Film Review: Pacific Rim 2D

Original films are incredibly hard to come by in the blockbuster season. Usually, blockbusters are based on a book, a comic book, a superhero, they're a sequel, a prequel, a reboot, a parallela-quel, a spin-off. Blah blah blah. Enter Pacific Rim. Conceived in the mind of master storyteller and world-builder Guillermo del Toro, Mexican director of the 2 Hellboy films, Pan's Labyrinth, Blade 1 and 2 etc.

Pacific Rim shows a world devastated by aliens that have entered not from space but from an underwater portal in the Pacific Ocean. These aren't regular aliens. These are kaiju, the Japanese term for monster. They're huge, beautifully designed creatures that create truly stunning visual spectacle. To fight the monsters, every nation on earth rightfully came together to create jaegers, or hunter in German. Jaegers are massive robots, piloted by two humans who are mentally linked, sharing each other's memories and thoughts. Now, if giant monsters versus giant robots doesn't grab your attention, then you're boring and no fun at all.

Pacific Rim is brilliantly entertaining, though takes a while to get in its stride. Some character building and slightly hard-to-distinguish-between-monster-and-robot battles, and we slow it down, learning more and more about the main protagonist, Charlie Hunnam's Raleigh Beckett. The story as a whole is clearly a love letter to monster movies and world-ending disaster movies such as the classic Godzilla films and other Japanese monster movies of the 50s and 60s. One of the main things I loved about this film was the emphasis on the whole world coming together to save the day, and not just a plucky American with a fighting spirit.

Visually, this is stunning, although slightly dark and a tad too fast at times, making me slightly glad I didn't pay that little bit extra for 3D. There are several stand out sequences, particularly the second act in Hong Kong which excels in both truly emotional storytelling, where we learn the reason behind Idris Elba's Stacker Pentecost (HOW F***ING COOL IS THAT NAME) and Rinke Kikuchi's Maki Mori's relationship; and also some truly awesomely cool shots. I mean, wow. Just, yeah....amazing.

All in all, however, the best thing by far about this film is Idris Elba. Stacker Pentecost is about one of the best names for anybody, not just a movie character, anybody, ever. And Elba brings the thunder, delivering potentially cheesy lines with aplomb and so much fun that you can't help but sit back and enjoy the ride.

Pacific Rim truly is one of those rare gems that is original, but oh so familiar, and oozes with cool and style. Best scene is either a flashback involving a young Mako Mori, or a simple yet genius visual gag involving a Newton's Cradle. That's all I'm saying.

I'd highliy recommend this movie if you simply enjoy great entertainment. It's not going to win any Oscars, but it feels like a quintessential 4-star blockbuster.

Score: 8/10