Pacific Rim (2013) Poster

(2013)

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8/10
A mindless must-see.
planktonrules16 January 2015
I usually don't watch action films. They just aren't my sort of thing. However, my daughter insisted that I watch "Pacific Rim" and I was feeling absolutely horrible when I watched the film, as I had just gone through some painful surgery that morning. So, to take my mind off my aches, I gave it a try. And, thankfully, it turned out to be exactly the sort of tonic I needed--entertaining and crazy fun. While I didn't see it in the theater (the best way to see this type of movie), I did see it on a very large screen at home and watching it on a small screen is practically a waste of time. For once, I loved that a film has eye- popping visuals, explosions and action--and it manages to deliver an entertaining experience without leaving you feeling dumb for having enjoyed it--a problem too often associated with movie of this style. Well worth your time.
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8/10
The drift is strong with this one
Darkside-Reviewer22 July 2020
Pacific Rim really surprised me when it was first released in 2013. My initial thought was that this was just gunna end up being another movie about Colossal sized monsters similar to Cloverfield or Godzilla only with a Hollywood big budget and while it shares some similarities to Godzilla it does stand out on it's own with it's unique monsters and awsome robots plus with the movie being directed by Guillermo del Toro it has a unique style to it that only Guillermo del Toro can bring to a movie.

Pacific Rims story isn't a particularly complicated one but it's certainly got some interesting ideas. When the world is invaded by Colossal sized creatures known as Kaijus mankind bands together creating a defence against the Kaiju in the form of Colossal sized battle robots known as Jaegers each unique in style and armed to the teeth which are each piloted by two pilots who control the robot via neural interfaces the only problem is both pilots must be drift compatible meaning they have to be to link minds and create a stable neural link to be able to control the Jaeger during this both pilots share each other's memorys, feelings and thoughts. The Kaiju begin appearing faster than Jaegers can be assembled so with time running out before there are more Kaijus than Jaegers to fight them the last few remaining pilots prepare for a final assault on the portal the Kaijus are coming from.

The movie is like a mix between Godzilla and Power Rangers only a lot more adult and with much better effects. The Jaeger robots look amazing especially when fighting against the Kaiju monsters. There's plenty of cool action scenes which show the Kaiju monsters being shot, blown up, punched by robot rocket fists and even decapitations.

The characters are likable and interesting my favourite characters personally are the two mad scientists who dissect and study the Kaijus while they are meant to be the kind of comic relief of the movie they are very funny and likable both arguing over scientific theories and trying to prove each over wrong.

I highly recommend watching this movie if your a fan of movies that feature Colossal sized monsters crashing through city's while fighting with Colosal sized robots with swords, guns and rocket fists. This isn't a movie intended for kids in case your wondering this movie is definitely for a more mature audience even though the synopsis for the movie sounds like it was made for kids who watch Transformers cartoons.
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7/10
Fun popcorn flick from a reliable director
Leofwine_draca29 July 2014
PACIFIC RIM is Guillermo del Toro's tribute to the kaiju and Japanese sci-fi movies of his youth; you know, the ones involving giant monsters trashing cities and huge robots sent out to protect mankind. I had an inkling he wanted to make this movie after the giant plant creature in HELLBOY 2; well, now he has.

And this is a lot of fun, a decent popcorn flick for a change and a film that's well made enough to erase memories of the disappointing TRANSFORMERS movies. It's a great Hollywood tribute to Japanese cinema, filled with all of the wonderful effects and super-sized action that you'd hope for. Del Toro is one of those directors who hasn't made a bad film yet; you can always rely on him for entertainment.

Sure, the stuff with the human characters isn't as interesting as the giant stuff. But at least we get plenty of British actors in the cast (Burn Gorman, Idris Elba, Rob Kazinsky, Charlie Hunnam) which keeps it fresh and interesting. The CGI effects are excellent, as you'd expect, and while the storyline is very predictable, that's not the point. The point is to deliver huge bouts of destructive action, and that's what del Toro does. And it's a lot of fun.
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9/10
You Have To Be In The Mood!
damianphelps28 February 2021
Sometimes when I sit down and watch a movie I just want to be swept away and be dazzled with both sight and sound. The movies don't have to be dramatically perfect just capable of blowing all my sensors.

