When an alien attack threatens the Earth's existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace.
Pacific Rim is entirely in keeping with much expensively-made effects-heavy cinema of the present time: it's put together with such artistry and such devotion that it can't help but be impressive as a visual spectacle. (Del Toro's devotion to Japanese monster movies is particularly evident.) But, like Man of Steel or The Dark Knight Returns, it can't quite bring itself to believe in its own pop-culture disposability and ends up paying the price.
Not quite the Thinking Man’s Transformers we were hoping for, Pacific Rim sees hugely impressive robot visuals let down by a familiar story that embraces cliches.
Maybe director and co-writer Del Toro took this job in a detached, impersonal spirit and it can't fully be considered one of his films in that authorial sense. At any rate, as a film genre, the big summer blockbuster toy tie-in spectacular remains untransformed.
When Idris gets to deliver his big speech, his call-to-arms goes, “Today we are cancelling the apocalypse.” One feels that Shakespeare on Agincourt will not be yielding the laurel.
What a shame that the latest from a director famed for his imagination has turned out to be such a crashing bore.
Pacific Rim has some problems – one underwater battle is hindered by visual murkiness and lead Hunnam is frequently robotic himself – but the overall piece is an infectiously fun and pleasantly sincere example of classical story beats and archetypes executed expertly.
Transformers versus Godzillas.
A big, brash, unpretentious B movie that lives down to its billing: robots punching monsters — it does what it says on the Rim.
Marginally better-natured than every other spot of dollar-chasing out there, it’ll nevertheless stand as del Toro’s most anonymous, safest bet to date.
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) it’s an impressive spectacle but deafening, largely humour-free and almost devoid of human interest.
Guillermo del Toro's summer blockbuster is a well-made sci-fi fantasy full of familiar but satisfying moments.
At best, it’s summer fodder, made more stylish by Del Toro, and more bearable by the charismatic Elba, but still a silk purse that says oink.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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