Pacific Rim is arguably the first credible effort at delivering to the big screen the Japanese anime robot warrior themes popularized in the Robotech universe and a few others. It's far from original and relies heavily on special effects, but neither of these observations is why the film fails. They are, in fact, the only redeeming features and the sole reasons it's watchable on any level. Bringing the giant mechanical juggernauts to life is what this movie does well, but sadly everything else is unexciting and worthless filler designed to kill time between the melee. I say "kill time" because those moments do little else. There isn't a shred of character development beyond the overused and worn out themes of personal vengeance and ego-driven pride, and it's incredibly challenging to invest emotionally on any level with any of the characters. Casting for this film was weak. The stereotypical type-A jock fighter pilot persona seems to be the mandate to strap on the metal, as does a sensei-level martial arts prowess... for whatever reason that is. I understand the reason for the various accents (after all, it's a world effort) but the fast-talking gibberish and poor sound quality resulted in a lot of missed dialogue and presented the characters as over-the-top sensationalized drama queens. Finally, the whole plot just lacked maturity, but I suspect that was intended. This movie could've, should've, and would've been great had it been a little darker and grittier. Instead it's a playful wrestling match through the city streets. It earns a 6/10 for the effects only.
There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Please go to My Account to update your email.
Please choose a username to sign your comments. Only letters, digits, dash - or period. Minimum 4 characters.
Your age and sex:
We publish all comments, except abusive, at our discretion.