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Robots. Ever since mankind first conceived of the world-changing potential that machinery could bring to our lives, and the first time that said conception took the form of mechanical or artificial beings, robots have been firmly rooted in our collective pop culture consciousness. Whether we’re talking about Isaac Asimov’s infamous 3 Laws of Robotics, Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, C-3PO and R2D2 from Star Wars or even killer machines like Ultron or the Terminator, we love robots. They’re a reflection of ourselves after all, a fledgling race that we created, just as some people believe we were created. We are their God, and whether we treat them like slaves or otherwise, tells us much about how we treat ourselves and the world around. Is it any surprise there are so many stories about killer robots?
Nowhere else in the world is man’s love of robots more evident than in Japan, where the sci-fi subgenre of mecha (giant robots that are piloted or otherwise controlled by humans) has become synonymous with pop culture in the country. Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam, Macross, Voltron, every sentai team (the basis for Power Rangers in the U.S.), Zoids, hell even Spider-Man had a giant robot when he was imported to Japan. They have that shit down on lock, as much as the U.S. does superheroes and Scandinavia barren landscapes. You can’t beat them, they’re the best there is.
So it was in 2013 when Guillermo del Toro, director of Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy and others, decided to craft his love letter to giant creatures of all kinds with his film Pacific Rim. In the not too distant future, an interdimensional breach causes the arrival of giant monsters, or kaiju, which begin to destroy civilization as we know. As military forces reveal themselves woefully inadequate for defense, the governments of the world come together to create a new, more powerful weapon: Jaegers, gigantic robotic death machines that are controlled by teams of pilots sharing a mental link. For a while, the Jaegers are a terrific success, and humanity breathes a sigh of relief that they get to live again. But as the kaiju get stronger, the supply of Jaegers and able pilots gets smaller and smaller. With only four Jaegers left in the world and the strongest monsters yet to come, it’s about time for Earth to take the fight to the kaiju.
Pacific Rim doesn’t really do anything that we haven’t seen before. All the characters are archetypes (the stern general with a heart of gold, the dick, the female love interest), the story goes through the same beats we’ve all seen hundreds of times, and you could probably guess the ending about 30 minutes. In that regard, the movie is painfully average, and in this film’s two hours I had trouble even remembering the protagonist’s name much less really care about an arc I’ve seen played out before. Even the inclusion of Idris Elba and Charlie Day doesn’t bring that much to the table, just a competently performed version of that type of character.
What Pacific Rim gets right, and what the latest Godzilla failed to grasp is the action. Del Toro is a very visual director, especially when he has the budget for it, and since he didn’t have to worry about crafting much of a story, it left him plenty of time to focus on the special effects. To this film’s benefit, because this movie looks awesome. The pilot suits, the Jaeger designs, the bizarre Kaijus (not nearly as diverse as Toho’s monster gallery, but serviceable), the comic book style lighting, it all looks and sounds exactly as it should. When they get to the fighting (yes, a giant monster movie with giant monster fights, instead of Bryan Cranston’s wooden plank of a son), the movements of the Jaegers and the Kaiju have just enough weight to make them really seem like beings of immense size without sacrificing speed or the ability to throw bastards 10 football fields away. It’s fun and exciting, and luckily enough del Toro knows enough to give us plenty of it.
Maybe there’s nothing very horrific about it, but Pacific Rim is a popcorn movie done right, and there are plenty who have gotten it wrong. If you’re taking a break from the scares this Halloween, try this one on for size.
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