Battleship and Pacific Rim are 2 of those movies.

Pacific Rim takes a cool concept for a story, Monsters vs Machines and entwines a human element (the pilots) to result in a really fun extravaganza. The movie is not deep but has enough story to piece together the fighting sequences.

Sit down, hit the lights, pump the volume, disengage brain and have a blast :)
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7/10
Not bad, not great
land-840-86136627 November 2013
Unlike some, I had no problem with the high concept of the piece: Transformers vs Godzilla. It had a lot of potential. And when the movie concentrates on what we are all here to see (giant creatures and robots beating on each others with oil tankers and smashing through skyscrapers) it is very successful. But when things get quiet... less so. Too much time spent on "Top Gun" like fighter pilot shenanigans. Not enough nuance in the characterizations. An ultra linear plot with few attempts to confound expectations. The acting isn't bad - and isn't required to be great in this sort of film - but it is nothing special either. Sort of universally "meh". Good for a Blu Ray rental.
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9/10
My all time favourite
kapurkimaya30 April 2020
This is one of my all time favourite movies. This is a must watch for all age groups. But only this first Pacific Rim, not the second one.
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7/10
Do you remember what entertainment is?
matthewlintschinger19 August 2013
Entertainment is not just a story. It is not just drama or social commentary. It is not something that can be measured by terms like "latest and greatest" or "cutting edge". This movie is not Man of Steel or Star Trek into Darkness where there is a child-like obsession with being "taken seriously" by adding grotesque violence or depressing overtones. This is not Transformers 3 or the Hobbit where special effects and action scenes are a cluttered mess of ADD rave parties that try to up the excitement with jumpy editing. THIS IS A SINCERE MOVIE.

Sure it has lack luster actors, but they are mixed with some fine ones as well. Yes this has giant robots and that is the main reason to see the film, but they are not just jingling keys in front of us. These action scenes have atmosphere. The fights are exciting because of anticipation and build up. This movie (while very flawed) should be a model example of popcorn entertainment. I came in, saw some good fights, and got a happy ending without bullshit. This was the kind of fun I remember as a kid.

This is a movie (strangely enough like John Carter) that should just be enjoy. They may not have had the best plots or most original stories, but they had substance that can honestly be felt. Genuine love for what they are doing in the film and real effort in making us as the audience part of that fun. They can be dumb or dull, but it feels more like a circumstance of a rushed schedule or odd-ball casting. It feels like Hollywood at its best since they just want us to have a good time.

I not only hope for a sequel, I hope for loving imitators who don't aspire to pretentious greatness (Rise of the Guardians), don't have something to immaturely prove (Man of Steel), and actually have their own story to tell even if its derivative (Star Trek into Darkness is not only a Rip-off of Wrath of con, but it is practically a sequel that is DEPENDANT on it).

This is not the degradation of film, this is the much needed laxative in a world of fast edited adaptations, sequels, and reboots with emo endings.
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8/10
Beats from beginning to end
sebasmendozacr8 August 2013
Lately movies that claim to be monsters and action have proved a complete failure, and, to be honest I thought this was not going to be the exception.

Any change to see a real action movie with almost unstoppable battles monsters, and a dose of special effects so amazing you just leave you with your mouth open.

Of course, not everything is good, but entertaining plot is somewhat similar to that of other films: The hero gets a big pain that leaves the battle, then when the world needs the triumphant return finds the love of his life between the two due to the bad, the nearly died, and finally live happily ever after (like a soap opera).

We must clarify that thanks to special effects, battles, and good performances, the plot is not uncomfortable. I really think it's worth watching.
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7/10
Epic in every proportion
thekarmicnomad24 November 2013
This film starts of with a monologue that explains in twenty seconds how big monsters start appearing from the sea and destroying everything. The only defence against them is to kick their heads in with massive robots. Cool! Starting so quickly out the blocks I expected this to be a fast paced action movie.

It really isn't. About every film element ever used, runs its course before the inevitable big battle. You get a fall from grace, a rivalry, a training period, a love story, forgiveness, reconciliation, etc. etc.

The battle sequences are epic, the monsters and robots are amazing, Kids especially will love them, and the action goes on and on.

