Starring Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Making a $190-million Hollywood movie that is not a sequel or based on an existing franchise is a tough sell. Nobody knows this better than Guillermo Del Toro. The Mexican filmmaker is no stranger to critical acclaim (Pans Labyrinth, Hellboy 2) but massive box office success eludes him.
Therefore, its no surprise his latest monsters vs. robots epic Pacific Rim is a gamble. Based on a story from Travis Beacham, the sci-fi action adventure begins with a concise prologue gargantuan inter-dimensional aliens have been unleashed from a portal deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, and mans only hope for survival is to defend the planet using gigantic, human-powered robots, piloted by two people whose minds are joined in a neural bridge.
The action in Pacific Rim is staggering but well-composed; unfortunately, the movie comes up short in the human emotion department.Special effects-driven sequences have never looked better; Del Toro stages some truly breathtaking scenes and captures the scale and scope of the dueling titans seamlessly. However, the flick gets bogged down by clunky, heavy-handed dialogue reminiscent of Top Gun, a clear sign it was catered to 12- to 15-year-old boys. The characters are so hollow, even Charlie Hunnams intensity and Idris Elbas magnetism cant rescue the lukewarm script.
Its an above average summer popcorn movie that ends up feeling a little generic, something Del Toro fans will find disappointing.
