"Pacific Rim" - directed by Gillermo del Toro
Honestly, there are only a handful of directors whose name on this film would have got me excited to see it.
Obviously James Cameron, Joss Whedon and Steven Spileberg but thankfully also the one whose name does in fact appear on the credits - Guillermo del Toro.
The premise is at once supremely cool and ridiculously hokey.
Get the wrong writer and director on this kind of thing and you end up with a cheesy effects-fest at best - an overblown bore more than likely.
But del Toro has never missed.
Even "Mimic" - the least of his movies to date- is a solidly entertaining flick.
When he fires on all cylinders you get "The Devil's Backbone", "Blade II", "Hellboy" and its even better sequel and the multi-Oscar winning glory of "Pan's Labyrinth".
I'm a huge Peter Jackson fan but I can't help but wish that the original plan to have del Toro direct the Hobbit movies had come to fruition.
The man is a great director with a flair for the visual that is without equal.
Guillermo Navarro has acted as director of photography on all but two of del Toro's films ("Mimic" and "Blade II") and won an Oscar for "Pan's Labyrinth".
He is back for this film so there was little doubt that "Pacific Rim" would look great but that was never going to be the issue.
The worry for me was that this tale of giant robots driven by dual human pilots taking on inter-dimensional creatures would be one long Tranformer-ish special effects bonanza with a paper thin story that quickly became tiresome.
I just kept reminding myself that del Toro was in charge and it would be fine.... actually- better than just fine.
And it is.
"Pacific Rim" wastes absolutely no time in getting things off and running.Right from frame one we have a gigantic creature demolishing the Golden Gate Bridge and half of the city that it is home to.
There are jets and explosions and deafening roars from both engine and beast.
The action is spectacular to put it mildly.
Combined with a no-nonsense narration this all serves to set up the situation.
Gigantic creatures called Kaiju have started emerging from a rift in the ocean that serves as a portal to another dimension.
To combat them humanity has built towering robots the size of forty floor office buildings called Jaegers (German for 'Hunters').
These humongous machines are mentally too much for one person to control so two humans form a mind meld called a 'drift' that connects them via shared memories so that they become one.
To fully connect these people must be 'drift compatible' - you can't just chuck any old couple into the mighty machines.
At first it works and the humans have the upper hand but soon the tables are turned and the programme is abandoned in favour of the absurd plan to build giant walls around every city.
Unsurprisingly these prove about as effective as the Maginot Line but instead of sweeping around them like Hitler's forces the Kaiju just demolish the walls underfoot.
This leaves a group of dedicated people in a base in Hong Kong with the hastily repaired dregs of the Jaeger forces and whatever pilots they can find to stand up to the Kaiju.
And this is where the second strength of director del Toro comes to the fore.
Casting.
Charlie Hunnan is very good in the lead role.
He is the typical hero crippled by tragedy - in this case the death of his brother who was also his Jaeger co-pilot.
He adds some charisma to the part and does a nice job with what is really a stock standard hero figure.
Raleigh is still pretty bland though.
Those around him however are not.
Idris Elba is the reigning King at playing intimidating yet admirable authority figures.
He lends class to any project he is in and his role as the wonderfully named Stacker Pentecost is no different.
Stacker is in charge and we get several scenes that show it.
He does have a softer side represented here by his almost fatherly affection for Mako.
The great Rinko Kikuchi who was so good in "The Brother's Bloom" is my favourite piece of casting by far.
She is so good at creating characters with subtlety of expression and gesture and as Mako she is in fine form.
Initially appearing delicate with a soft voice and shy demeanour she soon reveals another side in a genuinely exciting training sequence that puts similar ones in the Matrix movies to shame.
There is no slow motion and no discernable CGI but this sequence is terrifically entertaining.
It doesn't hurt that Kikuchi looks incredible in her tank top and clearly has some skill with a fighting staff.
Clifton Collins Jr is another actor of whom I am a great fan.
Like Idris Eba he can lift a film merely with his presence in the cast.