The dialogue is cheesier and hammier than a 60 foot pizza monsters, and coupled with the extended scope of this film can make watching it gruelling if you are not instantly gripped.

This will keep any kids gripped for hours (nearly three of them) but if sci-fi isn't your thing get comfy and bring a pillow.
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10/10
Loved this movie
mthessian16 November 2013
For the first time in many, many years with this movie I was taken away from the problems in my life and went to a place where those things didn't register anymore. It was almost magical. I had to keep reminding myself about the bad things in real life, but then a new robot vs monster battle happened and all the sudden that didn't matter any more. Total escapism done with excellent design attention and detail. Thank you GDT. You have to be an artist and a science fiction geek to appreciate this. I came out of the movie and realized all my problems were still there but I was also hearing the theme music in my head. Got the DVD now and I escape that way. Channel your inner six year old, lean back and enjoy.
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Enjoyable monster movie that doesn't pretend to be anything else
bob the moo3 November 2013
Part of the reason I have started completely sitting out the summer blockbuster season is that I just got fed up going to crowded noisy cinemas to be disappointed by films that promised much but deliver just basic effects and little else. With Pacific Rim though, it is hard to feel this way because it is a film that has never pretended to be anything other than a Japanese inspired monster movie where big robots hit big aliens in a way that pretty much never makes much sense when you think about it. The plot is explained very quickly at the start of the film and we then jump into the future where the war we just learned about is reaching a peak. From here we have some doubt, some lessons to learn, barriers to overcome but really what we have are big special effects punching each other. And it works.

It is easy to wring one's hands and say that blockbusters are the death of film, but all things have a place as long as they are done well and this is at least an honest and fun film. I say honest because it has no pretension to it – it is plain and simple a monster movie with a very big budget behind it. The effects are good, with good monster design and generally a sense of fun and energy to the deliver. Of course it is just effects hitting other effects but it works for what it is and at least does this well – unlike other films that would aspire to more but yet can't even do this with any skill. The action sequences are large and fun throughout and the soapy drama doesn't get in the way at all. The film is loaded with references which I mostly got – the voice of GLaDOS being my favorite one.

The cast are not particularly famous but it doesn't matter since the effects are the stars here. That said I thought they did a good job, in particular I enjoyed seeing Elba, Day, Collins, Kikuchi and others in their various roles. Del Toro continues his love of all things geeky with this film and in terms of direction it looks good, with plenty going on but never not being clear and engaging.

It isn't a brilliant film by any means but it is a straightforward one that is honest with the viewer. Robots punching monsters – that is all that is promised and on that it very much delivers. If this sounds like your thing then this will hit the spot no problem.
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8/10
Pacific Rim goes berserk with a great sense of wonder, camp and old-school action.
swp_198810 July 2013
We all carry a great sense of wonder. It seems to hide away as we get older, but was always strong and persistent when we were children. We could sit down and really make something out of nothing physical, or tip our toy-box all over the floor and just go mad. Pacific Rim is Guillermo Del Toro at his most unleashed. He's been given the toys for his sandpit and has gone completely bonkers, but he has also created a sense of wonder from completely nothing.

The plot is simple. Kaiju (monsters) from another dimension break through to ours and wage war on the planet and us humans must do what we can to stop them. So we build giant machines called Jaegers. General audiences are doing the worst thing by comparing this to Transformers or Battleship simply because of some simple image traits. Well I'm here to tell you that you're way off and also working comparisons in the wrong league. Del Toro has crafted an insane amalgamation of Sci-Fi, old-school thrills, special effects and brilliantly entertaining set pieces that all meld together in beautiful harmony, with just enough satisfying human moments and arcs that carry a nice balance of emotion and camp. It all blends well with the loopiness of it all. Its Guillermo Del Toro's trademarks turned up to 11, all while going nuts and having fun with his toys.

There's just so much to love, that not even some minor pacing problems or a couple of sub-par performances can destroy the experience. Mainly its in the lesser background characters, but for me I'd say that Charlie Hunnam doesn't quite shine in the lead. He's certainly more than commendable, but he just doesn't break out here. Idris Elba steals the spotlight with a look and a bellowed delivery and its amusing to watch and Rinko Kikuchi has such an incredible skill with her mannerism and in her eyes, that's its a shock that she isn't in more films. Ron Perlman comes and goes and works his usual incredible moments.

