Pacific Rim (2013) Review

Directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba, amongst others, Pacific Rim centers around the guise that it is the 2020's and the earth is under attack by monsters which have emerged from an interdimensional portal, conveniently located at the bottom of the pacific ocean (hence the name).

The film sports some incredible visuals - aesthetically the film has a nice feel. Del Toro however, did not want the film to lose a message behind all the graphics - he does not condone war and he wanted this to come across; he included shots that show buildings being evacuated before they are destroyed, to try and draw away from the mass death and destruction scenes that are so popular in Hollywood blockbusters nowadays.

On method, he is commendable. The film however, can drag at certain points and at times can feel a bit hollow. However, the writing is good, the graphics are good and this holds enough weight to carry the film. Pacific Rim is definitely high in style as opposed to substance, but this is not always bad - it is interesting to appreciate the visual draw of the film.


Think of the film like a better version of Transformers - the same basic premise but Pacific Rim is of a higher caliber - there's no Megan Fox, but there's no Shia LaBeouf either, so that's a good thing.


If you want deep and meaningful scripts with complexity and creativity I would suggest you look elsewhere. This is less of a human drama piece and mainly centered around the monsters that grace the screen. Although well intentioned, the film comes across as mildly simple minded, however, if you are an action fan i'm sure you will come away feeling satisfied with this creation by Del Toro.

3.5 stars

Reviewed by Yaz