'Pacific Rim' (2013) - Guillermo Del Toro's Mecha VS. Kaiju film.

[Hemisphere]

I think they're referring to when Pacific Rim finally opens in Japan.

[LoweGear]

Cherno No! ;-;

[Helius]

Follow up


Translation:

Otachi: Oi! Flat chest outta way!!
Crimson: Pu!
Cherno: Hey Crimson, what're you laughing at?!

[Magin]

So I ended up seeing Pacific Rim yesterday, at the earliest showing the theater had due to having other stuff to do later in the night. There were only a few others there besides me which isn't surprising... but anyways, here's my personal review of the film (I'm assuming I don't need to put this stuff in spoiler tags)

First and foremost, I only knew about this film due to this thread. I think I had seen one advertisement for the film ages ago, and I got the initial impression that the movie was simply about giant robots and high tech sci-fi stuff. Which isn't bad, but I'm not that much of a fan of mecha anime, so giant robot movies do even less for me. Instead, I was in for the kaiju and the giant mecha battling against them.

And since last night I spent far too long going through every single page of this thread... well, I have comments in reference to certain posts, but I'm too much of a lazy bastard to go back and quote every single one, so I'll try to keep things as generalized as possible. Such as the fact that this movie wasn't so much 2.5 hours long, but rather, a little over 2 hours (131 minutes was the official listing, and 2.5 hours is 150 minutes... just one of many things that I'm going to be anal about ). And maybe because I've gotten so used to 90-minute films, there was a certain point when the movie started to drag, but I'll get to that later.

So for the movie itself... as many have pointed out, there were definite vibes a certain anime series. It started out as Evangelion with the nerve links and the way the suits linked to the pilots, and the whole dual pilots thing... if that's not a direct reference in one form or another to that twin angel in one episode of Evangelion, then I don't what is. Afterwords, when we see the kaiju getting smarter (which to me wasn't really a surprise... the enemy getting smart seems to be a given in every single plot now), it felt like it was going Attack on Titan mode. Then after that, the whole movie just spiraled into the Independence Day plot. Please note that I'm not saying any of this is bad, it was all very enjoyable. But originality... as soon as I felt all the above vibes, I just turned off by brain and enjoyed the battle sequences. Which, IMO, were F*CKING AMAZING (well, once the Jaegers stopped getting completely trashed by the kaiju).

Now, the characters themselves... Beckett himself was, as one poster put it, the White Guy lead. Which is precisely the role he was supposed to fill- the lead character go has just enough of a troubled past, then goes in and kicks kaiju ass all over the place. As for Mako and Pentecost... well, I'll be the first to admit that throughout the entire movie, I just thought of Pentecost as the Marshall, since I missed when his actual name was given . I think that these two characters were more memorable because they had a much more involved past than Beckett did, between Mako seeing all of Tokyo be destroyed and Pentecost coming in to rescue, plus the hints that their father-daughter-esque relationship throughout the entire movie. Actually, to be totally fair, the least memorable character throughout the entire movie for me was Herc's son. I think the sacrifice at the end was intended to make him more memorable...

Speaking of Mako, she was by far my favorite character in the entire movie... this may possibly be due to the fact that I have a thing for East Asian women, specifically Japanese ladies I do hope that Rinko Kikuchi is seen more often from here on, whether in State-side movies or Japanese ones (granted, the latter might be hard for me to find, considering I live all the way on the East Coast of the US). Mana Ashida, as pointed out, did a wonderful job as well, and I think I'm going to have to find more films that she's in (on a mostly-comical side note, I am not a lolicon, unlike certain other forum members i know of). But otherwise, I need Moar Rinko Kikuchi. NAO.

Now to the fights and the kaiju vs. mecha. You could definitely feel the large scale of these epic battles, and as the movie progressed, I almost started to cry manly tears at these epic fights. The plasma cannon, the chainsword (I practically went fanboy apeshit when they brought out the chainsword, especially when the one kaiju was completely skewered down the middle)... although I will admit that when the last stand in HK was made, I was going "Where's Gypsy Danger and Mako (and Beckett, I suppose...), bring them in NAO!!!!" Then when they bring in the boat as a weapon, I practically lost it (and this happened before the chainsword too!). I also giggled a little bit with the arm just stopping before it hit the desk, and then seeing those ball thingies (I forget their exact name) started moving.

