It’s a bunch of robots fighting a bunch of monsters. What’s not to like?
Pacific Rim is one of my favorite action movies of recent memory. It was a breath of fresh air in a sea of reboots and remakes. Plus, it appealed to my love of monster movies and anime, being a giant love letter to both. Pacific Rim: Uprising never quite makes it to the same level as it’s predecessor, but it is still a fun action flick.
John Boyega was by far the best character in the film. He was having a lot of fun with the character and that made him the most likable. In fact, all the characters in the film were distinguishable at least. You never forgot which character was which, even the teenage recruits. But, even though the characters were distinguishable, they aren’t that memorable.
Rinko Kikuchi’s character Mako is not used enough in this film. Mako was the best character from the first film. This movie would have been stronger had the focus been on the growth of her character. John Boyega is still one of the best parts of the film. This film would have been stronger if Rinko and John had shared the role of main characters in the film. This would have been the emotional core that this movie needed.
The main problem with the film is that it’s emotional core is nonexistent. There are a lot of distinguishable and fun characters but their emotional arc is all over the place. It is by far the most predictable part of the movie. But, I wasn’t annoyed too much by these moments. They go so fast that it feels like they were speeding through these moments so they could get to the action.
Once it gets to the action sequences, then the movie actually becomes pretty amazing. The actions scenes are fun and imaginative with interesting ways of fighting. When the action gets going, this movie does come alive. Even though the film is lacking in emotional heart, it makes up for it in pure popcorn action. The film knows why you’re here watching this film. You’re here to watch giant robots fight giant monsters. And that’s it.
As far as sequel’s go, Pacific Rim: Uprising could have been a lot worse. It’s not as memorable as it’s predecessor, nor does it have the same heart that the previous film had. The characters range from bland to forgettable. The movie almost speeds through the character development. trying to get to the action scenes as as possible. Having said all that, I did enjoy the movie. It’s flashy, it’s loud and sometimes dumb, and it’s exactly what I paid for.
Tim Lilly 