Film Review: Pacific Rim

Pacific Rim. Rated M (science fiction violence). 131 minutes. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Screenplay by Travis Beacham and Guillermo del Toro.

Verdict: The most perfect invading alien monster flick in recent memory.

Lovers of the good old invading alien monsters movie will have the time of their lives with del Toro’s spectacular, no holds barred adventure – possibly the most perfect example of its kind in recent memory. Waiting for the film to trip over itself (it’s a massively ambitious undertaking), becomes a futile exercise as the early action set pieces (which also feed in the crucial back-story) scorch across the screen in marvellously accomplished style.

As gigantic Kaijus (the Japanese word for monsters) rise from the depths of the Pacific Ocean to conquer the world, humans have developed massive fighting machines called Jaegers (German for hunter) to wage war against the invading beasts. Piloted by two humans whose brains are linked to ensure they are not overwhelmed by the ferocity of the Kaijus, the Jaegers are ultimately found to be a futile defence. But when two young pilots Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) and Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) take control of the decommissioned Jaeger ‘Gipsy Danger’ – each with a score to settle – the Jaegers find themselves back at the frontline in a race against time to close the deep-sea portal once and for all.

Del Toro (Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy) and his frequent collaborator, Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro, expertly account for the film’s technological and visual challenges – helped enormously by the stunning work of Production Designers Andrew Neskoromny (Apollo 18, AVPR: Aliens vs Predator – Requiem, Dawn of the Dead) and Carol Spier (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen).

Del Toro and Beacham’s (Clash of the Titans) screenplay, while heavy on the patriotic and nationalistic imperatives that are standard fare in Hollywood blockbusters, also manages to inflate the stakes at play from the very beginning and keep them high all the way through – ensuring that our interest and involvement in the story never wanes.

The cast, led by the charismatic Hunnam and the feisty Kikuchi, play the material for all it’s worth – even if they are ultimately swamped by the film’s brilliant alien monster versus man-made robot visual and technological brilliance.

This review was commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.