Movie Review: Pacific Rim: Uprising

Before I proceed with this review, you must be warned dear reader that I am a  big fan of the first movie and consider it one of the films that I can watch again and again. So much of this review will have comparisons with the first movie. 

Going into the movie, I knew it was going to be very different from its predecessor; with (now Academy Award Winner) director Guillermo del Toro stepping away from the helm (although he does serve as a producer). The trailers alone showed a lighter cinematography and feel for the movie, a far cry from the darker and grittier first film. 

With the breach destroyed and "the Apocalypse" cancelled, Pacific Rim: Uprising begins in a more peaceful time, where on duty Jaegers' missions are to contain rogue Jaegers (yes, that's a thing now) -yup! No Kaijus here!   

We first meet Jake Pentecost (John Boyega)-the son of Idris Elba's Marshal Stacker Pentecost from the first film. You know he has "Daddy Issues" since he makes a living off bartering old Jaeger tech for hot sauce (?) and other curious items. Also, what's up with the English accent? Stacker Pentecost didn't have that. 

In a Jaeger Tech pick up gone wrong, Jake crosses paths with Amara Namani (Cailee Spaeny) a feisty mechanic with trust issues. 

The two make a reluctant and unlikely pair and are shipped to "Jaeger school" with Jake resuming his former occupation of a Ranger and is assigned to train young cadets. All this as part of a deal of not throwing him in jail, for you know stealing Jaeger tech. This new assignment also means reuniting with his old rival Nate Lambert (Scott Eastwood) who can't keep the disappointment from his well chiseled handsome face.  

Meanwhile, Amara is in Jaeger highschool, which is complete with the Russian bully and the friendly Asian kids. I just have to point out that there are too many of these young cadets, you won't really remember any of them and as a member of the audience, you are unable to form a bond with any of them. It becomes pretty obvious that the powers that be are looking to target (and market) the film to a younger audience and fanbase, something which del Toro's first film failed to do. Of course a younger market, inevitably translates to merchandise and sales. 

 And why not-if my son wants a Gypsy Avenger figure, I'd get him one, I just have to make sure his father does not play with it first. 

While our young cadets train to pilot Jaegers, the threats start to creep towards our unsuspecting heroes; beginning with a move to completely eliminate the need for drift compatible pilots and instead have the Jaegers controlled remotely through a drone technology. After a rogue Jaeger attack opens up a can of worms, a plot twist within a plot twist keeps the audience guessing-then and only then do we finally see that Mecha-Kaiju showdown we've been waiting for! 

Going into the movie, my expectations were pretty low considering Guillermo del Toro was no longer on the director's chair and keeping in mind that this sequel almost never happened! I'm just happy that I get to see Jaegers and Kaijus battle it out on the big screen again. There were some improvements, I did like that most of the battle scenes were now during the day, so you can actually see them, as opposed to the night time sea battles of the first film. Just wondering how come the buildings seemed to shrink in the second film? I seem to remember the Jaegers being as big, if not bigger than buildings from the first film. 

Wasn't so happy with the hit and miss comedy delivered by John Boyega's character. I was happy with Cailee Spaeny's performance, it was really impressive how she carried herself alongside more experienced actors, definitely someone to look out for, if she plays her cards right. 

Despite a painfully necessary first act with cliche characters and a predictable plot for a sequel, this is just to set Jake Pentecost in the story. "Pacific Rim: Uprising" shifts gears and goes full throttle for a massive Mecha-Kaiju showdown, because isn't that what the people came to see?

Appreciated the plot twist, within the plot twist , which was probably what kept the movie interesting, aside from you know-the giant robots and monsters fighting.

6.5/10 - Bringing a different tone and feel than its predecessor, Pacific Rim: Uprising is a must see for fans of the franchise and a chance for kids (and the big kids) to marvel at a genre that has been around since the 1950's.

Movie News: “PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING” RECRUITS PILOTS FOR JAEGERS IN NEW COMMERCIAL

What is a Jaeger? It’s you, times a thousand. Now accepting pilot applications in the newly released commercial for Universal Pictures’ upcoming epic action-adventure Pacific Rim: Uprising.

Check out the commercial below and watch Pacific Rim: Uprising in Philippine cinemas February 2018.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uipmoviesph/videos/1629856477088746/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/ZIK7W22-6v0

In Pacific Rim: Uprising, it’s been ten years since The Battle of the Breach and the oceans are still, but restless. Vindicated by the victory at the Breach, the Jaeger program has evolved into the most powerful global defense force in human history. The PPDC now calls upon the best and brightest to rise up and become the next generation of heroes. When the Kaiju threat returns, we will be ready.

Directed by Steven S. DeKnight, Pacific Rim: Uprising stars John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Tian Jing, Charlie Day, Adria Arjona, Burn Gorman and Rinko Kikuchi.

Pacific Rim: Uprising is distributed in the Philippines by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Pacific Rim's Japanese influences: Paying homage to good old Mecha

Going through Twitter yesterday, I saw some tweets about Pacific Rim that was pointing out (complaining) how 'Japan' was not that too pronounced in the film. Given that the concept of humans piloting huge robots or mecha and battling monsters from the sea is straight off a Japanese show - whether anime or not. (Ultraman, Godzilla, Daimos, Evangelion and of course Voltes V- the list goes on and on.) 

