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Pacific Rim

Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, and Ron Perlman
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Screenplay by: Travis Beacham and Guillermo del Toro

     So, it seems like we have yet another apocalypse movie.  And this time, it seems like the threat is so severe that not even the Transformers will be able to stop it.  Time for a new weapon then.
     It's the not to far distant future and the world is once again coming to an end.  There's been a portal found deep in the Pacific Ocean called the Breach.  Giant monsters known as Kaiju are coming through the portal and terrorizing massive cities all around the Pacific Ocean.  Tanks and jets aren't tremendously effective against these monsters.  And so the Jaeger program is born.  The Jaegers are giant fighting robots controlled by two pilots whose minds and memories are blended together in a "drift" which allows them to control the robot.
     The story follows more in depth the life of Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), one of the pilots for a Jaeger called Gipsy Danger.  He's been called to go to Hong Kong where mankind will make its last stand against the Kaiju before the threat becomes too overwhelming for the human race to handle.  After surviving the loss of his brother piloting Gipsy Danger beside him in a Kaiju attack, will Raleigh be both physically able and mentally stable enough for the challenges ahead?
      This was my most anticipated film for the entire summer.  As many of you know by now, I'm a fan of concept of stories, and this film has by far one of the best concepts I've seen in a long time.  I like giant monsters, I like giant fighting robots, and I like it even more when they're put together.  The idea behind this film seems a little farfetched.  Okay, it's insanely farfetched.  But director Guillermo del Toro makes this look somewhat plausible and a little more down to earth.  He shows us that it's not an easy task for the people in this film to build a Jaeger or find another pilot for a Jaeger when one dies.  He shows us that mankind can rise to the occasion when it needs to, but there are always setbacks and issues that must be fought past.  Along with a well developed timeline, this film creates an almost fully developed world.
       The storyline is very short, but filled with many details.  I'd say that at least half of the story is told in the trailer alone.  This is actually pretty nice because we know exactly what the film's going to be about as we walk into the theater and the movie can get started right away without much of an introduction.  The problem is, I think that the meatiest part of the story is shown in the trailer and could have made for a great addition to the film if expanded upon.
       There are some really interesting scenes of technical stuff that simply show us how these machines work, how the drift works, and other stuff that help us understand the situation a little better.  There are elements to a pseudoscience about the Kaiju and about the drift, but it all seems somewhat plausible, thus (like I said before) making this concept seem less farfetched than the trailer would suggest it be.
     This brings me to the special effects.  Every once in a while, there's a film where the special effects are truly terrific and make everything look very natural.  This film almost blows my mind because of how natural everything looks.  The effects are some of the best I've seen in an action/sci-fi film so far this year.  So, special effects fans, this is the film for you.
      If there's one acting performance that stands out in this film, it would be Idris Elba's performance as Stacker Pentecost.  He makes for a pretty good leader of what has become the human resistance agains the Kaiju.  Beyond his performance, none of the other performances stand out that much.
     Overall, this is one of the best movies of the summer and has been one of the better films all year.  I don't think I've seen a sci-fi film this good since Star Trek Into Darkness was released back in May.  If you read my predictions for this summer, you would know that Pacific Rim was my most anticipated film of the summer, and I had pretty high expectations for it.  I would say that most of my expectations have been met.  If you do plan to see this film, I recommend seeing it in IMAX.  The 3D effects and large screen create a viewing experience you won't regret spending the money for.
     I give Pacific Rim a B+.

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