Pacific Rim is triumphant above the rest of the blockbuster herd. It knows what is missing from the norm and just goes crazy with it. Its a big, giant load of awesome fun. Prepare your jaw muscles, because you'll be smiling throughout.

(Hint: Stay a couple of minutes into the end credits for an awesome additional scene)
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8/10
A Darn Good Time at the Movies
BlairMcLovin11 July 2013
Within the opening 15 or so minutes Charlie Hunnam's voice-over establishes the reality of a future where monsters (the Kaiju) repeatedly invade earth, to stem this humans have created giant robots (Jaegers) to combat them in increasingly badass iterations. This opening does a great job in conveying the scope of a film which is big, not just regular big, but like, Jason Biggs in 1999 bigg. entering the cinema from a world where these events rarely occur is initially a lot to throw at the audience, but it's handled so effectively and without tongue in cheek that it quickly becomes a world I had a blast experiencing. Maybe it was the incredible effects shots of robot related destruction used as a throwaway shots, but what I think really sold the opening sequence and the film as a whole is the enthusiasm Del Toro clearly has for the story he's telling.

The cast is essentially a rogues gallery of TV's better dramas playing variations on roles they've nailed in the past (see: Elba, Hunnam and Klattenhoff) and some inspired casting of It's Always Sunny's Charlie Day who, as should be expected provides some effective comedic relief. Added onto this the score comes courtesy of Ramin Djawadi who's masterful use of themes on Game of Thrones is carried over to this film for some great emotional cues and many a rad motif courtesy of Tom Morello on guitar.

It's appropriate Del Toro has a Frankenstein adaptation lined up as a follow up project as Pacific Rim can at times can feel stitched together from all the sources of inspiration the film has. This comes from many areas such as Japanese manga, the personalities of the actors from previous films and the imagery of robots destroying buildings which transformers ran into the ground. But Del Toro succeeds time and time again at allowing these disparate elements to fit together believably by way of some very confident filmmaking. I could easily take issue with the oft hammy dialogue and macho relationships but where the film succeeds in other areas and revels in creativity trumps the dissatisfaction one could take from these scenes. I also found Hunnams character a tad lacking in charisma and internal conflict but whatever, it's not the end of the world. Oh wait, yes it is hahahaha…

The films successes go beyond its imagery and continued invention within battle scenes as the script is very economical when it comes to pacing. The films battle scenes are so engaging and exciting due to clearly established stakes present which left me devoid of the "action fatigue" transformers loves to throw my way. And although the Kaiju battles seem to never be in short supply, the film essentially follows the rule of three when it comes to battle sequences and left me oh so satisfied.

In conclusion, I give it points for being one of the funner summer blockbusters in recent memory, for being an original property and for its sheer tenacity to exist which all amount to what is just a darn good time at the movies.
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7/10
Tarantino, take note: I you're going to pay homage to old film genres, do it right.
Theodor-turner25 July 2013
Pacific Rim is largely an action epic, and a good one at that. The narrative itself is based on Japanese monster (kaiju) films, and - while paying homage to the classic 'style' - manages to be very modern and fairly grounded in reality. Pacing is good and the story has a set of well-placed twists, accompanied by some interesting character development. The casting, on the other hand, is not great, but does not detract from the experience.

In contrast, the direction is fantastic. Guillermo del Toro does a great job of making the large and scary feel huge and terrifying, without making a mess on-screen. Several great touches add to the 'epic' feel of the film, such as the detail on the hide of the kaiju and the fantastic sound effects. Coupled with a great musical score, this film would be one of the best this year. Sadly, there is a small problem that stops this film being fantastic, but great instead: the scientist sub-plot.

