Pacific Rim (2013) Review

A high budget love letter from director Guillermo del Toro to Japanese science fiction cinema, this story of giant monsters and titanic robots failed to light up the domestic box office. Yet it was far from a failure becoming a massive hit worldwide. Aimed squarely at twelve year olds (including inner ones), a simple heroic story told mainly visually also targets the human heart despite being a brutal slugfest. Beautiful to behold, packed with action, and supported by a good cast it is a whole lot of fun.

A last minute decision was made to add this review to my Halloween lineup since it was time for a giant monster movie in the rotation. Featuring kaijus (giant monsters) fighting with mechas (giant robots) rendered with the most modern of effects, it certainly fills the bill. Also, I love this flick and wanted an excuse to do a full review of its Blu-ray release. Thanks to a large amount of extras, it turned into a Herculean endeavor.

But hey, better to go large, right? Speaking of which…

Pacific Rim launches straight into a prologue packed to the gills with action and information narrated by a rueful voice looking back at the events. Set in the near future, a huge amount of exposition both verbal and visual comes at the audience at a furious rate. In summation, giant toxic monsters have emerged from a dimensional rift called the Breach in the ocean floor of the Pacific, towering robots were built in an international effort to stop them, and humanity thought they were winning.

This data overload is presented in the form of news clips, flashes of monsters called the Kaiju (Japanese for giant beasts) trashing cities, and scenes of Jaegers (German for hunter) being built. Not only does it set things up, but the montage gives glimpses of Kaiju and Kaeger designs that didn’t make the final cut. More interesting is that del Toro did not direct this portion of the prologue. Not one to use the “found footage” or pseudo documentary style, he instead assigned it to a trusted friend and was delighted with the results.

It has been awhile since I’ve seen a big budget movie dare to start in the middle of a story and while it might not be what people are now used to, I’ve always felt that it adds to the suspension of disbelief. After all, most of life is about wandering into a situation as it messily unfolds rather than being there from the beginning.

With the setup explained the movie really begins.

Dropped into the middle of a war success has bred a sense of security to the point of toys being made of the Kaiju, we are shown a pair of brothers who pilot one of the jaegers, Gipsy Danger. Due to the deadly strain of the Jaeger Program’s cybernetic interface on nervous systems, the load has to be spread to two pilots and this becomes a major plot point. Not everyone is compatible, so Raleigh (Charlie Hunnam) and Yancy (Diego Klattenhoff) Becket being brothers make them an easy team.

That’s important, because once connected, the pilots enter something called “the Drift” which is where their minds and memories mix together. They get completely into each other’s heads, so there is no such thing as privacy. All of this is conveyed with a minimum of dialogue, setting a precedent in the movie of blazing through explanations without slowing down.

Rather than directing a stream of words at the audience, much is told through actions. Watching the brothers suit up and prepare for combat explains more than having a scientist drone on at length about how things work like how a 1950’s movie would. Of course, they didn’t have the budget or effects to pull this off either back then.

Not only are their nervous systems connected to the Jaeger, they are physically connected through attachments to their arms and legs. Much like a controls for a robotic arm are used, they make the metal behemoth move through great effort. This is an effective visual device allowing the audience to believe that the pilots really are making the robot move.

The Becket’s are put on alert from their base in Alaska to defend against a Category 3 Kaiju codenamed “Knifehead” by command. Kaiju are so destructive that they are numbered the way tornados or typhoons are. They could be considered natural disasters from another world.

Ordered to protect Anchorage, the cocky brothers disobey orders to rescue a small fishing boat. Off the Beckets stride into a tempest of freezing rain in an impressive display of effects. They also walk into a brutal battle that costs the life of one of the siblings and marks the turn of the war into a losing fight. There is no pulling of punches in the visceral fight and it evokes the feeling of despair well without being maudlin.

Five years later we see the fate of Raleigh, the narrator of the beginning and sole survivor of the battle at Anchorage. Emotionally damaged by directly experiencing the death of his older brother through the Drift, he’s now a welder eking out an existence by working for food rations on an enormous containment wall being built to keep the Kaiju out. His dreary existence is interrupted by the appearance of his old commanding officer, Marshall Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba).

The Jaeger Program has been shutdown in favor of the coastal walls, however there is a short period before it’s final and Pentacost has a plan. But he needs a pilot who can handle an old Mark 3 jaeger and since Raleigh is the only one still alive he’s first in line. A bleak choice of where to die during the end of the world is offered since the same kind of wall has just failed to keep out a Category 4 Kaiju in Australia.

