Author Topic: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)  (Read 8203 times)

FatherXmas

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,646
  • You think the holidays are bad for you ...
Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« on: July 12, 2013, 04:46:36 AM »
Okay I went to see the 7pm 2D showing tonight.  Sadly however do to technical difficulties it didn't start until after 7:30 and it had framing (subtitles and tops of heads cut off) and sound (turned up too loud to make out some dialog).

Nothing really of note in the Trailers except maybe the new Aubrey Plaza R rated high school sex comedy might be worth renting (yes, she's 29 playing an 18 year old).  The Joseph Gordon-Levitt film Don Jon (he also wrote and direct) looked meh but could be one of those "critically acclaimed" films I don't bother seeing in theaters.

The movie itself will make Kaiju fans happy I think.  I enjoyed it and it was as good as any of the Showa or Heisei Godzilla films.  It's more action pack then Cloverfield.  As for piloted Giant Robot fans, and there isn't a lot of live action to choose from there including the mecha in the Godzilla films, I think they will be happy as well.

Is it Macbeth?  No.  Did they "borrow" a lot from other movies.  Hell yea.  ID4 most prominently, the Giant Robo anime and they took a gag from the first MIB film.  Does it have plot holes you could pilot a Jaeger through, hell yea.  Would I love to see a full history of all Kaiju and Jaeger battles as well as attempts to destroy the breach.  Yep.  Please but that on the Blu-ray.

It's not meant to be a film that one thinks to hard about while watching.  The acting was reasonable.  Problem with the lead was his attempt to do an American midwest accent really shows sometimes (he's English, only fair for all of the times American actors poor attempts at various English accents).  Yes I did say subtitles because the Japanese market bait of the movie, besides Kaiju and giant robots, is Rinko Kikuchi as the kick ass girl and she says some of her lines in Japanese.  And she is very, very cute.

I think it could have been a great Anime series.  They could flesh out the whole conflict from 1st contact to resolution in this film.  Watch the advancement in Jaeger tech as well as Kaiju evolution.  They really could have fleshed out all the pilots and support characters and not just ... two ... a very little bit.

I think it's worth seeing on the big screen.  There is a scene after the first bit of the end credits.  The end credits conclude with a dedication to Ray Harryhausen and Ishirō Honda.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2013, 08:18:20 AM by FatherXmas »
Tempus unum hominem manet

Twitter - AtomicSamuraiRobot@NukeSamuraiBot

Todogut

  • Boss
  • ****
  • Posts: 247
    • Todogut on deviantART
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2013, 07:55:22 AM »
It's quite a spectacle. I saw it in 3-D IMAX, which added scale and immersive sound (punishingly loud during fight scenes).

I'm a big fan of del Toro's films. This one's a bit different because it's like a live-action anime. But, I liked it for what it is.

One critic's review that I read on Rotten Tomatoes suggested, if you are in favor of seeing a movie about giant robots fighting giant monsters, then you'll like it; if you're not in favor, then you won't.

I saw the movie with my brother. He wasn't in favor of the concept going in, and he didn't like it.

Me, I really enjoyed it. I'd like to see it again.

Kaos Arcanna

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,067
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2013, 12:59:07 AM »
Yeah. I liked the movie a lot. :D

Of course I grew up watching giant monster movies. :D

Golden Girl

  • One Liners and Winky Faces
  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,242
    • Heroes and Villains
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2013, 10:33:52 PM »
It's somewhat weak box office seems kinda strange - the hype's been pretty high, the review scores are good, and with Man of Steel winding down and The Lone Ranger continuing to fall like a stone, it's not really got any serious action movie competition either.
"Heroes and Villains" website - http://www.heroes-and-villains.com
"Heroes and Villains" on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeroesAndVillainsMMORPG
"Heroes and Villains" on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Plan_Z_Studios
"Heroes and Villains" teaser trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnjKqNPfFv8
Artwork - http://goldengirlcoh.deviantart.com

Razy

  • Minion
  • **
  • Posts: 25
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2013, 11:37:53 PM »
Actions movies. By the time people realize there is no story, the movie is over  :P

Aggelakis

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,001
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2013, 01:25:04 AM »
THIS IS WHAT GODZILLA 2000 SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

I lost count of the number of times I said "ARE YOU SHITTING ME" (or the more emphatic "ARE YOU FUCKING SHITTING ME") or "OH MY GOD".

I am a HUGE Godzilla fan, so this scratched that itch REALLY WELL (the monsters are beautifully designed!!!) and I'm a fair fan of mecha Anime so that was pretty cool too. I *really* liked the story behind why there's two pilots, though I saw the Idris Elba's story coming a mile away from his introduction.

