films, _Transformers_ and _Power Rangers_ aside, I found _Pacific Rim_ to remarkably entertaining -- somewhat reminiscent of the first _RoboCop_ and original _Starship Troopers_, without the graphic violence found in both of those Paul Verhoeven offerings.

While _Pacific Rim_ special effects (which are stunning) definitely take center stage, the movie incorporates a lot of redeeming elements, including likable characters, humor, self-sacrifice and even a touch of romance. Of course, the willing suspension of disbelief required to enjoy most scifi experiences must be fully engaged.

Have the descendants of Earth dinosaurs been lying in wait until man-made climate changes rendered the planet ripe for inter-dimensional invasion? Should we expect these bad boys to be equipped with running lights and EMP capability? Are giant, two-man, rock-em-sock-em robots defending coastal cities really a better choice than tactical nukes deployed at the source?

Does anyone really care?


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## Juliana (Nov 9, 2013)

Just watched this; thought it was a lot of fun. But then, I grew up in 80's Brazil when there wasn't a lot on TV but endless episodes of Ultra Man, Ultra Seven, Spectreman etc. So kind of took me back to my childhood!


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## Rafellin (Nov 9, 2013)

Excellent Del Toro rehash of Independence Day.

Both films being favourites of mine, but the 'cancelling the apocalypse' speech falls to the 'we will not go quietly' one from ID4.


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## neopeius (Nov 10, 2013)

Just saw.  Good characters.  Excellent female character.  The premise makes zero sense by the movie's own rules.  Oh well.


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## J Riff (Nov 13, 2013)

The entire ridiculous plot happens in the 1st five minutes, then a couple of fast forwards here and there and its a decent giant robot slugfest.


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## Tower75 (Nov 13, 2013)

Surprisingly, I liked it. One of my major dislikes of the film though, is the desire for the pilots to box with the aliens. Serious, these giant robots have got plasma cannons, missiles, and a whole array of weaponry to pick from, they've even got melee weapons for when the stuff hits the fan, so why do they feel content to close in and trade blows with an alien the size of a building?

That, and I'd like to know what radion device they're using that can transmit from Hong Kong to an inter-dimensional rift.

But, saying that, if you switch off your brain, it's a good film.


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## Foxbat (Nov 22, 2013)

REBerg said:


> Just watched this film on disc, and I was pleasantly surprised.
> 
> When I saw the first trailers, I thought that the whole monsters vs. giant robots thing was pretty hokey. All comparisons to classic Japanese monster films, _Transformers_ and _Power Rangers_ aside, I found _Pacific Rim_ to remarkably entertaining -- somewhat reminiscent of the first _RoboCop_ and original _Starship Troopers_, without the graphic violence found in both of those Paul Verhoeven offerings.


 
Interesting point. I definitely felt like I was was watching a Verhoeven movie too (even down to the music soundtrack which I also felt would not have been out of place in a Verhoeven film).

As for the entertainment factor - first half  didn't really grab me. Couldn't care less about the characters (especially the steroetypical kooky scientist double act - absolutely awful)

Second half slugfest was enjoyable. Five out of ten in my book.


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## MattC (Feb 26, 2014)

These days it takes me a wee while to get 'round to watching new SF movies, Pacific Rim is no exception. Finally watched it last night, and admit to being a teensy disappointed. I suppose I shouldn't have expected much, but yes this really is no better, but no worse either, than the Transformer movies. I admit that I didn't mind the Transformer films (there, I've confessed), though on popcorn-fodder terms only. I wouldn't call myself a fan  

What I find interesting though is how many SF fans slag off Transformers but think Pacific Rim is masterful, purely because it's got Guirmero Del Toro's name on it. That's like saying Waitrose's mince pies are better than Aldi's because of the brand attached (when it's recognised that actually Aldi's trumps their more up-market competitor every time). I apologise to US readers by the way who won't get that last aside!

