Pacific Rim (2013)

Here, the Jaegers glow almost... angelically.
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Pacific Rim is a big-budget, high-voltage action blockbuster done so damn right,
and it is, most undeniably, a lot of fun! This is a genre film masterfully crafted with earnest love and enjoyment, and Del Toro's appreciation of the genre is wonderfully infectious. 

Del Toro meshes fantasy, sci-fi, monsters and robots seemlessly into an endearing and entirely entertaining work of art. If one has seen the Oscar-winning Pan's Labyrinth, one would already be too familiar with Del Toro's boldly nuanced palette and his uncanny knack for visual spectacles.

In contrast, the Kaijus look entirely demonic. Some people may see profound poetic imagery, I see darn good CGI.
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 From the cuts of the sleek body suits to the mechanical designs of the robots, every detail is tendered with meticulous attention and artistry. Although the substance here is perhaps not deeply profound, I don't see a pointless Summer-flick.

I see a labour of love and refreshing creativity.
I see imagination of a whole other dimension and of a scale never before seen, and I am not referring to the distortions of 3D. *Sigh* We're not having this conversation again.

My point is, all that a story-teller truly needs is a passionately realised vision. A film that is self-convicted, and yet spirited and not self-important is a fine example of such magnificence.  

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Action. Reaction. Bigger Action. More Reaction. That is precisely how Del Toro paints his epic fight scenes.

 There's a particularly effective low-angle shot where the audience hides in a corner and observes a giant humanoid robot lift its feet almost rhythmically to avoid crushing  parallel highways, flashing neon lights, and seemingly miniscule palm trees. It is this same rich imagery and visual clarity that makes the battles so engrossing, so enticing and so very involving. With such resolute coherence, you know exactly who pulled what punch and whose limb was severed as a result.

 Most importantly, the grandness, audacity and excitement heighten with each successive frame, and whilst  we are only too sure of a typically sappy denouement, the stakes escalate to a feverish pitch as the bashing gets gritty, and the robots get down and dirty.

I live in Sydney, I could be deported for not including this shot. Then again, that would imply that this blog actually has significant influence, which... *Sigh*.

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Rinko Kikuchi gives the film a nice dropkick of gumption and human interest; her ass-kicking dominance in the sticks combat scene is particularly impressive. Idris Elba has that indescribably strong presence, and his imperative "TODAY WE ARE CANCELLING THE APOCALYPSE" is as bad-ass and memorable as it is unimaginative.

Charlie Hermann is, well,  the muscular white lead that every mainstream American action film needs. That sounds rather spiteful, what I really mean is that he is perfectly adequate. Plus, he and Kikuchi have great chemistry, and - to some extent - their relationship is admirably quirky.




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It has taken aeons to write this review because, as cliche as this may sound, Pacific Rim is grander than the sum of all its parts, including the epic and operatic score, and more than anything, it is infectiously fun!

Once and for all, Del Toro proves that fun is not synonymous with stupid by default.

Love y'all.