GIANT ROBOTS · 2:34pm Jul 10th, 2013
If you haven't figured it out by now, this post has nothing to do with ponies. This said, I figured it'd be of interest to some of y'all anyway. Namely...Pacific Rim! I've seen it. And the verdict?
OH MAN YOU GUYS.
So yeah. By virtue of seeing Robot Jox at the Alamo Drafthouse last Sunday, I was given a pass to see a sneak preview of Pacific Rim. I just barely managed to get off of work in time to catch the flick- in 3D IMAX, no less. I was gonna see the movie anyway, and I even wanted to pay moneys to see it (and I probably will, yet!) but the allure of a sneak preview was too much to bear.
In any case, yeah. Pacific Rim. It should be said that this movie DELIVERS. I mean, there are robots, and there are giant monsters, and they beat the hell out of each other, and it's rad as hell. While the phrase 'big dumb action movie' comes to mind, I don't think it's entirely accurate. I mean, it's obviously an action movie, and it's super big, but...I wouldn't say it's dumb. I mean, the movie lays out its own 'rules,' and sticks to them. And on top of that, the characters act in ways that are entirely understandable- even when emotions run high, the characters are pretty reasonable about it (relatively speaking. Punches are thrown, and it's great). On top of that, given the tech available to the characters, they actually do some clever stuff with it. Very much PC material.
The kaiju are wonderfully slimy and menacing- I recall reading an article a few days ago describing how the design team didn't want the kaiju to show any emotion other than hatred. There's the vaguest hints of classic kaiju design in a few of them, but I'd say they stand fairly well on their own merits. Though the monsters in the last action sequence aren't quite as unique as the ones that came before.
And, of course, because this is the internets, nerdy assumptions must be made. For one, I'm pretty sure the Cloverfield monster was a Type I kaiju, so that's canon now. On top of that, Gypsy Danger's AI is totally GladOS, which means Portal is canon, which means Half Life is canon, which means that the Black Mesa experiment probably has something to do with The Breach. Plot hooks galore, folks!
I will admit that the big set piece fights all take place at night, but we at least see SOME mayhem in the daylight (even if it would've been nice to see more). And on top of that, Del Toro has a whole lot of fun with worldbuilding around a world shaped by kaiju attacks (the classic RPG.net thread 'A City Built Around the Tarresque' comes to mind), and I'd love to see even more of that- which, I'm sure, is what the tie-in comics and stuff are for. I'll probably chase those down later. Also, Idris Elba is the shit (which should surprise no one).
So yeah. Go see this movie. Go see it on the biggest, loudest damn screen you can find, because it's one of those movies that makes it totally worth it. And stay through the credits!
Lemme know if you have any questions! I'll try to keep the spoilery stuff to s-blocks if needed.
Yeah, you couldn't pay me to not see this movie. Unfortunately I'll have to wait until Monday due to my work schedule.
why would we want to stay though the credits. is there some awesome after-credits scene-- *GASP*. does Godzilla come out of that portal in the after credits scene?
Is the 3D worth it? I'm kind of leary of it in anything other than bright animation.
HAHAHAHA! Buddy, you just made my Summer with this. Thanks. I'm a big fan of both classic Genre's that this movie is based off of like Godzilla for Giant Monster and GaoGaiGar for Giant Robot.
By the way, when you say stay for the credits, do you mean that there is an extra scene after the closing credits end? Just say yes or no please. Do NOT tell me. I want to see for myself. Also, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA, tell me that the 3d version is worth it.
I'd say it's worth watching in 3D- while the flick was post-converted, it was converted WELL, and so the 3D serves to give the movie a grander sense of scale, I think. I may need to watch it again in 2D just to make the comparison. Heh.
And yeah, stay through the credits.