A shift in setting takes us from the cold gray of Alaska to the cold gray of Hong Kong’s Shatterdome, or Jaeger base. Arriving in rain, Pentecost and Raleigh are greeted by a very serious young woman with an umbrella, Mako Morie (Rinko Kikuchi). Director del Toro loves umbrellas, so this was his excuse to have some in the movie. Seriously.

Something to keep an eye out throughout the film is the use of colors to represent characters and their emotional state. Another example of using images to convey information, the color coding won’t be noticed until it’s pointed out to you. Consider yourself now informed.

Immediate tension can be detected between the lovely Mako and Raleigh, albeit not necessarily the positive kind. Yep, they are meant to come together by the end and blinking neon signs stating this would be more subtle. I did like how she tried using Japanese to make a critical remark about the former Jaeger pilot to Pentecost only to find out Raleigh can speak the language too.

She isn’t the only character introduced to Raleigh. Foremost amongst the motley group are the two mad scientists of the movie, Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) that attracted a lot of complaints in Web forums. The duo are stereotypes and highly annoying to many viewers. It may help understanding that you can’t have a proper science fiction B-movie tribute without at least one over the top mad scientist.

Here we get two, each representing a different type. Newt is the modern brash American geek type radiating insecurity and hostility. Gottlieb is the older British type absorbed in the beauty of numbers. They exist to supply exposition and to torment each other. Oh, and lest I forget, provide comic relief.

Next in importance are the father and son team of Herc (Max Martini) and Chuck (Rob Kazinsky) Hansen. Once again contention is at the heart of a pair and in this case the ugly variety that can only happen between family members. They are the pilots of Striker Eureka, the “first and last Mark 5” Jaeger built for speed. Holders of the most kills by a Jaeger team, the Hansen’s and Striker are the key to Pentacost’s plan.

Briefly seen are the mysterious Russian duo of ambiguous relationship, being male and female. Manning the brutish Mark 1 Cherno Alpha, their presence is a very physical one. They get few lines in the movie, but at least they fare better than the Chinese triplets who crew the local Jaeger Mark 4, Crimson Typhoon.

Two old friends are there to greet Raleigh, so not everything is strange for the returning pilot. Ops Tendo Choi (Clifton Collins Jr.) is there from Alaska to once again run the control room. The other old friend can’t speak but has had a looming presence in Raleigh’s life. Okay, that wasn’t as cleverly worded as it should have been, so I’ll cut to the chase: it’s Gipsy Danger. Having been salvaged and later rebuilt by Mako, she needs a crew.

An elaborate sparring sequence is used to break up all the special effects while giving Raleigh a chance to evaluate potential partners for Drifting. Overseeing it is Mako, whose attitude prompts him to insist on her proving her combat skills. The martial arts dance that follows causes direct conflict with the Marshall. It soon becomes apparent Pentecost is hiding more than a few secrets.

 

Speaking of secrets, while taking notes for this review, I discovered something unusual. It appears that Raleigh is a Free Mason due to the symbols in his personal photographs. This is something I missed the first time I saw the film in the theater. Given del Toro’s attention to detail, this is no accident. What does it have to do with the story? I have no clue.

The Drift takes center stage and two different uses of the technology have serious consequences. A frustrated Newt does the unthinkable  while Pentecost gives permission to Mako to attempt to pair with Raleigh. With this sequence of events, it becomes clear that personal relationships between people is a subtheme of the film though it is drowned out by the spectacular action that most will remember after watching.

Since entering the Drift reveals all, Mako’s past is exposed to Raleigh and the audience when she gets trapped in her own memories of the destruction of Tokyo years before. A Kaiju called Onibaba rampaged through the streets, orphaning the little girl (Mana Ashida) while following the tradition of Tokyo stomping. Surprisingly emotional, the scenes are right out of a child’s nightmare and successfully evoke the helplessness one would feel if a gigantic monster was chasing you.

This is one of the better parts of the movie, perhaps even the best. I’m amazed at the amount of tension it generated and both Japanese actresses give great performances that felt raw. Little children would freak out in a very bad way watching this scene, so parents be aware this is not kid friendly like Godzilla movies.

In order to keep the things from being nothing but tension, comedy relief is inserted. Thankfully, it is the kind that actually move the plot forward and gives us Ron Perlman having way too much fun. His turn as Hannibal Chau, an underworld kaiju remains dealer, is ridiculously enjoyable. Flashy, arrogant, and abusive (with a touch of insecurity), Hannibal is the perfect foil for the unstable Newt.

