Stream of consciousness…go!
Wow wow wow. Pacific Rim exceeded my expectations and then some. Guillermo del Toro has crafted the ultimate modern monsters versus machines movie here. I was absolutely blown away by the special effects, the art direction, and of course, Ramin Djawadi’s impressionable score. (I am running out to get the soundtrack now.)
The big battle sequences are well constructed as the scientifically enhanced Jaegers prove to be formidable opponents to the otherworldly monstrous Kaiju. Obviously del Toro owes inspiration to classic monster movies like Godzilla (in fact, he dedicates the movie to Ray Harryhausen and Ishirō Honda, pioneers of the genre) and it certainly invokes nostalgic thoughts underneath all that metal and monster guts. The heavy duty battles were so much fun to watch, as was the intimate yet powerful human vs. human fight sequence between leads Charlie Hunnam and Rinko Kikuchi. (And speaking of the cast, I gift honorable mention to Charlie Day and Burn Gorman who played a bizarre coupling of scientists with contagious wit and charm.)
What really had me gasping in excitement were the hard sci-fi elements incorporated into the film. In the future, humans will invent a way to create a neural bridge between minds: cool! And on top of all the flashy gizmos and Jaeger-bombs (heh, get it?) del Toro managed to weave an deep mythology concerning the Kaiju. Where exactly do they come from and why are they being sent to Earth to destroy mankind (and previous to this, the dinosaurs)? It’s all intriguing stuff and he’s left some questions unanswered and hopefully they will be addressed and padded with more Kaiju/alien mythos in the next one (yes a sequel is in the works).
Overall, Pacific Rim is a massively fun thrill ride packed with truly epic action sequences and curious mythology. Del Toro let his imagination run wild and the result is nothing short of awesome. When it ended, I felt a charge of electricity run through my veins–I still feel amped as I’m writing this! As a fan of monster movies and the hardcore sci-fi genre, this one sits near the top of the heap.
Side note: It’s best seen in IMAX 3D; the larger screen, the added depth and perspective, the bigger sound–this movie is meant to be experienced in the highest quality theatre.
Oh, and Idris Elba’s “cancel the apocalypse” speech will never get old.
