Review of Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) by Kj P — 17 Apr 2018

The first Pacific Rim was a very divisive film. Sure, it had its fair share of fans, but critics and fans either had a blast with it or it just wasn't for them. For myself, I was on the former end of that argument. I really enjoyed watching the spectacle of the first movie. Even though it was flawed, it was all about caring of the characters and whether or not they lived or died. Some people found it to be hollow, but there are counter-arguments to make about that as well. That being said, there aren't many arguments that can save this sequel from being disliked. Pacific Rim: Uprising is the perfect example of a film that desperately relies on the spectacle and characters of its predecessor in order to impress. For all these aspects and more, here's why I think fans of the first and newcomers might as well stay away from this sequel.

Pacific Rim: Uprising follows Jake Pentecost as he is thrust into the war he never thought he would join. Being the son of his fallen father who helped save the planet in the first film, that was the one connection that made this film lazy in my opinion. From the visual style to the one-dimensional characters, to the nearly non-existent chemistry between everyone, I found this film to be lackluster from start to finish. Audiences come to see these movies for the spectacle of monsters fighting robots, but when the majority of that fighting takes place in the final 30 minutes and you've bored your audience by that point, then there isn't much hope for an enjoyable experience.

I'm usually the person who talks as highly as I possibly can about a movie, looking for positives where most people find negatives, but I'm finding it very difficult to defend this one. Without ruining it for those who wish to see it, there are returning characters from the first film who are completely wasted here and their character arcs are ridiculous and frankly too stupid to agree with. The entire time someone from the previous film was on-screen, I found myself wishing I was back in the theatre when the first film came out. Everyone from the new characters to the old characters was poorly executed here and I was more than disappointed by that.

Yes, the final act does have some cool fight sequences, but I'm more just commending the filmmakers on a few cool action scenes rather than saying that I actually enjoyed them while watching. Yes, the effects are great, but I was bored by the time they showcased them. On top of that, the stakes are silly, due to how the Kaiju's make their return to Earth. Honestly, I found myself either wondering how much time was left or hoping for an exciting twist that would grab my attention, but none of that is present throughout this film.

In the end, Pacific Rim: Uprising is everything that I didn't want from a sequel. Being the first feature film that Steven S. DeKnight has directed (having only worked on television beforehand), I went in with a little apprehension, to begin with, but his work on television or smaller films may suit him better. This movie is just about as generic as you can get. I would like to say that this film would make a good example of how visual effects look on a home television experience for a rental, but I still think the better recommendation for that would be the first film. Overall, I've seen far worse movies out there, but Pacific Rim: Uprising isn't anything worth talking about.