The new setting introduced is anything but gray and injects a jolt of color into Pacific Rim. Dubbed “the Bone Slums”, it is a Hong Kong area built on the poisoned soil where a Kaiju fell in death. Brightly signed, it reminds me of Blade Runner’s street scenes to some degree.

Of interest to me is the temple built from the skull of the dead Kaiju. It was the director’s plan to show the interior, but financial limitations nixed it. Still, it adds to the story that locals have turned to worshipping the monsters believing they are a punishment for mankind’s actions. Attention to detail pervades the movie, making the impossible seem plausible.

But back to the story. Raleigh is determined that Mako will be his copilot no matter the near disaster their first try was. Having been inside her head, he knows the trauma that haunts her and believes she can be saved. His angry attempts to convince Pentecost to allow her to pilot with him provides one of the best moments of a superior officer laying down the law I’ve seen in a movie.

Symbolism fills the visual experience of Pacific Rim with a quiet moment of Raleigh expresses his trust in Mako to her as an excellent example. In the background is the nuclear reactor heart of Gipsy Danger being exposed just like Raleigh’s. By the way, keep an eye open for colors associated with specific characters, not just overall moods.

With only four Jaegers and one of them half crewed, things are not looking rosy for the heroes. Of course that means something big is about to happen, so it is no surprise when two of the largest Kaiju ever detected head toward Hong Kong.  Only partially prepared, the meager human forces ready for battle. Will they be enough to save the city and will Pentecost's desperate plan save humanity?

One thing is sure, there will be enough bashing, stomping, and brawling to make any big monster movie lover happy.

Thoughts

This movie is the ultimate example of a good B-movie. A simple story told in straight forward fashion with likeable characters and absolutely fantastic action make it thus. Dedicated to Ishiro Honda and Ray Harryhausen, the movie is clearly inspired by their great B-movies.

Not only is Pacific Rim a science fiction, kaiju, and mecha movie, it is also a western, a World War II, and a sports movie. Being a work of love by Guillermo del Toro, he blended his favorite genres growing up into the movie. No wonder it is so much fun and connects to the inner child.

The director is like the kid in the neighborhood who is cool because he had all the best toys, but in this case also had the biggest imagination. We’re the lucky ones who get to come over and play with him. That’s what it feels like to watch this movie.

CGI effects finally have proven they can render gigantic robots and monsters convincingly. The attention to physics, specifically how things with great mass move, really makes the jaegers look and feel as if they could be real. Sometimes computer generated effects fail to give a proper sense of scale, but here everything feels as big as it should.

Besides revitalizing the kaiju genre, another goal of del Toro’s was to present a story of uncomplicated heroism where humanity comes together in cooperation. The last time he remembered clear lines dividing good and evil was during WWII and so the movie has nods to the time. For example, Gipsy Danger is painted a shade of blue and wears nose art much like a F4U Corsair or F6F Hellcat in U.S. Navy service in the Pacific Theater. There’s more to it than that, but I don’t want to spoil everything contained in the extras.

There are relatively few films that truly benefit from being on the large screen. This is one of those rarities thanks to the immense size of the Jaegers and Kaiju. It was also one of a very few that was superb in 3D. Consequently, I was afraid it wouldn’t have the same impact in 2D on a smaller screen.

That worry turned out to be baseless since the 2D version is even better thanks to being able to see every detail in the background of scenes. One thing 3D does is soften or blur the backgrounds to make things “pop” more. In fact, Pacific Rim looks like a piece of art in motion in 2D.

Which brings me to something I realized while watching it a second time. The flick looks like a 1980’s fantasy magazine come to life. As I watched, I thought it was reminiscent of something from Heavy Metal or Epic Illustrated. So it was no surprise to hear the first mentioned as an influence in the extras. It really is a gorgeous spectacle to behold.

Enough with that, what about the human element?

Most of the acting is good to excellent, with the exception being the mad scientists. They were primarily one note characters so be prepared to be annoyed by them. It is the direct contrast of them with the other roles that make them grate so much, I think.

Charlie Hunnam is rock solid as Raliegh, the honest and straightforward hero of the story. He’s the burnt out retired gunfighter brought out of retirement to join the team just in time for the playoffs. Yeah, mixing metaphors is a big part of this movie, so don’t blame me for that sentence. His accent slips only here and there, but overall he’s convincing as the American representative.

Rinko Kukuchi was a big surprise to me, since I’d never seen her in a movie. She’s quite the actress and excellent as the tortured Tokyo survivor. There’s never any doubt she can play with the boys, but the wounded little girl does peek out from time to time. Hopefully she’ll get more work in the West after this.

