Pacific Rim |OT| Apocalypse Never

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Futurevoid said:
Man of Steel is a movie that desperately wants to show you Superman cutting loose without being burdened by retelling his origin because the creators thought the audience was tired of sitting through that. When they couldn't find a way around it, they tried to short cut it through half-assed flashbacks and internal conflicts that never materialize in any meaningful way. It ends up feeling like two tonally different films by the end. With the last third being a completely exhausting exercise in blowing shit up without any level of audience buy-in.

"You came to watch Superman beat the ever loving shit out of Zod? Right, we'll get there but we have to TRY and give this all meaning and make it feel like more than what it is. It has to be a character examination tied up into conflict resolution tied up into the real move we want to make. Superman fucking shit up!"

Pacific Rim is a movie that doesn't try to hide its completely predictable nature or make its characters any deeper than they need to be. It presents you just enough to buy-in and get on the ride and doesn't ask much else. It's also very conscious of how much action real estate it affords the audience. It's never overwrought and the very concept it presents doesn't ask the audience to do more than enjoy the spectacle and care just a little about the three primary characters (Becket, Mako and Pentecost).

"You want to watch big ass Robots beat the ever loving shit out of Godzilla? Right, here you go".

That's the key difference between the two. Man of Steel isn't a serious film. It's pretending to be one and it does so poorly. If they wanted to explore the nature of Superman and the conflict he lives with in being an alien caring for a people he towers above, the could have done that. Instead they WANTED to make Pacific Rim but had to hide it under a veil of seriousness.

You can dislike Pacific Rim for being what it is and I'm generally accepting of the dissenting opinions in the thread. I can totally understand how folks would walk away thinking its all cheesy with paper thin characters. Generally more spectacle than substance but at no point does the movie ever try to convince you that it is more than what it is and it's why I'll take it over the tedious borefest that Man of Steel was.
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And this was my point thanks for reiterating it, both are good one tries to be serious one does not but many folks take the try and be serious part and when that failed for them apply to the entire movie when both had great action and low buildup
 
Chezzymann said:
People that think movies HAVE to have fantastic scripts and meaningful character development to be a good movie are forgetting what art is all about: Expression.This movie was not about the script or character development, it was MEANT to be about giant fucking robots beating up giant fucking monsters with team work. It was meant to be a whimsical visual spectacle and a nod to nerd culture. And I can't see how anyone can bash that if this was what the movie was intended to be.
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Bingo. This movie isn't above criticism at all (I thought it was alright, nothing more) but this movie had no intention on being anything other than monsters vs robots. Criticizing it for just being monster vs robots makes no sense. Blame lies with misguided expectations, not with the film itself.

For the record, I hate Transformers and all those shitty types of movies, but this movie had one goal and accomplished it well. Whining about the lack of story is is a result of your own unreasonable expectations. Hell, if this movie was called "Monsters Vs Robots: There is No Story and We Don't Care," people would would come in here and say, "I expected a better story from this movie."
 
Futurevoid said:
Man of Steel is a movie that desperately wants to show you Superman cutting loose without being burdened by retelling his origin because the creators thought the audience was tired of sitting through that. When they couldn't find a way around it, they tried to short cut it through half-assed flashbacks and internal conflicts that never materialize in any meaningful way. It ends up feeling like two tonally different films by the end. With the last third being a completely exhausting exercise in blowing shit up without any level of audience buy-in.

"You came to watch Superman beat the ever loving shit out of Zod? Right, we'll get there but we have to TRY and give this all meaning and make it feel like more than what it is. It has to be a character examination tied up into conflict resolution tied up into the real move we want to make. Superman fucking shit up!"

Pacific Rim is a movie that doesn't try to hide its completely predictable nature or make its characters any deeper than they need to be. It presents you just enough to buy-in and get on the ride and doesn't ask much else. It's also very conscious of how much action real estate it affords the audience. It's never overwrought and the very concept it presents doesn't ask the audience to do more than enjoy the spectacle and care just a little about the three primary characters (Becket, Mako and Pentecost).

"You want to watch big ass Robots beat the ever loving shit out of Godzilla? Right, here you go".

That's the key difference between the two. Man of Steel isn't a serious film. It's pretending to be one and it does so poorly. If they wanted to explore the nature of Superman and the conflict he lives with in being an alien caring for a people he towers above, they could have made that the central focus of the movie and integrated Superman cutting loose far more intelligently. Instead they WANTED to make Pacific Rim but had to hide it under a veil of seriousness.