Now, maybe it was because I had to use the restroom but refused to leave my seat... but after that epic HK fight, the movie felt like it dragged. Which is funny, because every single movie I watch, it feels like it drags just before they go into the final battle of the movie. I recently re-watched Star Wars IV... and in the hangar scene before the the final battle against the Death Star, that portion felt liked it dragged. So maybe it's just me. And with Pentecost and Herc's son ( it's so bad I don't even remember his name, just that he was a complete dick for 90% of the movie )... yeah, my Independence Day radar was going completely berserk (even if it was a sort of reverse situation). As I mentioned before, it felt like that sacrifice was to make him memorable, and for me, it actually worked. That is, if you ignore the whole fact that "wait, you mean these mechs have escape pods? then why the Hell did Eureka Striker not eject the kid (you already knew Pentecost was living on borrowed time)??? Pentecost was just going to blow up Striker anyways, and could've piloted it solo long enough to get the kid out of there!" But, I suppose that the heroic sacrifice made them both memorable.

So overall, and excellent movie that had shitty marketing, but I'm going to definitely buy on BD when it comes out. Actually, in terms of marketing... well, I find the following hysterical and WTFish at the same time- the Lone Ranger is bombing, but is getting the hell marketed out of it, while Pacific Rim is doing the exact opposite (granted, I haven't seen Lone Ranger). I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that the biggest names in Pacific Rim were Ron Pearlman (someone get him his goddamn shoe! In fact, before I saw the mid-credits scene, I was complaining "Ron Pearlman... you just don't eat that guy, dammit! Then in the mid credits, thinking "Oh Shit, it's still alive/there's going to be another kaiju somehow"... well, I practically fanboy orgasmed as Hannibal cut his way out), and Charlie Day (heck, I don't watch Philedelphia myself...). Then you have such movies as Lone Ranger, RIPD, and Grown Ups 2 with the big name stars, and they're in terrible movies... I think Hollywood is starting to depend way too much on big-name actors to sell shitty movies (I make an exception for Despicable Me 2, because it has Steve Carrell and I loved that movie, even if it is an animated kid's movie technically).

As for a sequel, as some have been mentioning, for more broadly, Pacific Rim 2... it would have to be a prequel. Unless I missed something, it sounded like the breach was a lucky accident, and the kaiju masters didn't come through simply because it was the wrong timing and environment for them (on a side note, the whole Kaiju masters + Newt doing the link once agai sent my Independence day radar into berserk mode), not because they themselves made it. And since the breach was destroyed courtesy of Gypsy... once again, I don't see how a sequel is possible, unless of course the masters can in fact create their own rift, and then we start going down the mecha-godzilla route. Which, between that and the Mecha Musume fanarts I've seen posted several times now, are a case of DO NOT WANT, especially for this movie.

So, overall, it was a relatively simple movie plotwise that was entertaining and fun to the max, and depending on how long in stats in theaters, I might just go see it again, but I'm otherwise definitely buying the BD of this when it comes out. (And I still want moar Rinko... I'm a Japanophile in so many ways and will fully admit it )

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Magin

As for a sequel, as some have been mentioning, for more broadly, Pacific Rim 2... it would have to be a prequel. Unless I missed something, it sounded like the breach was a lucky accident,

doesn't seem like it was a accident.

[Kyero Fox]

What if the Kaiju were just trying to prepare for the REAL threat? :O

[Mr. DJ]

Originally Posted by Kyero Fox

What if the Kaiju were just trying to prepare for the REAL threat? :O

Gurren Lagann? ;o

[Waven]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

doesn't seem like it was a accident.

Definitely. That thing being DNA coded to only let Kaijus through makes it impossible for it to be a natural phenomenon imo.

On another note... anyone dare to open a thread for "Atlantic Rim"? - search on youtube for anyone who hasn't seen the trailer yet .. I know mockbusters aren't anything new but it's still ridiculous.

[DonQuigleone]

Saw the film today and greatly enjoyed it. However I think Mana Ashida's performance deserves special mention. Her performance was by far the best in the film. I really could feel her fear, terror and sorrow while she was on screen. Almost cried, in fact.

I'd vote for her performance to be best supporting actress any day.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

Saw the film today and greatly enjoyed it. However I think Mana Ashida's performance deserves special mention. Her performance was by far the best in the film. I really could feel her fear, terror and sorrow while she was on screen. Almost cried, in fact.

I'd vote for her performance to be best supporting actress any day.

in that case, help her out by tackling SaintS and keep him away form her.

[LoweGear]

The Official CANCELING THE APOCALYPSE Music:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/UhE42Noj1Lw

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

Saw the film today and greatly enjoyed it. However I think Mana Ashida's performance deserves special mention. Her performance was by far the best in the film. I really could feel her fear, terror and sorrow while she was on screen. Almost cried, in fact.