Idris Elba, what can I say? His Stacker Pentecost is the kind of officer one would follow to Hell and back again. Not only does he convey the strength required to shoulder the weight of the world on his shoulders, Elba also manages to be a believable father figure deeply concerned about his charge. Never once do you think of the actor behind the character, only that the character is real. That’s real acting, folks.

Max Martini also gets in a terrific performance as Herc Hansen, career military man and failed father. There’s an incredibly well done scene with Robert Kazinsky playing his son that is utterly convincing which added a lot to the film in my opinion. Having another back story only partially show is a clever way to make things more plausible. How often do we get the full story on things happening to coworkers and acquaintances around us?

Therein lies the secret to why this is a good movie and it isn’t the visual effects. The performances of the actors and the relationships between the characters are what make the film live. In the small space afforded them, there is development for all of the mains. Yeah the film is about robots and monsters beating each other to death, yet the human element is always present. In fact, it colors every fight shown if you pay attention.

I’ve repeatedly mentioned how visual the movie is and in the process neglected to report on how outstanding the sound is. From the sound effects to the effective use of surround sound, it is an auditory experience that nears the visual in impact. Your subwoofer will get a workout from the bellows of the monsters and bone crunching impacts.

Ramin Djawadi’s score is hard driving with the main theme for Gipsy Danger standing out from the other motifs thanks to the electric guitar underlying the orchestral instruments. There are also moments that sound like a sonic nod to Akira Ifukube’s dark passages from the Godzilla series. It was good enough that I bought the CD.

Pacific Rim is rated PG-13 for mild profanity and intense science fiction violence. I’d add to that the monster gore including internal organs and skeletons borders on R. That said, the kaiju are sufficiently unreal that it doesn’t seem that gory. There is some human blood, but not excessively amounts. I’d advise this movie only for children in the double digits of age up because it will frighten the wits out of little ones.

I recommend the movie to Godzilla fans, giant robot lovers, science fiction film buffs, and anyone who enjoys heroism with no gray areas. This is a tremendously fun film that feels much shorter than its two hour plus running time. I’m sure it will become a loved cult movie as the years go by despite its poor reception in the United States.

Technical

The review is based on the Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD edition released by Warner Home Video. The packaging has a nifty lenticular depiction of Gipsy Danger alternating with a kaiju for a 3D effect on the sleeve. Little Mako is present in both scenes, which is kind of odd. Inside the case are three discs, two Blu-rays and one DVD. The second BD holds a wealth of extras.

According to the packaging, the movie is presented in 1.85:1 ratio, but that was not the case when I played it back on two different players. In reality, the film is in 1.78:1 ratio or 16:9 that fills the entire HDTV screen. I’m assuming it was cropped from the theatrical version or that this is the Imax version directly transferred. The latter is more likely since digital Red Epic cameras were used to “film” the movie and 1.78:1 is one of its native formats while 1.85:1 is not.

No matter the case, the visual quality is amongst the best I’ve seen on a Blu-ray. Colors are vivid as can be plus everything is clear as a photograph. The screenshots can only hint at how good it looks in motion and it now goes alongside Zulu for Blu-rays to test HDTVs for picture fidelity for me. The DVD is as good as that format allows, but this needs to be seen in high def.

Audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio with separate English tracks for 5.1 and 7.1 surround. Regular Dolby Digital surround is used for the French, Spanish, and Portuguese dubs. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The mix is very well done with clear dialogue no matter how noisy the action and proper use of all speakers in a home theater setup.

An amazing bounty of extras is included across the two Blu-ray discs. The DVD only contains one, the director’s commentary.

On the movie disc, the extras are:

Audio Commentary by Guillermo del Toro – Filmmaking 101 for people who want to make science fiction or fantasy action movies. So far this is the best director’s commentary I’ve listened to. Every motivation for why something was done in the movie is explained and a great deal of film making theory. Guillermo’s enthusiasm and love for the material makes this even more enjoyable.

Focus Points – An hour plus of short segments, thirteen in total, that cover every aspect of making the movie. Design, filming techniques, special effects, and interviews with the cast are included for a good look at what went on behind the scenes. Of note is how physically grueling the filming was for the jaeger pilots. Like the movie, it is all in 1080p HD.

The Special Features Blu-ray disc contains:

The Director’s Notebook – A fancy interface laid out like a journal taken from del Toro’s notes lets you click on items to bring up images, translations, and videos on different topics. Unused ideas are part of the charm of delving through the featurette and deeper explanations of much of the symbolic visuals make some things unexplained a bit clearer.