I really, really, really want the story of the Russians. They piloted their Jaeger for SIX YEARS. They were there from the beginning. With such a high fatality rate, that is AMAZING and deserves a full story in itself.

I would love a whole bunch of prequels to fill in all the stories. I want to see the first attack as a movie, culminating with the false sense of resolution, the six months of peace. I want to see the pants-shitting fear as the second one came, after everyone thought it was a freak one-time thing.
Bob Dole!! Bob Dole. Bob Dole! Bob Dole. Bob Dole. Bob Dole... Bob Dole... Bob... Dole...... Bob...


ParagonWiki
OuroPortal

FatherXmas

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,646
  • You think the holidays are bad for you ...
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2013, 12:00:59 PM »
Like I said, it would make a great anime series from first encounter to this movie.  They could have gone into the Jaeger program, all of the previous encounters, all of the pilots, all of the Jaegers, what ever political wrangling that went on to cause the abandonment of the Jaeger program for the wall, when they discovered the rift, previous attempts to close it.  I see 100-150 episodes easy.
Tempus unum hominem manet

Twitter - AtomicSamuraiRobot@NukeSamuraiBot

Tenzhi

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,677
    • My DeviantArt Page
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2013, 08:23:48 PM »
My review:

Pacific Rim was an excellent movie that could've been better. It had better pacing than most Japanese kaiju movies, but while the fights were good they could learn a few things from the aforementioned movies about properly showcasing the action - I mean, it wasn't as bad as the shambling mounds of metal fighting in Transformers, or the shaky close-ups of Batman Begins, but it could've been better.

The various human stories going on didn't drag on too long, and the bits with the scientists were fairly entertaining. None of it interfered overmuch with the giant robot versus giant monster battling.

Some of the monster designs were cool (I think my favourite was the sort of crab-like thing in the Japanese girl's flashback) and I liked the robot designs. Both could've been showcased a bit better (the monsters in particular), and the monsters could've used more colour and variation in texture.
When you insult someone by calling them a "pig" or a "dog" you aren't maligning pigs and dogs everywhere.  The same is true of any term used as an insult.

goodtime

  • Boss
  • ****
  • Posts: 170
    • my videos
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2013, 09:57:06 PM »
I disliked it intensely.   There is no story; it's a loose connection of vignettes designed to take you through emotional flip-flops until they get to the good stuff, and even the good stuff was disappointing.  So much idiocy and so many cartoonish - in a bad way - characters.

I gave it four stars on IMDB. 

FatherXmas

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,646
  • You think the holidays are bad for you ...
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #9 on: July 15, 2013, 10:47:07 PM »
What ticks me off is there should be toys in the stores.  Kaiju and Jaeger alike.  Not the inevitable $350 Sideshow Collectables, toys, for kids.  Already in the stores now that the movie is out, not the holiday season, NOW.  I should be able to watch kids have Kaiju/Jaeger battles in sandboxes and playgrounds.
Tempus unum hominem manet

Twitter - AtomicSamuraiRobot@NukeSamuraiBot

Golden Girl

  • One Liners and Winky Faces
  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,242
    • Heroes and Villains
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2013, 11:59:50 PM »
Surprising things that Pacific Rim's box office teaches us:

1 - Michael Bay is one of the most popular directors in the world

2 - Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox are two of Hollywood's leading actors

3 - The Transformers brand has a pull and cultural impact that dwarfs Star Trek, James Bond and DC, and rivals Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel and Lord of the Rings.
"Heroes and Villains" website - http://www.heroes-and-villains.com
"Heroes and Villains" on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeroesAndVillainsMMORPG
"Heroes and Villains" on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Plan_Z_Studios
"Heroes and Villains" teaser trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnjKqNPfFv8
Artwork - http://goldengirlcoh.deviantart.com

Tenzhi

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,677
    • My DeviantArt Page
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2013, 03:34:04 AM »
There is no story;

Did you sleep through the story and only open your eyes during the fights or something?
When you insult someone by calling them a "pig" or a "dog" you aren't maligning pigs and dogs everywhere.  The same is true of any term used as an insult.

Aggelakis

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,001
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2013, 04:16:39 AM »
I disliked it intensely.   There is no story; it's a loose connection of vignettes designed to take you through emotional flip-flops until they get to the good stuff, and even the good stuff was disappointing.  So much idiocy and so many cartoonish - in a bad way - characters.

I gave it four stars on IMDB.
I agree with Tenzhi. I think you must have been looking at your phone or something during the exposition parts. There was plenty of story. There was a lot more fighting and explosions than story, but that's what you get in giant monster vs giant robot movies. But there was plenty of story. There was enough story there to make me want to know more.
Bob Dole!! Bob Dole. Bob Dole! Bob Dole. Bob Dole. Bob Dole... Bob Dole... Bob... Dole...... Bob...


