Escape to the Movies: Pacific Rim
- Thread starter MovieBob
- Start date
Ugh....why.....why......why did I promise my good friend I'd wait until next week to see this when he could break away from his family for a bit? It's good to hear that this film is lots of fun. I just hope that it does well. I really, really dig Del Toro as a director but he hasn't had any huge hits so I'd hate to see this movie flop.
I went in, and into an IMAX 3D theater at that, expecting a big over the top action movie with some heart. That is what it promised, that is what it gave me. It fits perfectly with Del Toro's style. Just think back to all of the action movies that Del Toro has had a hand in? Deeper characters would have been a nice addition, but I don't think that they were necessary. I think that since it didn't try to have depth, like other over the top movies, that the lack of depth did not disappoint me. If you go to see this movie just know that you are going to watch a live action 80's mecha anime, deal with it, and have fun.
![jFr[e]ak93](https://eg-forums-escapist-data.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/avatars/l/91/91030.jpg?1620781506){kind=avatar}
Another week, another rip on the Dark Knight Trilogy. I'm really getting tired of him shooting those films down.
OT - It's giant robots fighting giant monsters! Messing that up would take a lot of skill. Looking forward to checking this one out.
OT - It's giant robots fighting giant monsters! Messing that up would take a lot of skill. Looking forward to checking this one out.
My initial concern was that Hollywood would try to clone this movie and end up burning more money than the rest of the world combined could ever hope to see, but, then I realized that if there were a sequel (and yeah, there will be. I mean c'mon) it would only serve to show just how badly out of ideas Hollywood is. I do not envy the likely forthcoming "Voltron" movie when it will be compared to this.
sounds good and i sure are interested, but for some odd reason my cinema, who usually plays 2D and 3D version of the same movie,only has it in 3D.
not really fond of 3D and it costs too much. looks like i have to wait till its out on dvd so i can watch it in normal 2D version.
not really fond of 3D and it costs too much. looks like i have to wait till its out on dvd so i can watch it in normal 2D version.
See it in IMAX 3D.
No really. The 3D is astoundingly well-done, and the bass in IMAX theaters is so loud and deep that every time a Kaiju takes a step, you'll feel like it just thumped down next to you. Holy crap does the IMAX experience rock for this.
I saw this twice already. (Prescreening and yesterday after release in Boston.) I predict a lot of people will complain that even though it's already a 2.25-hour movie, it doesn't have enough slowed-down character moments and there wasn't enough focus on the Drifting between the two main characters and that two of the Jaegers died the first time they were sent out and thus we didn't get to see them fight more, just the main two that were needed for the Big Final Mission.
The problem is, if you added anything to this movie, it would turn into a Lord of the Rings-length monstrosity. Del Toro couldn't have fit anything else in here, or it would have padded out the movie. The point isn't for this to be a big dramatic character movie; the point is to show people characters that they already understand, in an interesting way, so that they can get straight into the world as it is and follow along as we see this incredibly small snapshot of what's going on. The movie represents the last dregs of the Kaiju war, not the whole shebang. It needs a very quick and brusque setup just to get off the ground, and we can't waste time faffing about with the main characters' issues. We know they have them; we can assume they're putting them aside because IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD, WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO DO. If you can't manage to deal with your psychology in the face of THE END OF THE WORLD, you have no business piloting a giant robot in the fight to keep said end of the world from happening. Presumably this is why the character development goes so quickly -- you don't have *time* in this setting to go through a huge character arc. It's one shot, one try, no retries. You screw up, and the world is over. How many times have you yelled at characters for not sucking it up in the face of epic consequences? Probably a lot. And finally when they do so, you don't really get to complain, because it just makes sense.
I liked that. It made things simple but not stupid, as Bob said. Giant monster, punch it in the face. There's no time to freak out when you're about to get ripped apart.
The main problem I see with the movie, which isn't big at all to me, is that the worldbuilding was a little weird, in that the entire human race got hit by Stupid Rays at the beginning and every government has decided that the Jaeger program is lame and let's just build a giant wall instead. Chuck "Egotistical Jerk with Daddy Issues" was right -- shitty pilots were probably what was dooming the program, because when decent pilots went out there against bigger-than-usual kaiju, they mostly still won. But this is really the worst part of the movie, and I can live with a bit of inconsistency just to see the rest of the awesome.
No really. The 3D is astoundingly well-done, and the bass in IMAX theaters is so loud and deep that every time a Kaiju takes a step, you'll feel like it just thumped down next to you. Holy crap does the IMAX experience rock for this.
I saw this twice already. (Prescreening and yesterday after release in Boston.) I predict a lot of people will complain that even though it's already a 2.25-hour movie, it doesn't have enough slowed-down character moments and there wasn't enough focus on the Drifting between the two main characters and that two of the Jaegers died the first time they were sent out and thus we didn't get to see them fight more, just the main two that were needed for the Big Final Mission.