Drift Space – This short feature explains the images seen in the different Drift scenes from the movie. Lots of omitted backgrounds on the main characters is revealed here, demonstrating the attention to detail that pervaded the production. One of the more interesting one’s explains Newt and might cause some viewers to be less annoyed by his character. Maybe.

The Digital Artistry of Pacific Rim – A 17 minute look at designing and rendering the computer generated effects that make the movie go. More about design concepts and execution than the technical end of creating the effects, it is a good look at the process.

The Shatterdome – Like the Jaeger base of the movie it houses a wide array of things including animatics used to prototype scenes, design drawings and sculptures of the largest stars of the movie, and costume designs. Most of it is in slideshow format, but the animatics are, of course, animated. It is always interesting to see how things changed from original idea to final production.

Blooper Reel – Flubs, prop malfunctions, and a whole lot of being silly demonstrate just how loose a set this was. It is a wonder Perlman and Day made it through any scene together if what we see here is any indication.

BEWARE! HERE BE SPOILERS!!!

 

 

 

 

 

The sheer brutality of the Hong Kong harbor fight is as impressive as it is long, going on for about 20 minutes. I found it curious that the Chinese Crimson Typhoon goes down first, but it was painted red after all. The red shirt theory of survival applies here, eh?

Despite all the Kaiju and Jaeger brawling, my favorite moment from the first half of the fight has to be when Herc decides to “do something really stupid.” Somehow it fit the Australian character to a “T” to take a flare gun up against a 200 foot tall monster. Even better, they actually injured one of Leatherback’s eyes!

The most Godzilla like part of the film is the battle between Gipsy Danger and Otachi. It’s very reminiscent of 1990’s Godzilla movies right down to the kaiju revealing it can fly. Otachi is the most impressive of the monsters due to a lot of features, including how it took the nastiest beating of the movie and kept going.

Now that’s how to quietly insert a product placement. I never even noticed the Qualcomm Snapdragon logo on the display when I saw it in the theater. The fight in the upper atmosphere was pure anime in influence. That frame on the right reminds me of Gundam more than anything else, though another anime imported into the States does come to mind…

Secret power up/weapon used in desperation? Check. Big sword pulled out by big robot? Check. Amazing visual of monster being cut in two? Check. Voltron would be proud.

Best kill of the movie by far.

You know how it is said the young of any creature is cute? Not true as grubs and baby Otachi prove. I have to admit in a movie that isn’t meant to be original, this was a surprise. Everything about it was nasty, including its deaths. Yes, deaths.

The goodbyes between parents and children added some needed weight that the last mission was a life or death gamble. Some excellent acting by all four actors involved illustrate how words are not necessary for a good performance. Most movies would have stretched the dialogue out unnecessarily to the detriment of the emotions.

Things unsaid almost always carry more weight than things said, in my opinion. That is the human condition, perhaps a tragic one. The Hansen’s scene is believable, because that’s how men are when they talk about things that matter. It simply rang true.

Slattern was an interesting name to give to the first and last Category 5 Kaiju. I guess after Otachi’s unexpected preganancy the reputation of the female Kaiju went downhill with the humans. Much larger than the previous ones, she was the obligatory last minute surprise to foil the heroes’ plans. Nearly every action movie has this now and it felt a bit flat.

The inside of the Breach reminded me a lot of V’ger from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Like all things related to the Kaiju, it looked very organic and very blue.

The Anteverse and the Precursors who created the Kaiju were both suitably alien. Gravity was as strange as the distorted atmosphere and it looked like they were somehow siphoning off energy from a star with a captive black hole. Freaky and unearthly, I liked how disturbing it appeared

Gipsy Danger assuming the crucifixion pose was no surprise given imagery del Toro has used in previous movies. Battered and torn the robot makes the final sacrifice to save humanity. Yep, blatant Christian imagery here.

The ending of the film was very anime like with a chaste embrace between Raleigh and Mako. Storyboards had them kiss originally, but del Toro didn’t want romance in the film despite all the setups laid earlier.

Notice how the sun is now shining upon our heroes. Some people speculated online that the movie took place in the rain to cover up the quality of the special effects, but it wasn’t the case since the opening montage showed Kaiju in daylight. Instead it is more visually symbolic filmmaking showing that a new day has dawned and the darkness is over.

Another thing to check out the helicopters flying in the double “V” formation. WWII victory imagery inspired this, no doubt.

Like a lot of movies these days, there is an extra scene after the first section of credits. The presumed eaten Hannibal Chau is alive and angrily looking for his missing shoe.

Yeah, del Toro would like to do a sequel and we’d have to have Perlman back for that wouldn’t we?