I'd vote for her performance to be best supporting actress any day.

Yeah, the funny part is she barely has a word of dialog, it's all facial expression and wordless sounds. I didn't think "child actor pretending' for even an instant, more like a documentary of an actual child trying to survive in a city under horrific attack.

[GN0010 Nosferatu]

http://mirada.bluegouda.com//images/...ages/prg23.png

A nice full shot of Romeo Blue. Unsure of the source. I saw posted at another forum along with other pictures that werent familiar.

Here are more I saw.

http://mirada.bluegouda.com//images/...s/PacRim10.jpg

http://mirada.bluegouda.com//images/...s/PacRim11.jpg

http://mirada.bluegouda.com//images/...es/PacRim8.jpg

More can be seen here: http://mirada.bluegouda.com//images/pac-rim-images/

[KiraYamatoFan]

Originally Posted by Magin

Speaking of Mako, she was by far my favorite character in the entire movie... this may possibly be due to the fact that I have a thing for East Asian women, specifically Japanese ladies I do hope that Rinko Kikuchi is seen more often from here on, whether in State-side movies or Japanese ones (granted, the latter might be hard for me to find, considering I live all the way on the East Coast of the US). Mana Ashida, as pointed out, did a wonderful job as well, and I think I'm going to have to find more films that she's in (on a mostly-comical side note, I am not a lolicon, unlike certain other forum members i know of). But otherwise, I need Moar Rinko Kikuchi. NAO.

You won't need to wait for that long. Rinko Kikuchi will feature in 47 Ronin (opening in theaters at Christmas) alongside Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cari-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Tadanobu Asano and Kou Shibasaki. The trailer came out a few days ago.

Someone previously wrote that Asian audiences that Rinko is not that popular with Asian audiences because she's not a C-cup nor has an A-level face, but rather has the looks of the girl next door. Seriously, I am of Asian descent and I don't see anything wrong if an actress has the looks of a more normal woman. I have eyes for some actresses based in North America and Europe, but some of my favorites are Charlize Theron and Zoe Saldana because their girl-next-door looks make the charm.

The fact that Rinko made it through without meeting the stereotypical standards in Asia (nor a number of standards from North America) is all credit to her. After Pacific Rim, I think the door is now wide open for her to make a name here just like after Ken Watanabe made his mark with his performance as Lord Katsumoto.

[Magin]

Wait... there's going to be another version of 47 Ronin? (granted, I haven't seen any of its current adaptations). That plus Rinko being in it... that's my Must Watch for the Christmas season.

[Guido]

Last week's Friday, I went to watch Pacific Rim with my friends, and guess what?

This week's Friday, I also went again to watch the film on cinema all by myself, which it's extremely rare for me see the same movie twice on cinema. All I have to say that the movie itself delivers what promises and makes your money well spent.

For us in México, our fascination with anime and many Japanese series dates back to the 1970's. By the 1980's, we could say we were humble but hungry importers of not only anime but also Kaijuu films and Ultraman movies. I recall in my early childhood days that a few of my local channels displaying from time to time Godzilla or Gamera films dubbed in English. Our fascination with the giant-mecha genre stems from a single robot that grasped our imagination: Mazinger Z.

You wouldn't believe how Mazinger Z became such a big hit in Mexico back in the late 1980's, and I bet my two cents that in other parts of Latin America it also garnered a tremendous fandom.

Del Toro doesn't simply nailed right playing with our feelings of nostalgia, but he also immerses us right into the pilot's cockpit feeling the raw power of metal versus monster's flesh on live.

I do not know how our Japanese counterparts are going to take the film, but life has always told me to keep my expectations low, and so I will. Because I read in an article, that Japan's fascination for kaijuu and mecha represents more than just a metaphor but a battle of ideas: the giant robots are the embodiment of mankind's technology while the kaijuu are the embodiment of the forces of nature, or how nature itself has been influenced/changed by mankind's technology. Furthermore, I didn't know until now, but the early Godzilla films made back in the middle 1950's were meant to target an adult demographic and never were originally intended for child audiences. Godzilla became an ultimate metaphor and embodiment for Japan to cope with the horrors, pain, and trauma inflicted on them at the closing days of World War II, or at least, that's what I understood.

