As the world gets more and more complicated each and every day so does the translation and means of entertainment in order to keep up with the complexities of setting the bar even higher to appease audiences. There's an urgency in the movie industry that has suddenly exploded to give us interconnecting movies (Marvel Movies) and 3-D shot splendor (Avatar), one can only expect things to get more complex and engaging to satisfy the ever evolving human mind.
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Pacific Rim doesn't play to this. Call it reverse psychology if you will but Pacific Rim keeps to its strengths by making the story direct and concise. Reminding us that there are many times where simpler is better. In a sense our expectation for complexities is more of an unconscious effort more than anything else, and this movie actually pulled me back. Hinting me of the times when I was a child where the story was laid out for you and you simply sat back to enjoyed the show.
What starts out with a shaky beginning takes a turn for greatness once the gears start moving. Pacific Rim captivates a broad audience simply by the fact that it's set in a time where the world has to come together to fight for the greater good. Del Toro pays great dedication to both the monster movie genre and Japans' infamous Mech entertainment that warms my inner anime self. I immensely enjoyed that they incorporated languages no matter how lightly touched upon it was, be it Russian, Chinese or Japanese.
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There's a sense of embodiment to the characters despite how transparent they are, it's seamless and works well. At sometimes the side characters shine more than the protagonist and in ways pays homage in on itself. The whole cast is likeable despite how wacky and weird they may seem. The influences of Del Toro's character types are not far behind and are a treat to behold. The humor is 'laugh out loud' and very charmingly subtle at times. The fact that there must be two people to operate a Jeager is interesting and good because it doesn't give the protagonist the continual feeling of isolation since he always has another character to be his foil, who in this case is Mako. The romance between Raleigh and Mako is innocent and not completely shoved in your face like other movies and in ways it represents more a start of a friendship though there is obvious attraction. It's tactfully placed where it doesn't feel completely lost on the audience yet it never becomes a main focus.
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The action is unbelievably addicting and proves to satiate my thirst with non-stop brawling. The additions made for the Jeagers themselves are fun and individualize each machine as it's own persona. The technical flare of Gothic and Japanese themes are not removed and for anyone familiar with such things will enjoy it more than most. The fights were cheesy in all it's glory and many would find these scenes to easily become their favorite parts to the movie and very well understandably. The monsters have great designs something that should be mentioned without a single doubt, the people who worked on them deserve more than just a pat on the back. Even at the end of the movie it still leaves you wanting more action in the best way possible.
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Ironically for myself, the most powerful moments have absolutely nothing to do with big hulking machines as I originally expected but the humanization of all the characters. To see what I mean look no further than Idris Elbas' character, Stacker Pentecost. Idris never ceases to amaze me how he can truly become any of his characters at will without it ever feeling like he's being "himself." In a world that no one should ever take seriously, Stacker pulls the heartstrings by being a true leader and father figure effortlessly. Idris Elba truly spearheads the whole show and should be commemorated for it.
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As an action flick, from the get go it never stops or slows down. Besides being an extremely entertaining, good old fashioned monster flick, "Pacific Rim" is a tribute to the strength of international cinema, involving artists and production teams from every part of the globe; stretching it's availability for all audiences no matter what age. And as I imagined it, has become an international hit. Further more the 3 main leads Hunnam, Elba and Rinko Kikuchi preform a great performance with unbelievably FANTASTIC chemistry. With the feel, humor and attributes of a great director, Pacific Rim is a true Guillermo del Toro staple.
My rating: 8.7/10