Two scientists are in the process of finding a new way to stop the kaiju, and they manage to be fairly useless and rather annoying. They have a fair number of cheesy lines, which left me wishing that their sub-plot had been left out of the film. Nevertheless, Pacific Rim is still very good, and definitely worth watching. I give it an 8 out of 10.
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Monsters vs. Mechanical Monsters
aaronjbong11 July 2013
"Pacific Rim" is a highly explosive, exhilarating, exuberant, energetic, and exciting hell of a ride. When I saw the trailers, I knew the action sequences would be massive in scale, but the film just blew me away because the scale was just incredibly enormous. Every action sequence in this film was just mind-blowing.

Unlike "Transformers", this movie has a real sensible plot. Giant monsters (known as Kaijus) are the extraterrestrial beings that are currently ravaging Earth. However, they don't come from above the atmosphere, instead they come from beneath us. A portal in the bottom of the ocean serves as the method of transport these Kaijus use to reach us. These Kaijus are arriving one by one, and as they do, they increase in size. They're so massive in size (I reckon they're bigger than Godzilla) and the amount of destruction they cause is just indescribable.

But the humans don't stand around doing nothing. They build their own monsters, gigantic robots known as Jaegars, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked by a neural bridge. This allows them to synchronize their movements. However, despite these mighty Jaegers, the seemingly bright future for the humans turn dim as they begin to lose the war against the Kaijus. All of this was clearly covered in the prologue, quickly but properly.

Now that seems like a basic plot, but I can tell you that there's actually more than that and the story is deeper than it looks from the outside. "Pacific Rim" provides sensible explanations for the phenomenons that occurred in the film. Now I'm not a genius or a scientist, but the explanation is logical.

The characters. Our protagonist is Raleigh Becket. He's had a bad time after his partner and older brother Yancy died in a battle against a Kaiju before. But he's recruited by Marshal Stacker Pentecost to pilot one of the four remaining Jaegers. His new partner is Mako Mori, a Japanese girl who wants to be a pilot to avenge the death of her family. Becket's and Mori's Jaeger is the American-made Gypsy Heart.

The cast behind the characters were great too. Charlie Hunnam was terrific as Raleigh. Idris Elba gave a commanding performance as Stacker. Rinko Kikuchi rocked as Mako Mori. The chemistry between Hunnam and Kikuchi was excellent too. But I have to give special credit to Ron Perlman (who previously played in del Toro's "Hellboy" films) as the black marketeer Hannibal Chau who makes a living by dealing with Kaiju organs. He has style and charisma. I also loved Burn Gorman and Charlie Day as Dr. Hermann Gottlieb and Dr. Newton Geizler, respectively. Their chemistry was absolutely perfect and these two were just amazing.

The visual effects were undoubtedly incredible. Everything was mind-blowing and the gigantic scale of the action sequences allows you to be fully immersed into the scene. And the sets were extremely magnificent and glorious. I did not feel any sense of boredom when I was watching this film. Even the drama scenes were enjoyable too. The scenes where explanations were uncovered were exciting too and the music is a prominent part of this.

Guillermo del Toro also did a great job in his directing because I gradually became supportive of the Jaegers and every time they fought, I rooted for them to win. I became immersed into the movie. Every time a Jaeger was in trouble, I was rooting for them to get back up and fight back again. I wanted them to smash the Kaijus to pieces.

"Pacific Rim" is just simply awesome. Now, it may not be for everyone, but if you love action, giant monsters, and giant robots, you'll definitely love this. Or if you're just trying to have some fun, watch this. It's got both brains and brawn.

Rating: 9/10

Final Verdict: "Pacific Rim" is an amazing and explosive ride that is plenty of fun to watch, accompanied with dazzling visuals and a coherent plot.
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7/10
Beyond a Mindless Action Movie
jeffrey-utley24 July 2013
'Pacific Rim' looked to me like a mindless action movie in the trailer. I thought I was going to the theater to seeing two hours and eleven minutes of giant robots piloted by humans fighting giant aliens. Just about the first hour of this movie makes it more than a mindless action movie. This movie focused on the backgrounds of characters for a while and used character development to make us care about them more. That worked for some of the characters.