ParagonWiki
OuroPortal

Aggelakis

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,001
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2013, 04:18:16 AM »
I fired up ICON when I got home to try and make the Russian pilots with their face plates & suits. Got pretty close but forgot to take screenies. lol

(I might be slightly obsessed with the Russian pilots.)
Bob Dole!! Bob Dole. Bob Dole! Bob Dole. Bob Dole. Bob Dole... Bob Dole... Bob... Dole...... Bob...


ParagonWiki
OuroPortal

The Fifth Horseman

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 961
  • Outside known realities.
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2013, 06:50:28 PM »
Not bad for some action-over-brains entertainment.
Also: Ramin Djawadi's soundtrack. As bloody good as the one in Iron Man, if not better.
We were heroes. We were villains. At the end of the world we all fought as one. It's what we did that defines us.
The end occurred pretty much as we predicted: all servers redlining until midnight... and then no servers to go around.

Somewhere beyond time and space, if you look hard you might find a flash of silver trailing crimson: a lone lost Spartan on his way home.

FatherXmas

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,646
  • You think the holidays are bad for you ...
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #15 on: July 16, 2013, 10:05:03 PM »
Not bad for some action-over-brains entertainment.
Also: Ramin Djawadi's soundtrack. As bloody good as the one in Iron Man, if not better.

I've been watching Game of Thrones (half way through season 3 now) and it wasn't till last night when I looked of the who scored it and then found out he did Iron Man, Pacific Rim and Person of Interest among others and was blown away.  Why haven't I noticed him before now?  Damn.
Tempus unum hominem manet

Twitter - AtomicSamuraiRobot@NukeSamuraiBot

JanessaVR

  • New Efforts # 12,000!
  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 815
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #16 on: July 18, 2013, 03:45:51 AM »
I expect I'll catch this in a few years, when it's free to stream on either Netflix or Amazon Prime and I need some background noise on a Saturday afternoon while housecleaning - it kind of strikes me as that kind of film.

As for giant robots...I liked Evangelion immensely, but that was actually a drama series with a dysfunction junction cast of characters, themes of syncretic mysticism, (possibly) old conspiracies, and occasionally esoteric existentialism that just happened to have giant robots fighting Lovecraftian aliens as a framing device.

This film, however, seems to star...Fantastic Special Effects!  Oh, and I think there were some people in it, too, but they didn't look that important.  At least that's the impression I got from the trailer I saw.

Aggelakis

  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,001
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #17 on: July 18, 2013, 04:53:35 AM »
Yes, the central premise of the movie is the robots vs kaiju. I mean. Duh. lol

But it's done beautifully. And waiting for it to be background noise on the tiny screen is doing yourself an injustice. It's not going to transition well.
Bob Dole!! Bob Dole. Bob Dole! Bob Dole. Bob Dole. Bob Dole... Bob Dole... Bob... Dole...... Bob...


ParagonWiki
OuroPortal

batqueen

  • Boss
  • ****
  • Posts: 128
  • [flap flap]
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #18 on: July 19, 2013, 05:13:19 PM »
Having watched Godzilla and anime for many years, I have No Problem with giant monsters and robots. Got to see it yesterday, in 3D. It was awesome, I waited 6 months for this to come out. It'll have to hold me until Godzilla comes out next year. Hope they do as well. And the scene with the little girl running down the street in front of the terrible huge sky-filling beast- how do you get a little kid to cry as hard as that? I hope they haven't gone back to the "I'll shoot your dog" tactic like they used on  Jackie Cooper in the 30's. (And no, I don't actually believe they have.) Funny seeing Perlman cut his way out at the end, yelling for his shoe. I would have sworn that wasn't survivable, but hey, it's Ron Perlman, so that's different. If anybody could make it, he could.

Golden Girl

  • One Liners and Winky Faces
  • Elite Boss
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,242
    • Heroes and Villains
Re: Pacific Rim Review (Spoilers)
« Reply #19 on: July 19, 2013, 07:01:44 PM »
Funny seeing Perlman cut his way out at the end, yelling for his shoe. I would have sworn that wasn't survivable, but hey, it's Ron Perlman, so that's different. If anybody could make it, he could.

He'd have been well prepared for it, because he knows that war never changes.
"Heroes and Villains" website - http://www.heroes-and-villains.com
"Heroes and Villains" on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeroesAndVillainsMMORPG
"Heroes and Villains" on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Plan_Z_Studios
"Heroes and Villains" teaser trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnjKqNPfFv8
Artwork - http://goldengirlcoh.deviantart.com