The otherwise average "Sunshine Cleaning" benefited greatly from his work and "Pacific Rim" is similarly enhanced by his appearance.
He plays a slightly nerdy computer operator charged with ensuring that the Jaeger's and their pilots are functioning in synch.
It wouldn't be a Guillermo del Toro flm without his go to guy Ron Perlman and sure enough he has a quirky part to play as Hannibal Chau.
His explanation as to how he chose his name is wonderful.
Charlie Day and "The Dark Knight Rises" Burn Gorman have nice chemistry as bickering scientists and I liked Max Martini ("Contact", "Saving Private Ryan") as Australian Herc Hansen.
Casting aside what we are really here to see is giant robots beating the poop out of giant monsters.
"Pacific Rim" does not let us down.
Utilising brilliantly executed CGI the action scenes are staggeringly well choreographed.
There is never any confusion as to what is happening and they last just long enough to exhilarate and not so long that they become boring.
I didn't think that the over the top spectacle and visual lushness of "Man Of Steel" would be beaten so soon but del Toro's film has done it.
It is frequently vibrantly colourful and often epically large in scale.
The action is carefully placed throughout the film so that it advances the plot.
There is an almost Star Wars feel to the story with the ultimate mission always clear.
Surprises crop up along the way to be sure but nothing pops up out of left field to change things up.
It is a failing of many modern effects blockbusters that they forget the benefit of a clearly defined goal.
Although not fatal the recent "World War Z" is guilty of this.
"Pacific Rim" doesn't throw any last minute twists, it just relies on good dialogue, exciting action and expert pacing to provide its thrills.
And there are many.
In one terrific sequence a cargo ship is used as a giant club and in another containers become makeshift boxing gloves for the Jaeger.
The action is inventive and enthralling and benefits from a lack of the Michael Bay level jingoistic 'Hell yeah- America!!' banter that made "Armageddon" and all of the "Transformers" movies so often cringeworthy.
Del Toro makes full use of 3D and "Pacific Rim" is most definitely best seen this way.
Even non-action scenes such as Rinko Kikuchi's entrance in the rain with an umbrella obscuring her face benefit from the depth that 3D brings.
Some of the production design gives "Avatar" a run for its money with excellently designed vehicles, sets and holographic computer control panels and displays.
Of course the 3D is really shown off during the action scenes but I was surprised by how the entire movie benefited from it.
This is Guillermo del Toro at his best.
Every aspect of this film has his name stamped all over it.
The script is tight, the characters well rounded and it never once resorts to cheap emotion.
There are too numerous action highlights to mention and more visual lushness than is usually contained in three movies of it's genre.
It brings to mind "Avatar", "Godzilla", "Transformers" and "The Matrix Revolutions" but with del Toro's writing and directing chops in full bloom is much tighter and bereft of the excesses that made most of those films wear thin.
The constant message is that victory is only possible if people work together and forget their differences but it is subtly applied for the most part.
Not once did I cringe at a sappy line or an overblown attempt at emotion.
The scene most in danger of producing groans- the flashback sequence from Mako- is instead a highlight.
It is moving, beautifully shot and wonderfully scored by Ramin Djawadi ("Iron Man", "Game of Thrones")
"Pacific Rim" is blockbuster entertainment and must be seen on the biggest screen available and in 3D to really be seen at its best.
When we think of the exciting possibilities of a battle between giant creatures and huge robots this film is what we hope for.
The Kaiju are diverse and fearsome - the Jaeger's marvelously believable despite their ludicrous concept.
The fights are visceral with each often losing limbs and life.
This is a film single minded in its desire to entertain- seemingly built from the ground up as a thrill machine.
Del Toro has proved himself yet again to be one of the absolute most reliable filmmakers working today and I feel ashamed that I ever doubted him for even a moment.
Terrific, exciting, spectacular entertainment.
Obviously James Cameron, Joss Whedon and Steven Spileberg but thankfully also the one whose name does in fact appear on the credits - Guillermo del Toro.
The premise is at once supremely cool and ridiculously hokey.
