Pacific Rim has been without a doubt one of the most-hyped films of not only this year, but maybe even the last few. So much so, that I had been trying to limit my excitement to stop the hype from taking over. Plus, I had my doubts that a story about giant robots punching giant monsters would have enough substance to fill a two hour movie. Fortunately, having just seen Pacific Rim I can confirm that it has lived up to the hype and is some of the most fun I've had in a movie this year.
The plot of Pacific Rim focuses around the giant monsters known as Kaiju emerging from the bottom of the Pacific ocean and attempting to destroy humanity. Following this is the introduction of our Kaiju-fighting weapons - the huge piloted mechs known as Jaegers.
I do feel like perhaps the plot is a little basic revolving basically around the idea of "we have to stop these monsters," but in the end I'd say the somewhat simple plot doesn't weaken the film at all. It's just too much fun to watch these events unfold. And plus, the story does have a few twists and turns hidden inside which will manage to keep things interesting for those who aren't satisfied with the incredible action set pieces littered throughout the movie.
Now some people may be against seeing this movie as they may not be big fans of action - if that's a statement you can relate to, then let me reassure you - I have great faith that the action in this movie would please someone of your mindset. Why? First of all, the action in this movie is completely unique. Those of you worried that it would devolve into the mindless explosions of Michael Bay's Transformers movies may put your fears to rest. The action in this movie has been carefully choreographed to fit the slow moving Yaeger's, as well as to not get too repetitive - both the mechs and the monsters are capable of a lot more than just punching each other until one of them dies (something I wish the characters in Man of Steel were capable of).
Not to mention that both the Yaeger's and the Kaiju's are both beautifully brought to life using a genius mix of both CGI and practical effects.
Another reason why all this action doesn't get too overwhelming is because you care about the people involved. Charlie Hunnam plays the main character of Raleigh Becket and is a very likeable lead, his co-star Rinko Kikuchi (who plays a character called Mako Mori) is also very good in her role. The characters have both been through heartbreaking struggles, and it doesn't take long for you to feel invested in them.
Idris Elba puts in another great performance here, this time as the intimidating commanding officer Stacker Pentecost. But two of my favourite performances here came from Charlie Day and Burn Gorman who play a pair of arguing scientists - they offer some comic relief, as well as playing a significant part in the story.
Of course, a good script does help to make these characters as great as they are - and with more and more scripts letting movies down recently it's great to see one that delivers.
The directing of Guillermo Del Toro is also to be applauded here, as it must of been a very difficult task to keep the action between the gigantic Yaegers and Kaiju from looking chaotic. He handles it brilliantly however, keeping the action controlled enough to be understood by the audience, yet still completely exhilarating and a blast to watch.
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