Written by James M. Tate / 7/16/2013 / 1 Comment / 2013 , action , science-fiction
PACIFIC RIM
![]() |
year: 2013 cast: Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba, Diego Klattenhoff, Ron Perlman rating: ** |
This information is covered within the first ten minutes through a flowing expository narrative, and once the words PACIFIC RIM appears the real story begins when Raleigh Becket, a former war hero who lost his brother/partner in battle, is brought back to guide an important defensive robot. The sea creatures, bizarre hybrids of lizards, sharks and the RETURN OF THE JEDI Rancor monster, have upped a few notches and mankind has only days to exist.
Much of the film takes place in the underground compound where head honcho Stacker Pentecost, provided his own melodramatic score after saying something important, gives Raleigh several opportunities to redeem himself a worthy warrior again. The twist comes in the form of lovely Asian Mako Mori who, having survived a creature attack as a child, works behind the scenes until she's brought to the forefront as Raleigh's partner.
The two leads have decent chemistry – the lithe Asian beauty attracted to the reluctant American rogue. The training scenes leading up to Mako’s first fight are involving, bringing the quiet girl out of her shell and revealing a true Martial Artist. Meanwhile, outside the box, immense battles are filmed to be experienced: up close and jarringly personal. Thankfully director Guillermo del Toro doesn’t revel in shaky camera too much and the 3D is impressive. This is a spectacle made for a theater audience, that’s for certain... You’ll be knocked around with the massive contenders.
But after a couple would-be climaxes the movie goes on much too long. Each fist-pounding battle starts looking all too familiar, and when we’re not at war there’s an overabundance of scientific theories and tactical plans on how to take out the creatures for good. When we’re not underground discussing the action we’re experiencing it in droves.
What’s really needed is some kind of middle ground. Call it character-development… but the characters on board, played capably by B-list actors, have potential. They just aren’t given enough room to breath beyond all the (literally) Earth shattering noise.
Labels:
2013,
action,
science-fiction
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Featured Post
CHRISTOPHER LEE IN HAMMER FILMS 'THE TERROR OF THE TONGS'
Poster for Hammer's TERROR OF THE TONGS with Christopher Lee Year: 1961 Geoffrey Toone, as the hero in Hammer's THE TERROR OF THE TO...


Most Popular Last Year
-
Robyn Hilton enters into an eclectic exploitation comedy career in Wonder Women circa 1973 As mentioned a few posts ago, ROBYN HILTON, b...
-
Kari Michaelsen in Saturday the 14th year: 1982 In LOVE AT FIRST BITE, a popular comedy that took the vampire genre by satire, Richard ...
-
Cornelia Sharpe in court to avoid BUSTING Year: 1974 Starring Elliott Gould and Robert Blake as determined vice cops BUSTING hookers, ...
-
year: 1960 cast: Sonya Wilde, James Franciscus, Patricia Michon rating: ***1/2 I PASSED FOR WHITE, one of those title-says-it-all kind...
-
year: 1976 starring: Linda Lavin, Alfred Lutter rating: ***1/2 The iconic sitcom ALICE, about a trio of waitresses working in a greasy s...
-
Unusually hatless, Eric Kilpatrick's Jackson lies beside his signature shades and a broken bottle with blood red white... Growing up...
-
Interview with actress Greta Blackburn Greta Blackburn is tall, blond, gorgeous, and most important of all, a terrific actress. The pro...
-
Tom Signorelli presents Robyn Hilton on set YEAR: 1974 Robyn Hilton, the BLAZING SADDLES redhead, co-starred in THE LAST PORNO FLICK (ak...
-
Interview with Urban Cowboy's Jessie La Rive Mapes "Hold my beer, Jessie," Debra Winger's character, Sissy, tells real...
-
Mary-Louise Weller in NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE ANIMAL HOUSE, directed by John Landis and produced by Ivan Reitman, stars John...

I finally got around to watching this on Friday night. I went into it not expecting too much but I assumed that since it is Guillermo del Toro in the Director's Chair it wouldn't suck completely.
ReplyDeleteBy the end of the movie my eyes were burning and I felt like I had gotten pummeled by one of the monsters from the rift.
On a positive note I got pretty much what I expected out of the movie. On the negative, I'm just getting too old for overly loud bombastic science fiction "event" films. By the way, is it just me, or is the volume in movie theaters just cranked up WAY TOO LOUD, especially on weekends. Half the time nowadays I walk out of the movie theater with my head ringing. Is everyone just plain deaf? Damn kids, get off my lawn!
Great review sir.