As for the film, well I watched it back to back with the Roman-war movie, The Eagle, and found that a much better flick than Del Toro's. It says it all when the most interesting thing about a film is a robot and a Godzilla-like creature slugging it out; the rest of Pacific Rim's plot was really quite lame. But then modern SF movie-makers increasingly dump interesting for spectacle these days; do SF film-makers really know what a plot is?


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## biodroid (Feb 26, 2014)

To me it felt like a computer game with levels to clock and the boss at the end. Great visuals but it seems like Del Toro's kid wrote the story.


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## Nick B (Feb 26, 2014)

Foxbat said:


> Looks like Power Rangers for grown ups



That is literally, word for word, exactly what I told my friend who phoned me while I was watching it last year!

I sort of enjoyed it in a sunday evening lying on the sofa with a beer kind of way though.


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## biodroid (Feb 27, 2014)

I think Del Toro obviously capitalised on the idea of everyone loves giant robots and giant monsters, now you make them box each other and you have a hit, don't worry about the plot.


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## The Bluestocking (Mar 2, 2014)

I actually like Pacific Rim quite a lot - brought out the 10-year-old kid in me and the small girl who sat next to me at the cinema was bouncing up and down throwing air punches.


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## Ursa major (Mar 2, 2014)

I watched this yesterday, taking care to switch on the "summer blockbuster" part of my brain.

It's good in parts -- the non-action bits of the film are hit and miss, but I can't fault the action scenes -- and, overall, okay (though no better than that).


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## Cat's Cradle (Mar 5, 2014)

I love giant robots, and love giant monsters, and I had such hope for a good story, and good acting, since it was a Del Toro film. I was disappointed on my first viewing, in large part because the acting seemed so poor (and there were so many examples of actors speaking with horribly unbelievable accents). But after that first impression, and remembering that bad acting and bad accents were a large part of the charm of the English-dubbed Godzilla movies I love so much, I watched the film again, and found it to be a lot of fun. Yes it was really bad in some ways (I agree that the two scientists just really did not work that well), but the monsters and the robots and the fighting were so crazy over the top, that it was truly a lot of fun to experience. Hoping there might be a sequel someday...?


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## highlad (Mar 5, 2014)

To be honest, I didn't really like pacific rim. To me it was just a bunch of massive robots fighting a bunch of massive interdimensional lizards... Transformers meets godzilla.
I really thought 'Everything wrong with Pacific rim in 9 mins or less' was better than the movie.


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## Null_Zone (Mar 6, 2014)

It was ok as long as you ignored the script, the acting, the plot and anything that didn't involve giant robots punching giat monsters.

The only good line of script was the bit about having an analogue  nuclear robot, it took me righrt back to the days of crappy VHS rentals.


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## Brian G Turner (Mar 17, 2014)

I expected an average, cheesy film.

It had some good detail at times, and I laughed a few times.

But for me it never managed to become anything more than a slight above average, cheesy film.


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## RebeccaTheWrecker (Mar 30, 2014)

While the movie itself wasn't terrible, the Australian accents made me want to hurt anyone who thought they would be a good idea. Maybe I'm biased, but I really don't think Australian's sound quite that awful.


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## Anthony G Williams (Jan 3, 2015)

My take on it, from my SFF blog: http://sciencefictionfantasy.blogspot.co.uk

*Pacific Rim* had received some negative comments so I watched this one with low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised. There is nothing original in the plot, concerning mankind's battle with huge monsters – Kaijus – emerging from a portal in the Pacific ocean floor which connects to another world. Conventional weaponry proving ineffective, Jaegers – enormous humanoid robots, controlled by a pair of pilots stationed in their heads – seem to be the answer, until the Kaijus evolve to become bigger and more powerful. The hero is pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) who pairs up with Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) in a final attempt to end the Kaiju menace. Idris Elba and Ron Perlman also feature.

