What to say about this tale of Godzilla vs Transformers? As that's kinda what this movie is, although the Transformers in question are controlled by humans. Well there is a LOT of action. But unlike most films of this nature which tend to be light on plot, this has one at least. Although it's not a very complex one.
In the present day the earth is attacked by the Kaiju, a Godzilla-esq giant dinosaur/sea monster type thing that has come to earth from an alternate dimension, like you do. It was able to do this by way of coming through a portal, the entrance/exit of which is a crack under the pacific ocean sea bed, caused by an earthquake. Following so far? Good. The Kaiju is eventually killed by the military but it takes a lot of time and causes a lot of destruction while they're trying to kill it. When another Kaiju comes through the crack, and a third and more, world leaders come up with a plan to defeat them quicker and easier; they will build giant robots, called 'Jaegers', to fight the Kaiju. Each Jaeger is piloted by two humans, one uses their left brain to operate and the other uses their right. When the two pilots are connected they can see each other's memories and feel the other's emotions. The connection between the pilots is called the drift. The 'drift compatibility' of the two pilots is determined by how similar they fight, their reactions to anger and emotion, etc.
If you've followed all that and it sounds interesting then maybe you should head to the cinema and catch Pacific Rim before it leaves theaters. I myself had heard several different views on the film before I went to see it. One friend said she nearly fell asleep 5 times, another said she thought it was amazing and felt there was a good underlying theme of family beneath the action, which she said 'on its own is GORGEOUSLY done and epic and breath taking', meanwhile another friend said it was the worst film she'd ever seen. I therefore decided I would see it, but would do what I did with After Earth, which is to go with incredibly low expectations. And while I wasn't disappointed, I can tell you that I have seen films with much better acting.
I will agree that the action is something we haven't necessarily seen before. Although by the last fight I did feel like I'd seen enough Kaiju Vs Jaeger fights to last me a lifetime. The 'drift' between the pilots was definitely the most unique aspect of the film and the thing I enjoyed the most, I just wish they'd had better actors to display the kind of emotions that would surface from experiencing such a connection. And ultimately I wish they'd explored that more. The side story featuring the two science guys was also rather slow, and maddeningly, the British actor Burn Gorman (you may recognise him from Torchwood) not only had the most annoying and unlikable character to portray, he also had the most fake sounding British accent I think I've ever heard. Ironic as his is one of the few real accents in the movie?! These scenes were only saved by Charlie Day who essentially played the same nervous geek he always plays, but he does it with such charm you can't help but like him.
Definitely one for fans of action, with plot lines you actually have to think about, but if you're easily bored maybe give it a miss. 6 out of 10.
If you've followed all that and it sounds interesting then maybe you should head to the cinema and catch Pacific Rim before it leaves theaters. I myself had heard several different views on the film before I went to see it. One friend said she nearly fell asleep 5 times, another said she thought it was amazing and felt there was a good underlying theme of family beneath the action, which she said 'on its own is GORGEOUSLY done and epic and breath taking', meanwhile another friend said it was the worst film she'd ever seen. I therefore decided I would see it, but would do what I did with After Earth, which is to go with incredibly low expectations. And while I wasn't disappointed, I can tell you that I have seen films with much better acting.
I will agree that the action is something we haven't necessarily seen before. Although by the last fight I did feel like I'd seen enough Kaiju Vs Jaeger fights to last me a lifetime. The 'drift' between the pilots was definitely the most unique aspect of the film and the thing I enjoyed the most, I just wish they'd had better actors to display the kind of emotions that would surface from experiencing such a connection. And ultimately I wish they'd explored that more. The side story featuring the two science guys was also rather slow, and maddeningly, the British actor Burn Gorman (you may recognise him from Torchwood) not only had the most annoying and unlikable character to portray, he also had the most fake sounding British accent I think I've ever heard. Ironic as his is one of the few real accents in the movie?! These scenes were only saved by Charlie Day who essentially played the same nervous geek he always plays, but he does it with such charm you can't help but like him.
Definitely one for fans of action, with plot lines you actually have to think about, but if you're easily bored maybe give it a miss. 6 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 22nd July 2013
UK Release Date - 12th July 2013
Cast Overview:
Charlie Hunnam ~ Raleigh Becket
Diego Klattenhoff ~ Yancy Becket
Idris Elba ~ Stacker Pentecost
Rinko Kikuchi ~ Mako Mori
Charlie Day ~ Dr Newton Geiszler
Burn Gorman ~ Gottlieb
Max Martini ~ Herc Hansen
Robert Kazinsky ~ Chuck Hensen
Clifton Collins Jr ~ Ops Tendo Choi
Ron Perlman ~ Hannibal Chau
Director ~ Guillermo del Toro
Writer(s) ~ Guillermo del Toro (Screenplay) and Travis Beacham (Screenplay and Story)
I am now officially with the "It was pants" crowd.
ReplyDeleteWith JOHN CARTER I couldn't understand how the studio had managed to undersell such a good movie but with this one it did look pants from the trailer and even that was an oversell.
3 out of 10. 1 for Charlie Day, 2 for the opening bit with the bridge and …erm …scratch that, 2 out of 10.