As you may or may not know Pacific Rim is about giant robots fighting giant monsters. Which, some would say, makes this film "critic proof". But personally I don't think that any movie is truly "critic proof", and those who do are typically just frustrated and/or lazy critics themselves. Because regardless of a film's subject matter there are always many ways to take a film genre into a new direction. In the giant-monster genre alone many filmmaker have taken the formula into new and bold directions. Peter Jackson tried to make a giant ape boring in the 2005 King Kong remake, Frank Darabont tried to cause a mass suicide with his ending to 2007's The Mist, Roland Emmerich tried to fit as many climaxes as he could into Godzilla 1998, and Gareth Edwards tried to kill the genre altogether by making 2010's Monsters.
So what is Guillermo del Toro's take on the giant monster franchise? Well, to put it simply, to bring back the cheesy over the top action films of the 80's and 90's. And does he do it? You are damn right he does! Pacific Rim is big, dumb, fun, and all the other adjectives used to describe movies I hate. But I didn't hate this movie, not at all. Pacific Rim was one of the most enjoyable films of the summer and I had a blast watching it. Because this isn't just your ordinary summer blockbuster. This film is something more.
Not much more, but at least something more, and something more is better than nothing. But before I get into why I hold this movie in higher regard than it's counterparts I would like to say that the visuals are stunning and the movie is worth seeing for the special effects alone. Anyway, what really made this movie so special was its absolute devotion to being as cliched as it possibly can be. I don't mean to say that this film is generic because it certainly isn't. Pacific Rim just uses countless cliches straight out of the book of 80's action flicks. Its actually really endearing how many there are. I am serious when I say that they would legitimately have to try to write a script this bad.
The characters are all archetypal and the dialogue is typically atrocious. But its done with such sincerity that it comes across as both adorable and unintentionally funny. Which is really the best way for shtick like this to come across, if you ask me. The plot makes no sense really, but there is no real reason to question it the plot holes because the movie and subject matter are so ridiculous that the story is mostly just built on plot holes and soft science.
All that might sound like this movie falls into the "so bad it's good" category. But really it doesn't. The film has so much about it that is good that it makes the horrible script seem like the icing on the proverbial cake. The cast is good, the action is great, the camera work is spectacular, and their are these little bits of world building that bring the whole thing together (Like a city built around a corpse of a Kaiju). The two leads are weak but not enough to take you out of the movie. Really, they are a perfect example of what the movie needed to push it over the edge from fun and above average summer blockbuster to cheesy action classic. Pacific Rim is missing that ray of cheesy brilliance out in the forefront. All of the best stuff is tucked away in the background. Charlie Day and Ron Perlman (along with the really interesting pieces of set-dressing) are hidden in the interesting sub-plot of the Kaiju "sub-culture".
Pacific Rim needs that rocking theme song, that great one liner, that over the top lead actor; something to take it over the edge. But it doesn't have it. The score is generic, the Charlie Hunnam is generic, and there is no great one liners in sight. Which leaves me with a fun summer blockbuster from a great filmmaker, that doesn't live up to it's potential. But then again this movie is about giant robots fighting giant monsters so who the fuck cares.
-SP McDonald
