Through this rift, building-sized monsters begin to emerge and generally wreck everything. To combat them, humanity builds gigantic robots called Jaegers, which specialize in punching giant monsters in the face. But as the appearing monsters grow ever larger and appear more often, it seems we all are doomed.
It was supposed to be a big-budget-action-sci-fi-summer-3D explosion, but it fizzled rather than busted blocks. That movie was the Guillermo del Toro-directed “Pacific Rim.”
Del Toro is the adorably portly and horror-obsessed Mexican nerd-auteur. “Pacific Rim,” however, has many reasons as to why it’s not a mindless boom-fest, but in fact a thoughtful, deep work of passion.
Reason 1: The movie is original work
Most big movies are sequels, remakes or gritty reboots made solely for legal reasons. And that’s fairly common in our Hollywood behemoth.
“Pacific Rim” got a lot of flak for being an unoriginal rip-off, but that’s really not the case.
It’s a genre film, like a western or a slasher. Nobody talks about one western being the rip-off of another because they both have six-shooters and everyone rides around on horses.
Whenever the robots and monsters are crashing into buildings and punching each other in the face, viewers never see people in the same shot being crushed by the cartoonish melee. In any kaiju movie, which is a “monster film,” you might see people running away, but it is the action that takes the prime interest.
Many films have been criticized for evoking the imagery and horror of 9/11 for a cheap emotional punch. “Pacific Rim” separates itself from the cheap shot.
It’s weird to have to point out, but in our gritty reboots, movies can and should be fun.
Reason 2. The movie is Lovecraftian as hell
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H.P. Lovecraft is the originator of 20th-century horror. He managed the considerable distinction of having his surname turned into an adjective.
The opening preamble in “Pacific Rim” paints a prologue of patriotic triumph of industry and war over invading evil. If this was a Michael Bay movie, the entirety of the story would likely have taken place in this time frame.
Not so for “Pacific Rim.” It’s a story about the end of the world. Our heroes are in the 11th hour and humanity is on the verge of annihilation from alien forces that utterly dwarf us. This adds incredible tension to every fight and every moment of the film. The stakes could not be higher. And that makes for a great film.
Reason 3. All of the lighting and camera angles in the fight scenes look real
The fights look tense. They have life — even if the premise of a giant robot punching a monster in the face sounds, and is, goofy. Every camera shot was designed with a bystander’s perspective in mind. The only sources of light are ones that might have existed in the shot: “the spotlights and floodlights of the big robot Jaeger itself.”
When constructing images that were completely computer-generated, Industrial Light and Magic made sure CG shots in the film seemed like they were filmed with real cameras. These choices informed the types of lenses that were being simulated as well as the motion of the camera.
Del Toro and the ILM artists were keen to avoid having any light in the shots that didn’t have a key source. In some sequences, there are helicopters with floodlights that illuminate the action, like flying key grips.
Reason 4. The monster-punching robots were designed with considerable artistry
Each Jaeger in the film is incredibly different from the others, in addition to being unique from other media. Gipsy Danger, our hero monster-punching robot, looks like the smooth, rounded art deco buildings of NYC and walks like John Wayne.
Cherno Alpha, the big Jaeger, looks like a World War II Russian tank with a nuclear silo for a head. Their pilot suits even look like old-style Russian cosmonaut uniforms. Also, Russian opera plays every time it’s on-screen, and that’s cool no matter what.
Reason 5. The most emotional line of the movie is untranslated
Right before Pentecost detonates the nuclear payload, Mako says something, but what does she say? There are not subtitles. Well, I’ll tell you what she said — or rather, screenwriter of “Pacific Rim” Travis Beacham will:
“Sensei, aishitemasu” or “Sensei, I love you.”
It’s a small but beautiful detail.
Graham Gentz is a theater and film reviewer for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
