Pacific Rim

Been a mad few days here in the Kiwi capital.  

Since Friday, central NZ has been enjoying multiple earthquakes of mostly low intensities until Sunday and the arrival of both a 5.7 MM, and later a 6.5 MM quake.  This has been mine and Carys' first taste of such phenomena, and what started out as novelty did turn a tad more serious as parts of the city were closed for 24+ hours as windows smashed, pipes burst, and roads cracked.

We were the lucky ones by comparison; bookshelf toppled over, few ornaments/ boxes and art tools smashed.  In fact the lives most affected in our apartment were those of my transformer collection, which unsuspectingly received a elbow drop from the aforementioned wardrobe.

Seriously... I've only just finished putting the Dinobots back together again...  that's what one should expect when living on the fabled "ring of fire" which circles the Pacific rim...

Yes, yes I DID just do that.... and on to the "jump!"

First, I like big robots; specifically Cybertronian ones, but as I kid I had a soft spot for Gigantor, The Orbots, and even the Dinozords from those early Power Ranger episodes. Second, I like "DaiKaiju" (giant monsters), specifically Godzilla and have happy memories of Ray Harryhausen's Kraken.
Thirdly, director Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, HELLBOY) has a good reputation both for creating wonderfully detailed visual worlds, and as a storyteller.  3 good reasons for someone like me to strap on a pair of 3D glasses, and strap into my cinema seat for 131mins.  Mind you, Hollywood's annihilation of my childhood in the form of Michael Bay's talent void, and my recent "meh" experience seeing MAN OF STEEL has made me wary of running to the big screen to embrace my young loves again... but gosh darn it there was something about this flick that just made me so curious!
Also, Mrs T would normally run a mile from reasons 1 & 2, but I guess the chance to forget the rumbles under us, and the lure of a lazy boy chair meant that her steady exposure to geekdom would continue another round.

Quick rundown: Giant monsters (Kaiju) appear in the Pacific via an underwater rift in space & start attacking Earth's shores, the world's nations build giant robots (Jaegers) to fight them but start losing.  Fast forward to 2025 and a jaded ex-Jaeger pilot is brought out of exile to aid the 4 remaining Jaegers in a last ditch attempt to win the war.

I have one simple question in my head after seeing PACIFIC RIM: why oh why is this film not doing better in the "Domestic" US market?  Seriously now, I have just sat through 2 hours of solid storytelling and a cast of plot relevant characters (all acted convincingly) who either develop over to course of the film or just help provide comic relief that doesn't get in the way (yes, even the the two scientists.. though I thought it'd be "touch and go" at first).  Also, this is all wrapped up in a blanket of brightly coloured explosive special effects and giant robot vs giant monster slugfests to keep any blockbuster seeking no-brainer happy.

Don't get me wrong, the only mainstream awards this film might ever win would be design and effects based ones (it looks amazing), but it is actually a rather good sci fi story which explores several differing sci fi themes and ideas, and weaves then in together brilliantly... and it does so with a good dose of heart that has you genuinely interested in the cast's well-being.

Ideas such as "Drifting", the means by which two pilots control their Jaeger by sharing minds/ memories, and it's effect on both cast and the plot is used very successfully (Mako's back story isn't exactly original, but in this film it is hugely effective).  The history and reason of the Kaiju invasion is solid and with nice touches.  All the main performances are full of belief and you support them the whole way (the exceptions being the cartoonish Russians and the stereotypical Chinese, but you get the chance to feel for them too.. well the Russians anyway).  The Kaiju are a genuine threat; powerful, frighteningly relentless, and at times seem (particularly "Knifehead" in the first battle) scarily cruel.  Their design, though not hugely colourful, is wonderfully alien yet you can see the clear links or inspirations designers sought from our animal kingdom.  So much obvious creative detail has gone into this movie, and ALL of it overseen by ONE director.. not a few different units.

Even Mrs T, who has struggled to stay awake through every one of the original trilogy STAR WARS movies, admitted that despite expecting to hate PACIFIC RIM, she came out surprised that she actually liked it.  Apparently I still owe her one though....

Final point: This film hit No#1 around the world when released, is taking good money internationally, and has yet to open in China and Japan... but it will be judged on it's American "Domestic" release which started at #3 and from there I read it's struggling.  Hopefully "word of mouth" and good reviews will shake the people who wasted their money on a uncaring MAN OF STEEL to get up and go see sci fi metal that actually wants to save the world.