You can dislike Pacific Rim for being what it is and I'm generally accepting of the dissenting opinions in the thread. I can totally understand how folks would walk away thinking its all cheesy with paper thin characters. Generally more spectacle than substance but at no point does the movie ever try to convince you that it is more than what it is and it's why I'll take it over the tedious borefest that Man of Steel was.
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11/10
 
Saw it last night in iMax 3D, the place was half empty. The movie was pretty bad, the lead chars were horrible. The only good actor in the movie was the little crying girl, the rest were horrible, especially that Asian chick.
 
Just seen it, really enjoyed it. The penultimate fight was way better than the final part, but not a big deal. Also I wish they had less fights at sea and at night.

A lot of it is stock Independence Day but I think it knows it and has a sly nod and a wink in that direction.

Best actor by far is the little girl. That entire section was great. Everyone else is just in shouty pouty mode.


Edit: honourable mentions for Ron Perlman and the two science dudes.
 
Maninthemirror said:
And this was my point thanks for reiterating it, both are good one tries to be serious one does not but many folks take the try and be serious part and when that failed for them apply to the entire movie when both had great action and low buildup
Click to expand...
Except you find Man of Steel to be on equal footing where I think it fails in almost every regard including the execution of its action scenes. Outside of the initial fight with Faora, I found it dull and way overcooked thanks to the pacing of the movie.

So no, I'm not exactly reiterating your point.
 
Deified Data said:
Another thing...you see Gipsy Danger stomping through the streets of Hong Kong before he
gets ambushed by Otachi
. The camera pans to its feet, where we see a bridge is impeding his progress. You're conditioned by all these other movies to think he's going to plow right through it, because fuck collateral damage, but no, he gingerly steps over it. I thought it was a nice touch.
Click to expand...

Superman should take notes
 
Futurevoid said:
Except you find Man of Steel to be on equal footing where I think it fails in almost every regard including the execution of its action scenes. Outside of the initial fight with Faora, I found it dull and way overcooked thanks to the pacing of the movie.

So no, I'm not exactly reiterating your point.
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To each his own, i enjoyed both equally from
Their own perspectives and they were both head and shoulders above any summer 2013 movie up to now. Wb and legendary pictures relationship went out with a bang. both had the best action of the summer and left me satisfied. nothing on the horizon even in 2014 seems to be going to satisfy now. maybe 2015
 
Pacific Rim is the exemplary film of Summer 2013. It's kinetic, filled to the brim with awe-inspiring imagery, and boasts a slew of entertaining and engaging moments. It's precisely what a blockbuster should be.

Like Jurassic Park transported me to a world where I believed dinosaurs existed once again, Pacific Rim crystallized a place where I believed giant mechs could clobber the innards out of colossal monsters.

It's not without its faults and while I could certainly criticize its characterizations, I can't deny that I was thorougly entertained for the entirety of the movie. In spite of the quibbles I have, I think Pacific Rim works and even excels in a number of places.

The film also manages to circumvent the convolution so many blockbusters rely upon in their narratives ("AND THEN" vs. "THEREFORE/BECAUSE"). The story unfolds with rapidity and doesn't end up bogged down by needlessly complicated diversions. It nails the escalation of conflict films like Man of Steel, Star Trek Into Darkness, and The Dark Knight Rises try to imitate but fail to ultimately capture.

Also, the claim that it's derivative of Transformers is absurd. This film pummels the living hell out of anything the Transformers franchise has offered so far.

Go see it.
 
Caught the first possible showing earlier today, all my friends were busy so I had to go it alone, still had a brilliant time. Going again with said friends one night next week and already can't wait to see it again.

I won't pimp out my blog in my first post, but I typed up my thoughts there as soon after as I could, here's a quick snippet of what I wrote:

"Pacific Rim brought me down to it's level, it's a film for 12 year olds who like bashing their toys together and throwing them round their bedroom. Where it spectacularly succeeded, is that it made me feel like a 12 year old again. I was scared by things that shouldn't scare me, I cared about characters other reviewers said were unlikable and I was moved by dialogue which could probably be described as boiler plate."

Maybe I'm just a sucker for Hollywood tropes, but this flick pushed all my buttons.

Also, got one of the IMAX posters, it's a real thing of beauty, printed on incredibly thick paper (or thin card) and, if what I was told was correct, is available in UK cinemas for the whole opening weekend.

Lastly, this is my first post, thanks for having me!
 
Clobersaurus15 said:
Caught the first possible showing earlier today, all my friends were busy so I had to go it alone, still had a brilliant time. Going again with said friends one night next week and already can't wait to see it again.

