Pacific Rim
Guillermo Del Toro is back with a new powerhouse flick called Pacific Rim. Before I begin, here is a post of my status review that I wrote on my facebook profile.
The first time I saw the first trailer to Pacific Rim, I remember thinking, I have not seen a movie like this before. Giant robots fighting giant monsters, and having that sense of scale that the effects sold to us.
Let us first do a little word and meaning exercise:
Jaeger (pronounced Yaeger) - Giant robot
Kaiju - Giant monster mostly popularised by Godzilla
Guillermo Del Toro is a director that does not seem to do the same type of movie twice. It is also important to praise this film because it is an original piece of work, not a sequel or an adaptation of which 90% of summer movies or most movies generally are. The film is set in the not too distant future because people still drive recognizable cars that can be seen when the Jaegers and Kaijus are either stepping on them, falling onto them, throwing them, or using them as boxing gloves.
I admire directors who make totally different types of movies each time, some even taken on a different genre each time because its like learning a new field each time, and nailing the hell out of it everytime. Quentin Tarantino is at the top of that list, Danny Boyle, James Mangold, Ed Zwick, David Fincher, Terence Malick. Look at their filmography to see what I'm talking about.
Del Toro has said numerous times in interviews that in making this movie, he was satisfying the 11 or 12 year old in him. The movie is not complicated, yet it does not dumb down its audience.
The plot basically is, at some point, giant monsters emerged from a portal in the ocean and started to wreak havoc. And boy did they do so effortlessly. And so to battle these monsters, the people created monsters of their own - giant 10 to 13 story high robots called Jaegers. The Jaegers would be piloted by humans in their head. If you have seen Avatar, the way humans drove the mechas, is similar to this movie, except on a much larger scale. During initial testing of the Jaegers, they used to be piloted by one pilot, but the neural (brain) load was too much for one person, so they were modified for two pilots. One controlling the left hemisphere, the other controlling the right. In order for both pilots to work in sync, they would have to form a neural handshake, which is when they both drift into each others mind and work as one brain. Then whenever a Kaiju is located as emerging from the sea, the gigantic action begins.
The movie opens with a blast. Strongly narrated, and explained by the lead actor Charlie Hunnam, and efficiently edited and directed too.
Every year the movie industry impresses with at least one movie that really pushes the envelope in visual effects and Pacific Rim is that this year. Of course most of these vfx are done by ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) - George Lucas' company, which The Walt Disney company acquired in 2012 at a valuation of $4.05 billion. The other vfx powerhouse is Peter Jackson's Weta Digital. A smaller third is Digital Domain. ILM did Pacific Rims', and I expect them to win the Academy Award for best visual effects in 2014's ceremony.
The effects are completely photo real. Most of the fights occur in the rain and at night, some half way in water, then final completely under water, which are all even more difficult to accomplish than in daylight. You feel the heftiness of them because they do not move so quickly, or when they do, you can sense their slow acceleration to gain momentum. It was fun to see all the various types of Jaeger and discover their characteristics. One is bigger, one is faster, one is even piloted by a set of triplets. The color palette is also awesome, as can be really seen in the China town sequences.
The stand out effects are the way the pilots who move real, physical, mechanical arms and feet to interact with the digitally built Jaegers. It adds to the feeling to sell that the robots are really there.
One slight gripe that I had was that I wish they did not fight in the rain, because it made it a bit difficult to see, but I guess if a fight was happening in the rain and at night, it would not be easy to see either.
I have used the word 'robots' a few times, even though I am aware that they are not actually robots, because they are being driven or piloted by people, therefore they should be called Mechas.
Most disaster movies, first of all have the distaster happening in New York or generally America, and America always gets to save the day -sigh-. Del Toro has said specifically that, "I did not want a movie where America saves the world, but a movie where the world saves the world." The film is very diverse with Asians, Germans, Americans both as pilots and as members of the military or government.
Other cast members are Idris Elba as the leader of the Jaeger resistance program, Charlie Day as one of the genius and hilarious scientists, and Rinko Kikuchi who eventually becomes a co-pilot and has a nicely told back story. She is not some damsel in distress but holds her own well alongside her male counterparts...and of course a Del Toro movie will not be complete without Ron Perlman as who gets hilariously eaten by a baby Kaiju...but wait till the end of the first half of the end credits to see a bonus scene...shhhh.
I was in the US on vacation a few days before this movie was released, but travelled out 2 days before the release date. I was en route to the UK when it came out so even though it was my first time ever in the UK, as soon as I got to my destination, I went online seeked out the nearest cinema and made my way to see it and had a complete blast. I realized that in the UK, it is customary for the audience to stay completely quiet no matter how tense things get in the film. I did not realize this until after audibly reacting to awesome punches and cool moments, when I got a few head turns and then remembered a british friend telling that to me some years back.
Lastly the musical score by Ramin Djawadi, who scored Iron Man, is very well suited to the film, with the electronic guitar at its forefront. Very memorable score that will get your heart pumping with excitement.
Lastly the musical score by Ramin Djawadi, who scored Iron Man, is very well suited to the film, with the electronic guitar at its forefront. Very memorable score that will get your heart pumping with excitement.
This is a fun movie for all, who want to have a complete fun experience. See it in 3D too, it was well done.
- by Folarin Osibodu