The acting in this movie as about average. Some of the performances were better than others. Some aspects of actors' performances were better than others. Charlie Hunnam was more of a lower quality performance. In some parts of the movie, I wasn't convinced he was really Raleigh Becket (his character in the movie), because he wouldn't say some of the dialog with feeling. It was like he was just reading lines some of the time. He had a bit of a British accent in the movie, but it seemed like it was only in affect in a small number of scenes in the movie. I don't think that anyone has a British accent in only a few parts of their life, so that makes it a bad thing. That bring up another performance: Idris Elba's. He had a better British accent than Hunnam, but it still only seemed to be in affect some of the time. Also, his acting performance was good, but he wasn't able to put enough stress on words at times. When Stacker Pentecost (his character) was supposed to put deep feeling into his words, Idris Elba wouldn't be able to put enough feeling into the words. Other than those things, his performance was fine, though. Rinko Kikuchi, who played Mako Mori, had the best performance out of the all of the actors I can think of. She didn't have any accent problems, she was able to put enough stress on words, and I was convinced she was Mako Mori. Her performance was good.

I couldn't find any problems with the writing in this movie. I didn't look for any problems in the writing, but it seemed realistic. In some parts, it seemed it little far fetched, though.

The CGI in this movie was great. It really didn't seem like nothing was there. All of the images blended in with the aspects of the scene. When there was almost nothing but CGI, it seemed like they (the images) were real. The only time I would really tell if there was CGI (if I didn't already know) if it was compared to an actual image.

Now, for the things I went to the movie to see: the action sequences. The action sequences were just CGI's fighting each other. I thought the sequences were great. They were very exciting and exhilarating. The sequences also didn't happen as much as I thought they would, but more would've been less, I think. It might have been like 'Man of Steel', where the action took a long time to get old. Here, the sequences never got old and they stayed exciting. The action was even better than I thought it was going to be in this movie. There's a clear reason for almost everything which causes less thinking during the scenes. Several points to the film for the acting sequences and events.

About the first forty five minutes of this movie after the title came up were character background and development. It did introduce characters and tell their purpose in the story, too. It was interesting at first, but it got old after a while. There was some drama, but it was just slow. I don't know why this movie wanted to be slow in the beginning. Some action movies have been slow in the beginning, but it just didn't work in this one. For the mood of this movie, the logical thing wouldn't be to be slow in the beginning. Being like this almost only takes points away from the movie. Knowing so much about the characters did imply different tones of the movie later on when things would reflect on the character's past. The slowness of the beginning of the movie didn't only consist of character background buildup. Only about half of it consisted of that.

'Pacific Rim' has great images and scenery, barely-below-average acting, average writing, amazing acting sequences, very deep characters, and is well done, but has some bad performances and some boring parts. It was very exciting, had explainable events and aspects, and had a good story. I very much recommend this movie and might buy this movie on DVD when it comes out. My 8/10 rating means 'Pacific Rim' is really good.
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8/10
Robots, Monsters, and a lot of heart and soul and creative design
Quinoa19848 November 2014
It was a curious thing being on line for certain Hollywood programmers in summer 2013, mediocre stuff like 2 Guns or White House Down that neither impressed nor offended too much, and then the split in hearing some other folks talking about Pacific Rim and how awful it looked.

Perhaps I came to it with a small chip on the shoulder – this is THE Guillermo mother-flipping del Toro, after all, a man who has created dark, supremely designed imaginations with Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy movies, and here he is getting to take on stuff he loves in a completely B-movie landscape: gnarly monsters, giant robots, comic-book stakes, and action with some substance. And Pacific Rim, for what it set out to accomplish as a sensational blockbuster, reached its aims for what I wanted. When taken in total, it may not have much more or less action than a Man of Steel, but it is much smarter, or just more creative and skilled and knowing of its audience, in layering out its action set pieces, and even in the broad strokes it takes as, basically, a B-level Saturday matinée flick. Del Toro cares about these characters, or at least tries to, deep down, and can show some of that like with the Asian pilot Mako Maori.

Is any of this deep? I'm still not sure. Does it need to be an artistic meditation on the cancelling of the apocalypse? Maybe another watch or two of five - because there will always be a part of me that can keep a hold on to an inner 13 year old - will bring that into focus. And aside from the monsters-and-robot work, which contains such good sights to behold, weight and depth to the designs, and the know-how to pace the action and to let us see it – in 2D, anyway, I didn't bother with 3D so I can't speak to that experience – there's some just good fun dialog (Charlie Day! Ron Perlman!!) and a sense that, 'Yes, this is a Godzilla experience, but we can still make it EXCITING'. So much of what I wanted this summer and only got in smaller doses (look at the end of the article for a bit on that) was in full-bloom in this production, which had a 190 million budget and the money looked like it was up on the screen, and not just in the CG but in the big sets and technology, and a story told by a Big Kid that would only hope the rest of the audience can genuinely feel like Big Kids if they aren't young already.