While we may have seen this kind of thing many times before, *Pacific Rim* (written and directed by Guillermo del Toro) is a particularly competent example. It doesn't march *Battle: Los Angeles* for gritty realism, but is leagues ahead of the risible *Battleship* (both reviewed on this blog). The script is well structured, providing a good blend of tension, action, humour and other emotions, the acting is fine, while the Kaijus and the Jaegers are impressive creations and their battles are spectacular. 

It is of course necessary to work a little harder than usual to suspend disbelief, not because of the Kaijus (as SFF fans, we expect this sort of thing) but because of the Jaegers. Is the best way of dealing with enormous monsters really to beat them to death with giant fists or shove a huge sword through them? There are plenty of weapons in today's arsenals which would deal with them very easily. It was a bit silly seeing the latest jet fighters attacking with their little cannon, when they have laser-guided bombs and missiles which would handily convert the monsters into pet food from a safe distance. If that's not enough, then station a warship over the portal and revive the Cold War Subroc rockets, which carried a small nuclear depth charge to deal with Soviet missile subs. One of those fired at the portal whenever a Kaiju was detected coming through, and job done. It wouldn't be so much fun, though!


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## Enforcer Productions (Jul 23, 2017)

Could someone tell me why there were so many bad reviews on Pacific Rim?

I mean, I get that it's a little over-the-top for those unfamiliar with the mecha genre, but for me, there really wasn't anything with the story that I saw that would be considered a deal-breaker.

But then again, I'm a bit of an amateur when it comes to writing, and have never reviewed a movie before in my life, so...


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## WaylanderToo (Jul 24, 2017)

truth be told I enjoyed it


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## TWErvin2 (Jul 24, 2017)

It entertained me. Not something that I would watch multiple times.


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## Nick B (Jul 24, 2017)

I liked it. Giant mecha. Giant monsters. What's not to like? Not as though they went out to win any Oscars. It did exactly what it meant to do. Entertain.


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## Enforcer Productions (Jul 24, 2017)

Nice to see I'm not the only one here who liked it!

Admittedly, it's always been confusing to me when I end up really liking a movie, yet I can hardly find 1 good review on it on a review site.


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## Phyrebrat (Jul 24, 2017)

Enforcer Productions said:


> I end up really liking a movie, yet I can hardly find 1 good review on it on a review site



I've resigned myself to this fact, also (and for the record I enjoyed Pacific Rim, too). I often read reviews and think _did_ _we watch the same movie_? 

Thing is, what I find more irritating is people who don't know what to think about a film, so they digest _The Guardian_ or _Time Out_'s review (which is often contrary in itself) and recycle it, at times verbatim.

There's a perfect example of this (okay, maybe not) in _Family Guy_ where Peter Griffin says this (31 seconds in) of _The Godfather_. That's the kind of thing that makes me irrationally furious when for-really people say similar .

pH


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## Alexa (Jul 25, 2017)

I could never get into Transformers and watch, at least one of them, until the end. Instead, I really enjoyed Pacific Rim. We had it passed several times on our channels and I watch it again with pleasure, if not completely, at least for my favorite parts. I suppose this is just a mattter of taste for everyone.


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## Ursa major (Jul 25, 2017)

There are too many things in the Transformers universe that just make you think that the whole thing is silly, and they're all placed up front. For instance, an enemy called the Decepticons?! In a non-silly film, that would be used as a stepping stone to the realisation that the Autobots (another silly name) are not exactly being truthful about their previous history with their foes and are, basically, using spin. (Yes, I know the script writers didn't come up with these names, but they didn't have to go along with them either. "Show not tell" would have been their friend here.)

_Pacific Rim_ benefitted from:

the viewer having no more idea what the enemy is about than do the protagonists;
whatever decisions led to the creation of the giant robots were taken way back in the past (so no one has to justify them to the audience by saying something silly about them);
we don't get to see the thought processes of those who decided that building a huge wall potentially circling the Pacific Ocean was a good one (though we do get to see just how wrong they were).
So, basically, _Pacific Rim_ kept more of a straight face than the Transformers films and benefitted (though not necessarily at the box office) from this.


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