Film Review: Pacific Rim

"It's 2,500 tons of awesome!" - Charlie Day

Pacific Rim is a sweet blend of several superb ingredients:  the ambition and mass-destruction of kaiju films (such as Godzilla or Gamera), the premise and high-tech concepts of mecha anime (like Neon Genesis Evangelion), and the familiar style and imagination of Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy I and II, Pan's Labyrinth, and more).  It's especially noteworthy since there has never really been any major blockbuster films that portray giant robots and giant monsters on screen together; we've always had one or the other, but it's pretty common fare for mecha anime to slam them together and make them fight.  A film like this seems long overdue.

As expected, the action in Pacific Rim is very big and incredible.  There are three major battles that pit towering machines against rampaging sea monsters from another world.  Entire cities crumble within the film's prologue; in the fights that ensue, buildings get crushed, cars and trucks are thrown all over the place, and it truly seems like the world could get trampled at any moment.  In between the battles, the film breathes pretty evenly, with the same playful energy that made the Hellboy movies so fun.  Humor doesn't really play into it that much, but with the acting and colorful production design, this film is never all that serious or brooding; it's rather cheesy, lighthearted, over-the-top, and cartoonish.  And it's fun that way.

It's not all about the big fights and silliness though; the film has a solid focus on storytelling.  It does take some effort though.  The film introduces a plethora of clever concepts behind the premise of giant robots and monsters:  terms like "drifting" and "neural handshake" become integral to the plot, and if you're not digging the concept, you might get lost (having already been familiar with even deeper concepts in the Evangelion saga, I couldn't help but to draw comparisons; in spite of that, I found Pacific Rim easy to follow).  Aside from that, the plot is well-structured, and it's especially refreshing to see that every battle presents new problems and situations that make things unpredictable and more intense.  Characters are given diligent attention; they are colorful, but they also show some decent depth and emotion.

This film utilizes decent photography and editing.  Acting has been criticized for being really silly, but it matches up really well with the film's overall tone and style; it even goes so far as to reinforcing the film as a live-action anime.  This production uses some very big-scale and highly imaginative sets, props, costumes, and special effects.  Music is really cool too.

Pacific Rim, finally, an epic movie that shows giant machines and giant beasts brawling and wreaking havoc.  It's got the elements of classic kaiju monster films, robot anime, and maybe even a little hint of HP Lovecraft in the mix.  It is exceptional for its worldbuilding, and I found it very immersive and impressive.  However, if you're not captivated by this world, then you might just shrug it off as something silly.  If you're taken by this film's concepts, then it comes heartily recommended.

5/5 (Entertainment:  Perfect | Story:  Very Good | Film:  Very Good)