Get the wrong writer and director on this kind of thing and you end up with a cheesy effects-fest at best - an overblown bore more than likely.
But del Toro has never missed.
Even "Mimic" - the least of his movies to date- is a solidly entertaining flick.
When he fires on all cylinders you get "The Devil's Backbone", "Blade II", "Hellboy" and its even better sequel and the multi-Oscar winning glory of "Pan's Labyrinth".
I'm a huge Peter Jackson fan but I can't help but wish that the original plan to have del Toro direct the Hobbit movies had come to fruition.
The man is a great director with a flair for the visual that is without equal.
Guillermo Navarro has acted as director of photography on all but two of del Toro's films ("Mimic" and "Blade II") and won an Oscar for "Pan's Labyrinth".
He is back for this film so there was little doubt that "Pacific Rim" would look great but that was never going to be the issue.
The worry for me was that this tale of giant robots driven by dual human pilots taking on inter-dimensional creatures would be one long Tranformer-ish special effects bonanza with a paper thin story that quickly became tiresome.
I just kept reminding myself that del Toro was in charge and it would be fine.... actually- better than just fine.
And it is.
 |
| Jaegar pilots lead by Charlie Hunnan and the wonderfully talented Rinko Kikuchi (left image) |
There are jets and explosions and deafening roars from both engine and beast.
The action is spectacular to put it mildly.
Combined with a no-nonsense narration this all serves to set up the situation.
Gigantic creatures called Kaiju have started emerging from a rift in the ocean that serves as a portal to another dimension.
To combat them humanity has built towering robots the size of forty floor office buildings called Jaegers (German for 'Hunters').
These humongous machines are mentally too much for one person to control so two humans form a mind meld called a 'drift' that connects them via shared memories so that they become one.
To fully connect these people must be 'drift compatible' - you can't just chuck any old couple into the mighty machines.
At first it works and the humans have the upper hand but soon the tables are turned and the programme is abandoned in favour of the absurd plan to build giant walls around every city.
Unsurprisingly these prove about as effective as the Maginot Line but instead of sweeping around them like Hitler's forces the Kaiju just demolish the walls underfoot.
This leaves a group of dedicated people in a base in Hong Kong with the hastily repaired dregs of the Jaeger forces and whatever pilots they can find to stand up to the Kaiju.
And this is where the second strength of director del Toro comes to the fore.
Casting.
 |
| Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba and Charlie Hunnam |
He is the typical hero crippled by tragedy - in this case the death of his brother who was also his Jaeger co-pilot.
He adds some charisma to the part and does a nice job with what is really a stock standard hero figure.
Raleigh is still pretty bland though.
Those around him however are not.
Idris Elba is the reigning King at playing intimidating yet admirable authority figures.
He lends class to any project he is in and his role as the wonderfully named Stacker Pentecost is no different.
Stacker is in charge and we get several scenes that show it.
He does have a softer side represented here by his almost fatherly affection for Mako.
The great Rinko Kikuchi who was so good in "The Brother's Bloom" is my favourite piece of casting by far.
She is so good at creating characters with subtlety of expression and gesture and as Mako she is in fine form.
Initially appearing delicate with a soft voice and shy demeanour she soon reveals another side in a genuinely exciting training sequence that puts similar ones in the Matrix movies to shame.
There is no slow motion and no discernable CGI but this sequence is terrifically entertaining.
It doesn't hurt that Kikuchi looks incredible in her tank top and clearly has some skill with a fighting staff.
Clifton Collins Jr is another actor of whom I am a great fan.
Like Idris Eba he can lift a film merely with his presence in the cast.
The otherwise average "Sunshine Cleaning" benefited greatly from his work and "Pacific Rim" is similarly enhanced by his appearance.
He plays a slightly nerdy computer operator charged with ensuring that the Jaeger's and their pilots are functioning in synch.
It wouldn't be a Guillermo del Toro flm without his go to guy Ron Perlman and sure enough he has a quirky part to play as Hannibal Chau.