In other words, the director accomplished what Michael Bay has, over and over again, failed to do: inspire wonder, and put some basic thought into the process itself, in story and craft, and without a large dollop of cynicism.
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8/10
Great movie for robots vs monsters anime fans
jodprak11 July 2013
I just watched Pacific Rim on the first day/time slot of premiere in 3D. Yes, I am a geek. But that is not the whole point. If you had the excitement of watching anime movies of robots vs monsters in childhood, this is perfect movie for you. The Kaiju monsters design reminds me of Godzilla's villain monsters combined with Cloverfield monster, xenomorph (Aliens), and TRON. As for the Jeager robots, I'll let you to decide whether they are good or very good. :)

To watch this movie I needed to change my mindset to be like a 10 ten year old robot geek child, like 29 years ago. Because if not, you will feel a lot of question marks and disappointment through this movie. The story is quite predictable. The plot and pace are simple enough for children to understand. And the nerd and geek professor appearances are a bit annoying for me. But hey, that what is all about: to celebrate the childhood memory of robots vs monsters.

Overall, the movie is great for robot vs monsters anime fans. It's not even close to that horrible Michael Bay's Transformers.
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7/10
Lying flat on my bed while watching, I really fell asleep
user-429-57120418 September 2013
I can recite the lines in the trailer; that's how much I looked forward to this movie. But I fell asleep while watching it, literally. So disappointed. The comments made by people around me always start with "horrible story" and end up with "perfect special effects though". Truth to be told, I can totally foresee that, for nearly all action movies follow this trend. But I was wrong. There is no single twist surprising and the actress really can't act! What's wrong with her face?! She does not know how to smile, does she? Then the robots. Come on. These huge machines are unable to leave deep impression on audience. The fighting scenes are of great chaos-sea water, buildings, robots and monsters mix with each other so that I could only tell that something is moving in the screen. The finale eventually adds the last awful stroke. The only thing of this movie worth keeping is the theme song, boosting work efficiency.
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8/10
A Very Pleasant Surprise
feritciva8 August 2013
Let's be honest, lately we've seen so much ridiculously horrible alien invaders movies that even Independence Day is like a golden classic now. Battle L.A., Battleship, last Transformers movie (was it the 9th? 11th? I forgot!), District 9 (yes, it was horrible too) etc..

So when I've heard about Pacific Rim I thought "oh no, not another one" and ignored it. Then, I saw the ratings and some reviews here on IMDb. OK another confession now, IMDb also let me down lately because people were voting like they've never seen a good movie or good script. Go look at Dark Knight Rising's IMDb rating, for God's sake! (my right eye began to twitch involuntary when I thought of Dark Knight Rising again.. aaarrrgghh)

But then one day destiny did the job for me, here I was having nothing to do with spare time and an imax cinema with Pacific Rim. I looked at other movies, Wolverine - check, I've already been to, good movie. Red 2, check - it was great fun. World War Z, unfortunately check, waste of time. Pacific Rim? OK, why not? After 2,5 hours the lights were on again and I was sitting with a big grin on my face apologizing from everyone who worked for this movie.

This is really amazing folks. This is old skool fun! This is really better than last 5 years' alien invasion movies all together! This just popped out from 80's with 2010's technology. Do not miss it! And try to catch it on imax 3D! You'll never regret it!
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6/10
Middle of the road.
Rockcomputers8115 July 2013
My two cents. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. It was somewhere middle of the road for me. The good: Set Design, The effects(The best I have ever seen), 3D, Idris Elba, Ron Perlman. The Bad: The Script, Bad Casting.