The problem is, if you added anything to this movie, it would turn into a Lord of the Rings-length monstrosity. Del Toro couldn't have fit anything else in here, or it would have padded out the movie. The point isn't for this to be a big dramatic character movie; the point is to show people characters that they already understand, in an interesting way, so that they can get straight into the world as it is and follow along as we see this incredibly small snapshot of what's going on. The movie represents the last dregs of the Kaiju war, not the whole shebang. It needs a very quick and brusque setup just to get off the ground, and we can't waste time faffing about with the main characters' issues. We know they have them; we can assume they're putting them aside because IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD, WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO DO. If you can't manage to deal with your psychology in the face of THE END OF THE WORLD, you have no business piloting a giant robot in the fight to keep said end of the world from happening. Presumably this is why the character development goes so quickly -- you don't have *time* in this setting to go through a huge character arc. It's one shot, one try, no retries. You screw up, and the world is over. How many times have you yelled at characters for not sucking it up in the face of epic consequences? Probably a lot. And finally when they do so, you don't really get to complain, because it just makes sense.
I liked that. It made things simple but not stupid, as Bob said. Giant monster, punch it in the face. There's no time to freak out when you're about to get ripped apart.
The main problem I see with the movie, which isn't big at all to me, is that the worldbuilding was a little weird, in that the entire human race got hit by Stupid Rays at the beginning and every government has decided that the Jaeger program is lame and let's just build a giant wall instead. Chuck "Egotistical Jerk with Daddy Issues" was right -- shitty pilots were probably what was dooming the program, because when decent pilots went out there against bigger-than-usual kaiju, they mostly still won. But this is really the worst part of the movie, and I can live with a bit of inconsistency just to see the rest of the awesome.
What my smile the most was the very last part of the credits and no, that's not damming with praise:
In Memory of Ray Harryhausen and Ishirō Honda.
Great acknowledgment and good stuff overall.
In Memory of Ray Harryhausen and Ishirō Honda.
Great acknowledgment and good stuff overall.
Sounds interesting, may go and see it if I get the chance. Also another week, another rip on the Amazing Spiderman, seriously Bob, it's been a year already, let it go
Hmmm. Ok, the thing is - I know Bob too well now. I know how much he loves giant monster movies. I've seen him gush about crazy Godzilla sequels and King Kong remakes. So while I'm pleased they made a giant monster movie that appeals to him, I don't know how much this says about how much I'll enjoy it. Giant robots punching monsters in the face sounds fun but... well, only up to a point. I mean - if his reference point is Independence Day then that's a big warning to me because I fucking hated that movie.
On the other hand, so far there's scarcely a movie I haven't been basically in agreement with him about, so despite my reservations I think the sheer exuberant joy in his voice is enough to get me over my skepticism. I'll probably give it a go. But it sounds... pretty dumb to me.
On the other hand, so far there's scarcely a movie I haven't been basically in agreement with him about, so despite my reservations I think the sheer exuberant joy in his voice is enough to get me over my skepticism. I'll probably give it a go. But it sounds... pretty dumb to me.
I saw PR mere hours ago and I gotta say best use of cgi ever. Unlike bob though i think I would have liked a little more depth or uniqueness to the characters but ah I guess that's more a nitpick than a negative. For what the movie intended to be it sure freaking pulls it off and then some. Right down to the "boss battle" you know is coming at the end lol.
Saw this movie tonight, I liked it, was a bit shocked that my cinema (in aus) had it 3 times a day in 2d, but had lone ranger 8 times.
After recently watching man of steel (man of shakycam amiright?), I was amazed how I didn't spot any product placement, not even a mobile phone, unless it was all for a japanese audience or something?
There was one thing that got to me in the movie though...
Why don't you just shoot it? Seriously, why always start every fight with a punch then pull out the plasma cannon or even sword once you start to lose?
After recently watching man of steel (man of shakycam amiright?), I was amazed how I didn't spot any product placement, not even a mobile phone, unless it was all for a japanese audience or something?
There was one thing that got to me in the movie though...
Why don't you just shoot it? Seriously, why always start every fight with a punch then pull out the plasma cannon or even sword once you start to lose?
I saw it at a preview screening yesterday, and I very much enjoyed it. Huge battle scenes, not too much bloat between bloat between them, and finaly a movie that decided it could end with out a massive sequel hook in it. A refreshingly self contained movie. GO SEE IT
GIANT ROBOTS AND MONSTERS AND BOOMS AND KER-PUNCHES AND YAY!!!MovieBob said:
OT: However I am now a little worried. This looks like another film that MovieBob is going to make me hate with constant references and comparisons. I really did like the Avengers Bob. That is until you praised it into the ground for me. Please don't do that to this one. I want to keep enjoying this over-the-top nonsense.
