Review of Pacific Rim (2013) by Robyn N — 25 Oct 2014

The mega summer blockbuster "Pacific Rim" delivers plenty of eye-popping action and battle sequences galore, but there is not enough beneath the pyrotechnics to leave a lasting impression. The very notion of giant robots trading blows with monsters across the world is likely to induce as many groans as it is cheers. Those cynical of the premise, though, may find themselves somewhat interested that director Guillermo del Toro is bringing his signature flourish to "Pacific Rim," an ode to Japanese monster cinema. Kaiju originates as a Japanese word roughly translating as "strange monster," but more pertinently here, Kaiju is the name for this entire genre of sci-fi, where massive creatures step on buildings and threaten to destroy civilization.

The future of the world is threatened by an alien force, which unexpectedly, comes not from outer space, but from the center of the earth. In an attempt to stave off the seemingly inevitable domination of these creatures and the destruction of mankind as we know it, an army of giant robots manned by elite commander Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), and his crack team including renegade officer Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), and rookie soldier Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), head to the edge of the Pacific Ocean for the mother of all showdowns.

"Pacific Rim" will fully satisfy the summer blockbuster demographic and sell lots of popcorn, but the repetitive visual fireworks eventually runs thin over the course of 131 minutes. The films set pieces, in particular the destruction of Tokyo, and the climatic battle at the earth's core between the man-made monsters and their non- human adversaries, are undeniably impressive. The action is gigantic, with elaborate CG-animation staging showdowns in pouring rain or at the bottom of the ocean, delivering on sophisticated movement that's utterly convincing. However, it stumbles in its attempts to inject spirit into the proceedings, and interactions and dialogue between the central cast of humans provides nothing to the experience. That being said, if you're a fan of big, loud popcorn movies, "Pacific Rim" is unquestionably a cut above the gnarled heaps of metal that was "Transformers" (2007).