I won't pimp out my blog in my first post, but I typed up my thoughts there as soon after as I could, here's a quick snippet of what I wrote:

"Pacific Rim brought me down to it's level, it's a film for 12 year olds who like bashing their toys together and throwing them round their bedroom. Where it spectacularly succeeded, is that it made me feel like a 12 year old again. I was scared by things that shouldn't scare me, I cared about characters other reviewers said were unlikable and I was moved by dialogue which could probably be described as boiler plate."

Maybe I'm just a sucker for Hollywood tropes, but this flick pushed all my buttons.

Also, got one of the IMAX posters, it's a real thing of beauty, printed on incredibly thick paper (or thin card) and, if what I was told was correct, is available in UK cinemas for the whole opening weekend.

Lastly, this is my first post, thanks for having me!
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And a fine post it is. Glad you enjoyed the film, and welcome to the forum!
 
This was amazing. Loves basically everything about it, the characters were simple but that was fine i enjoyed there exaggerated characteristics, especially the two scientists. The fights are all time classic cinema action moments as far as I'm concerned.
 
Watched Pacific Rim last night in IMAX 3D with my wife, loved it. Some of the greatest action I've ever seen on the big screen. I felt like a kid again.

Chibi-Mako does not get enough mention in the thread...she is adorable.
Makes Mako's use of the chain sword all the more satisfying...cheesy, I know. LOL
 
It brought me back to the days when I would wake up early on Saturday morning to watch the OG Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Am I the only one that got the extra long TV show episode vibe from it how with how it was shot?
 
I was surprised at the amount of world building they created for the movie. A giant anti-kaiju wall, Jaeger pilot stardom, world organization (xcom anyone?). It was a fantastic time and it didn't bore my girlfriend!
 
Meus Renaissance said:
Is that good or bad for PR?
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Beating Grown Ups 2 = Variety am cry.

...but not as high as I think they'd be looking for. Domestic box office is likely going to be trumped by international hardcore, however.
 
My showing was probably about 20% full, it was midday on Friday though, so just obsessives like me who booked time off. Not expecting my local cinemas to pack out until tomorrow and maybe next Wednesday.
 
OH GOD

The movie was everything i've expected it to be. I've loved the robot porn, with long takes showing all the moving parts of the robot, pistons, reactors, weapons. Breathtaking.
And the fights were fantastic, jaw-dropping action.

Everthing else is a supplement to the spectacle, but there are many real fun character moments that made me like the characters and root for them. Story is just and excuse for robots fighting monsters but, as was said earlier in this thread, the movie never pretends it's something that it's not.
 
Meus Renaissance said:
Is that good or bad for PR?
Click to expand...
I'd say it's decent. IIRC it was tracking at $25-30 million a week or so ago.

If it approaches $100 million in the US I'd say there's a decent chance we get a sequel when you add in the potentially huge worldwide audience for this one.

I'll be doing my part by going at least once more after I see it for the first time tomorrow. Plus I'll definitely be buying the Blu-ray.
 
Considering there were concerns about it leading up to the release, I think it doing decent numbers will be seen as a success in hindsight. As long as it doesn't die a horrible death at the BO, I'll be happy.
 
Deified Data said:
Another thing...you see Gipsy Danger stomping through the streets of Hong Kong before he
gets ambushed by Otachi
. The camera pans to its feet, where we see a bridge is impeding his progress. You're conditioned by all these other movies to think he's going to plow right through it, because fuck collateral damage, but no, he gingerly steps over it. I thought it was a nice touch.
Click to expand...

I noticed this as well. I expected it to walk right through the overpass but I couldn't help but grin at such a small detail.

I also loved (and GDT mentioned this before in an interview) that the pilot armor, interior, and exterior of the Jaegers were imperfect, dinged and scratched up. It was something GDT said he learned from Star Wars and it worked so well in showing a truly lived in setting.
 
KingGondo said:
I'd say it's decent. IIRC it was tracking at $25-30 million a week or so ago.

If it approaches $100 million in the US I'd say there's a decent chance we get a sequel when you add in the potentially huge worldwide audience for this one.

I'll be doing my part by going at least once more after I see it for the first time tomorrow. Plus I'll definitely be buying the Blu-ray.
Click to expand...

This is going to be one of those films that absolutely kills it on home media, especially if WB/Legendary do a decent job with the packaging/features.
 
Deified Data said:
Another thing...you see Gipsy Danger stomping through the streets of Hong Kong before he
gets ambushed by Otachi
. The camera pans to its feet, where we see a bridge is impeding his progress. You're conditioned by all these other movies to think he's going to plow right through it, because fuck collateral damage, but no, he gingerly steps over it. I thought it was a nice touch.
Click to expand...

I noticed that too.
 
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