Apparently even the presence of blue-streaked bad ass chick, Mako Mori was not enough for them. Yeah some people really need more of their Japanese fix. So for those of you who are still looking for that Japanese feel in the movie here are some things to get you going. 

The photo above is by Metal Gear artist Yoji Shinkawa who drew the poster for the Japanese RealD 3D release of Pacific Rim. In the illustration, Jaeger - Gypsy Danger is standing over a defeated Kaiju. 

Pacific Rim director Guillermo del Toro, personally asked Shinkawa to draw the poster. 

East meets West: Pacific Rim director Guillermo del Toro gives a 'Japan-Japan' with Metal Gear Artist Yoji Shinkawa. 

Here are Yoji Shinkawa's thoughts on Pacific Rim: 

"I have never imagined that I would be fortunate enough to see a film like this in all my life. The emotional rush I had inside me was the same kind I had when I felt outer space via '2001: A Space Odyssey' and when I touched a dinosaur in 'Jurassic Park'. Animation and special effects movies and shows that I loved in my childhood days - they all exist in the screen.

Director Guillermo del Toro offers this spectacular vision of massive kaijus and robots in Pacific Rim. This film is not simply a film to be respected, but most importantly, it lets us dream the future of entertainment movies. Pacific Rim is the ultimate otaku film that all of us have always been waiting for. Who are you, if you are Japanese and won't watch this? 

I hope you would accept this international love letter that had traveled across the Pacific, written by Director Guillermo del Torro. 

       

While here are other thoughts from well renowned Japanese personalities in the Japanese Animation world. 

Go Nagai, (Mazinger Z, Devilman, Cutey Honey) said "I was overwhelmed by the intense Kaiju Vs. giant robot action. It was fun!" 

Evangelion character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto has compared the film to a satisfying feast with the  the best prime cuts from Japanese tokusatsu (special effects) and anime.   

The video above is a special feature on the inspiration and design of the Jeagers (giant robots in the film). "I was very influenced by anime, the anime of my youth - Tetsujin 28. I really assembled a group of designers who really knew and loved anime." Says director Guilermo del Toro.  

Check out the video above and see the Japanese equation in Pacific Rim! 

Movie Premiere: Pacific Rim: Monster Mecha Movie with Heart

Rain or shine. Jaegers are coming! 

Feel free to proceed: SPOILER FREE Movie Review :) 

In the future, from  deep within the Pacific monsters christened as Kaijus (Japanese for Large Monster- in homage to Godzilla) emerge to wreck havoc, destroy cities and claim lives. 

The human race fights back by creating monsters to fight monsters. The Jaegers (German for Hunter) and after years of battling Kaijus, resources and time has just about run out --- 

The first time I saw the trailer for Pacific Rim a few months back, I dismissed it as being another Summer Block Buster wanting to cash in on the same graphic galore and effect studded Transformerish genre that was sure to spell "Summer Box Office Success". As the months to its release approached I was drawn to the movie and was really curious about it - curious enough that when Pizza Hut announced via Twitter that they would be giving away two tickets to the premiere of Pacific Rim I put out all the stops to win those tickets. 

After burning my fingers from tweeting non stop and because of my fish oriented tweet I did win the two coveted tickets to the premiere of Pacific Rim, which was held a little while back (July 9, 2013) at Greenbelt. 

The Premiere was made possible by Pizza Hut, Berocca, National Bookstore, 711 and with it's media partner RX93.1 and Warner Brothers Philippines. 

There was the customary games before the movie and still no luck with the prizes ~still didn't get that Palm Card. :(

On to the movie.... 

What makes Pacific Rim different from all the Transformer and Godzilla movies is that alongside all the metal and the monsters, the film also looks into human connections, the bonds between people. The bond of a brother to a brother, a father to a son and even the bond that courses through people who are not biologically related. 

Drifting. Because Two is better than One. 

In Pacific Rim, people just don't get into robots, pilot them and save the day. It is much more complicated than that. Director Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) wanted to explore the possibility of having two people pilot the Jaegers (the robots in the movie) but for these two people to be able to pilot the Jaegers they have to be able to share their mind and their thoughts with each other. In the movie, the concept is known as drifting. 

The movie reaches out to the young child in all of us that marveled at giant robots fighting evil monsters. It differs from a lot of big guns and big robot flicks because Pacific Rim puts a lot of heart into the equation of robots and monsters and this is exactly what director del Toro did. In a recent interview he said that he took the extra effort not to make Pacific Rim into another summer blockbuster. 

Wait. What? 

del Toro didn't want to have majority of the movie basically be all about 'blowing things up and things crashing into buildings' and indeed it was more than that, I for one never thought that I would cry in a mecha movie, but there I was tears rolling down my cheeks behind my prescription glasses which was behind the 3D glasses. 

Check out the Trailer below! :)

Another unorthodox summer movie ingredient that del Toro did not want in his recipe was the sexy girl in short shorts, tank tops running with her long hair swaying as bombs exploded behind her which was Transformers' director Micheal Bay's formula and which ultimately catapulted Megan Fox to her fame (but wasn't enough for her to keep her job, but that is another story). Even if del Toro did not want a sexy girl running around on screen, girls can still look forward to girl power in the form of Mako Mori. 

del Toro wanted a female lead who was 'an equal force to the male leads' and not just another pretty face to look at and Rinko Kikuchi (Babel) really delivered as the revengeful rookie with cool blue highlights. 

Blue Highlights and mean Jaeger Skills. Mako Mori.