Pacific Rim Review

Who loves giant robots?

Personally I try to distance myself from trailers, previews, reviews, interviews, and the like. I do this because I try to go into certain experiences without prior expectations. Most of the time I am unsuccessful though because our modern world is filled with sneaky ways that let seemingly harmless information influence our opinions and beliefs. But this isn't an analysis of modern propaganda this is a film review! Right off the bat let me just tell all you readers that Pacific Rim is a contemporary love letter to Mecha fans. If you enjoyed shows with, or even the idea of giant robots, then I highly recommend you immediately stop reading and go see this movie. This review is meant to persuade people who are on the fringes to watch the movie, and to give people who don't want to watch the film a reason to do so. 

What's not to love?

Pacific Rim begins in a big way. We're told that giant monsters called Kaiju have suddenly started appearing out of an inter-dimensional gateway at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Naturally they only seem to be interested in the complete and utter destruction of mankind. Mankind of course invents weapons of mass destruction to fight back; the Jaegers are said weapon, over fifty meters in height (rough estimate) they are humanity's last hope against the Kaiju's. Thankfully, the film's plot doesn't tell the story of how the first Jaegers saved the world; instead the film briefly showcases the great victories of the early Jaegers. The movie doesn't hesitate to deliver what it promises right from the start, meaning viewers should be ready for some shock and awe. 

Shock and awe.

The Jaegers are pretty impressive, but when the Kaiju's start getting bigger they soon start to fall one by one. In a desperate attempt to keep the Kaiju's in check humanity starts building huge Walls of Life around the world's coastlines, these walls of course fail miserably. Thus the last remaining Jaegers are summoned to prepare for a final offensive against the monsters. This is the gist of the notoriously thin plot of the film, but really, what did you expect? 

Despite the film's obvious weaknesses plot-wise it delivers on its overall promise of classic giant robot but kicking. By classic I mean that it reflects all the traits of the classic Japanese Mecha anime. A conflicted hero, a shy yet powerful female protagonist, the mad scientist, the great leader, the rival, etc etc; each character in the film reflects their archetype to perfection. Each archetype is played to perfection in the film; as a result the characters are very one-dimensional. Another trait that the film shares with the Japanese classics is the rich relationships that exist between the Jaegers and the pilots, there are points in the film that make it apparent how these massive weapons of death are more than just tools to those that drive them.

Verdict

Pacific rim is a must see for anyone who enjoys a good action movie, it is essential viewing for any Mecha fan, and it is a worthwhile experience for anyone who can appreciate the ambition and sheer scale of Guillermo del Torro’s vision. Shock and awe are the driving force of the film, and yet you also may find yourself genuinely caring about its plot and characters towards the end. If the film does anything right, it delivers for the first time on the big screen authentic giant robot no nonsense butt kicking action. I highly recommend you go see it.

Has more plot and depth than Pacific Rim ever will, but with no giant robots.