Charlie Hunnam is great on SOA, but he is pretty much a one note actor. He has no charisma at all in the film and is boring to watch. Rinko Kikuchi while pretty to look at, comes across as a Asian stereotype. Her and Hunnam have no chemistry together at all. For two people that are suppose to be link they sure don't act like it at all. Charlie Day good god, I guess he was suppose to be the comic relief. But he comes off annoying and most of his scenes could have been cut and would have improved the film.

To be honest I found it over long and just OK. Which is a shame because I love Del Toro and really wanted this to be a huge hit for him. I think It really comes down to casting, as bland as the script is some actors with chemistry and charisma would have gone along way it make it a lot more enjoyable.

So there you have it.
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5/10
Visually amazing, otherwise disappointing.
andrea-hartline15 July 2013
Decided to go see after reading so many user reviews of 8, 9 and 10. Absolutely love movies in this genre as well other movies that Del Toro has directed (e.g. Pan's Labyrinth, the Devils Backbone, Hellboy) I was expecting to be blown away - and yet, at one point during movie husband and I contemplated leaving. I don't understand how so much money can be spent and effort not made to create coherent script with believable characters. I can accept campiness if its done well - but the two scientists for example were just ridiculous.

The amazing visual effects were what kept us in the theater - but just barley. Could clearly see Del Toro's mastery in the creation of the aliens and Jaegers.
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7/10
A film slightly better than what I expected
jhpstrydom29 November 2013
Before watching PACIFIC RIM I noticed it had a lot of critics really hammered down on it and truth be told it really wasn't that bad. Then again I stopped listening to critics a long time ago. Although many would agree it could be somewhat overblown with special effects but it did have a decent plot. The acting wasn't the best but also not the worst. All the effects were very nicely done and the fight sequences were very engaging partly because the film established what was at stake before them.

All in all, PACIFIC RIM isn't as bad as critics say it is in fact I think they might have been too harsh. The best way to see PACIFIC RIM is probably without expecting to much and to judge for yourself if you like it or not. For me it was good and better than expected and I would recommend it as a better alternative to a lot of other films out there.
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8/10
Amazing . Great visuals
mudassar_ash26 August 2013
this movie really rocks and keeps u occupied for 02 hours . Stunning visuals , giant robots look really giant .

The Very feel of a giant robot walking is super cool . Idres Alba stands out in film. his looks and dialogs were excellent. The best part is in middle of film having emotional feelings and don't want to spoil it.

it is a true cinematic experience especially in 3d .and to watch it in home TV screens will be disgrace to this movie.

Hope the Sequel or Warner Bros next projects show much more improvement.really anxious to watch movies like these in future
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7/10
Something Slightly Different
ben-675-45325723 August 2013
I wasn't quite sure what to expect after watching the trailer for pacific rim. Was this another transformers? Godzilla MK2? Well, it was actually a pleasant surprise in many many ways.

Narrative: Nothing to fault here. The story line is solid and cuts strait to what's important instead of burying us in years of back-story and needless contextual rubbish. Its a pretty strait forward affair with not may surprises it must be said, but the beauty really does lie in the simplicity with which the story is both crafted and told.

Effects: This is my only gripe. I predominately wanted to see this film for the effects, and don't get me wrong they are utterly beautiful at times, but stylistically, its like someone has taken cyberpunk, steam punk, a little bit of blade runner, star wars and some minority report, scattered all that on a table and picked little bits blindfolded to recycle. There are moments of utter utter genius in the concept design that I think we will see cropping up in many a sci-fi from now on, but as a whole, it has no governing style which visually, i found both confusing and a little annoying...

Cast and characters: Not much to say here really. There's not going to be any Oscar nominations but neither are there any terrible scenes. At times some of the main characters feel a little wooden and under-developed, but in a film predominately based on action, its not a huge issue and anything it lacks it soon makes up for elsewhere.

Conclusion: Its worth your money at the cinema, and judging by the press not many have been parting with hard earned cash to see this, which is a real shame. This film has some real intelligence to it which I think earns it a viewing and better press. Imagine everything you hated about transformers, well this is an antidote. From start to finish it is very entertaining and deals with a disaster scenario in a very refreshing manner. If you going to watch anything besides Elysium, I would suggest this. I've given it seven stars, but if this turns out to be the classic it very well could be, I'd imagine most will be giving it 8.
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