Likely or not that Japanese audiences will undoubtedly have the impression that this American film is just a pure monster mash; all brawl and fighting between giant robots and monsters, and not delivering a sort of fighting and embodiment between ideas. Nevertheless, I don't doubt that the film itself will manage to garner some fandom in Japan.
In fact, the anticipation for the fim's release is garnering some fandome and some support in Japan.
http://sgcafe.com/2013/07/metal-gear...s-praise-film/



Magin put it very clearly and bluntly in his review about the characters and relationships. IMO, Mako and Pentecost are superb characters particularly given the shared past that connects them both. Chuck Hansen is a moron for most of the film, and he only works for me when he interacts with his father, Hercules Hansen. Moreover, in anyway I do not feel or think of Herc Hansen being or becoming a stand-in or fill-in to Pentecost. Because, the film shows that Herc pretty much respects Pentecost and both share mutual trust and friendship. Before Herc succeeded Pentecost's position as Marshal at the end of the film, he was Pentecost second-in-command and right-hand man.

As far Pentecost comes, he's the man that takes the ugly job onto his shoulders and bears the brunt of the responsibility of taking charge and making life-or-death decisions for the entire resistance; the story of his life. He's not a rambo, but an average Joe encouraging and pushing all his team to the limits to make known that the threat is not only real but have to stand their ground against it in order to do whatever it takes for them to cancel the forthcoming apocalypse in the film.

Now, the Jägers! To me Gypsy Danger's design is sort of reminiscence to Tetsujin-28 Go (IronMan 28); love that anime. It was the first one of the giant-mecha genre.

I mean there's a lot of references and homage that could I find in the film:
1. Independence Day
2. Transformers
3. Clash of the Titans (The original one)
3. Godzilla and other Kaijuu films
4. Evangelion (cosmetic and superficial, IMO)
5. Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse
6. Mazinger Z (Gotta love the elbow rocket)
7. Shingeki no Kyojin (That last one are actually coincidences not references, which I would gladly post about them later at the Shingeki no Kyojin thread)
... And there's still more.

To sum it up, Pacific Rim to me is plain fun, is plain good, and is plain executed. The fights in Hong Kong were top-notch, and if Del Toro had allocated more budget and up ten more minutes of film shooting, then the fight against the three Kaiju in the Pacific Floor at the movie's climax would have been more paced and more dramatic.

Gotta love the Main Title theme song; I just can't stop listening to it over and over!

[KiraYamatoFan]

Originally Posted by Magin

Wait... there's going to be another version of 47 Ronin? (granted, I haven't seen any of its current adaptations). That plus Rinko being in it... that's my Must Watch for the Christmas season.

It's more of a stylized version of the story, but it looks promising. Unless I'm mistaken, Rinko plays the role of the witch in green who serves Lord Kira.

[LoweGear]

Images

CHERNO ALPHA

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[Hemisphere]

Originally Posted by Guido

I do not know how our Japanese counterparts are going to take the film, but life has always told me to keep my expectations low, and so I will. Because I read in an article, that Japan's fascination for kaijuu and mecha represents more than just a metaphor but a battle of ideas: the giant robots are the embodiment of mankind's technology while the kaijuu are the embodiment of the forces of nature, or how nature itself has been influenced/changed by mankind's technology. Furthermore, I didn't know until now, but the early Godzilla films made back in the middle 1950's were meant to target an adult demographic and never were originally intended for child audiences. Godzilla became an ultimate metaphor and embodiment for Japan to cope with the horrors, pain, and trauma inflicted on them at the closing days of World War II, or at least, that's what I understood.

Likely or not that Japanese audiences will undoubtedly have the impression that this American film is just a pure monster mash; all brawl and fighting between giant robots and monsters, and not delivering a sort of fighting and embodiment between ideas. Nevertheless, I don't doubt that the film itself will manage to garner some fandom in Japan.

I don't remember who pointed this out, but one reviewer noted that the swathes of destruction the kaiju left in their trail were inspired not by 911 but by the devastation brought about by the Katrina hurricane and the Tohoku earthquake. Which seemed apt, as the movie made an analogy to the kaijus as forces of nature running amok (in Raleigh's monologue during Gipsy's sortie in the prologue).

That main theme is just freaking awesome. Tom Morello being a part of it helps out a ton.

[Guido]

Originally Posted by Hemisphere

I don't remember who pointed this out, but one reviewer noted that the swathes of destruction the kaiju left in their trail were inspired not by 911 but by the devastation brought about by the Katrina hurricane and the Tohoku earthquake. Which seemed apt, as the movie made an analogy to the kaijus as forces of nature running amok (in Raleigh's monologue during Gipsy's sortie in the prologue).

That main theme is just freaking awesome. Tom Morello being a part of it helps out a ton.

Interesting.

I also have some other share of information.

According to interviews given by Del Toro, he made Pacific Rim to mean not only a tribute but also poem to Kaijuu films, or maybe to the Kaijuu themselves.