His explanation as to how he chose his name is wonderful.
Charlie Day and "The Dark Knight Rises" Burn Gorman have nice chemistry as bickering scientists and I liked Max Martini ("Contact", "Saving Private Ryan") as Australian Herc Hansen.
 |
| Rinko Kikuchi as Mako Mori |
"Pacific Rim" does not let us down.
Utilising brilliantly executed CGI the action scenes are staggeringly well choreographed.
There is never any confusion as to what is happening and they last just long enough to exhilarate and not so long that they become boring.
I didn't think that the over the top spectacle and visual lushness of "Man Of Steel" would be beaten so soon but del Toro's film has done it.
It is frequently vibrantly colourful and often epically large in scale.
The action is carefully placed throughout the film so that it advances the plot.
There is an almost Star Wars feel to the story with the ultimate mission always clear.
Surprises crop up along the way to be sure but nothing pops up out of left field to change things up.
It is a failing of many modern effects blockbusters that they forget the benefit of a clearly defined goal.
Although not fatal the recent "World War Z" is guilty of this.
"Pacific Rim" doesn't throw any last minute twists, it just relies on good dialogue, exciting action and expert pacing to provide its thrills.
And there are many.
In one terrific sequence a cargo ship is used as a giant club and in another containers become makeshift boxing gloves for the Jaeger.
The action is inventive and enthralling and benefits from a lack of the Michael Bay level jingoistic 'Hell yeah- America!!' banter that made "Armageddon" and all of the "Transformers" movies so often cringeworthy.
 |
| Comic relief comes in the form of Burn Gorman (left) and CHarlie Day (right) |
Even non-action scenes such as Rinko Kikuchi's entrance in the rain with an umbrella obscuring her face benefit from the depth that 3D brings.
Some of the production design gives "Avatar" a run for its money with excellently designed vehicles, sets and holographic computer control panels and displays.
Of course the 3D is really shown off during the action scenes but I was surprised by how the entire movie benefited from it.
This is Guillermo del Toro at his best.
Every aspect of this film has his name stamped all over it.
The script is tight, the characters well rounded and it never once resorts to cheap emotion.
There are too numerous action highlights to mention and more visual lushness than is usually contained in three movies of it's genre.
It brings to mind "Avatar", "Godzilla", "Transformers" and "The Matrix Revolutions" but with del Toro's writing and directing chops in full bloom is much tighter and bereft of the excesses that made most of those films wear thin.
The constant message is that victory is only possible if people work together and forget their differences but it is subtly applied for the most part.
Not once did I cringe at a sappy line or an overblown attempt at emotion.
The scene most in danger of producing groans- the flashback sequence from Mako- is instead a highlight.
It is moving, beautifully shot and wonderfully scored by Ramin Djawadi ("Iron Man", "Game of Thrones")
When we think of the exciting possibilities of a battle between giant creatures and huge robots this film is what we hope for.
The Kaiju are diverse and fearsome - the Jaeger's marvelously believable despite their ludicrous concept.
The fights are visceral with each often losing limbs and life.
This is a film single minded in its desire to entertain- seemingly built from the ground up as a thrill machine.
Del Toro has proved himself yet again to be one of the absolute most reliable filmmakers working today and I feel ashamed that I ever doubted him for even a moment.
Terrific, exciting, spectacular entertainment.
| Rated | M for violence |
| Running Time: | 131 minutes (2hrs, 2 mins without end credits **stay for brief extra scene**) |
| Starring: |
| Charlie Hunnan | --- Raleigh Becket |
| Idris Elba | --- Stacker Pentecost |
| Rinko Kikuchi | --- Mako Mori |
| Charlie Day | --- Dr Newton Geiszler |
| Clifton Collins Jr | --- Ops Tendo Choi |
| Ron Perlman | --- Hannibal Chau |
| Max Martini | --- Herc Hansen |
| Burn Gorman | --- Gottlieb |
| Robert Kazinsky | --- Chuck Hansen |
| Diego Klattenhoff | --- Yancy Becket |
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