Pacific Rim ~ Apocalypse Canceled

Guillermo del Toro never grew up.  I can say this with some confidence based on the body of work that he has put out, either as a producer, writer, or director.  Guillermo del Toro's latest offering, "Pacific Rim," harkens back to the early 1950s when creatures like Godzilla and other Kaiju destroyed Tokyo repeatedly.  Mr. del Toro isn't ashamed that he is bringing back the Saturday afternoon Creature Features that he watched as a kid on television.  In today's modern world of high-tech electronics, he adds a new twist to the old tale of monsters from the deep.  “Pacific Rim” is a hackneyed, if not a sentimental look at the past, while giving it the full CGI action film treatment.  “Pacific Rim” is impressive and big.  The film stars Charlie Hunnam ("Cold Mountain," "Children of Men,” and TV's "Sons of Anarchy"), Rinko Kikuchi ("The Warped Forest"), and Idris Elba ("Prometheus," "Thor").  "Pacific Rim" runs just under 2 hours and is rated PG-13.

After a long exposition, narrated by Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket (Hunnam) explaining that while he was a child he looked to the skies in search of alien life.  However, alien life came from deep below the sea, from a rift in the tectonic plates in the Pacific Rim (Ring of Fire) that a time-space anomaly has formed and these giant alien creatures are coming from another world.  These creatures, which look like a mixture of various earth creatures melded with prehistoric dinosaurs, are called Kaiju, which is the Japanese term for monster.  Becket goes on to explain that after sending conventional weapons to battle the creatures and failing, the major countries of the world got together and built giant mechanical "Iron Man" like robots that they call Jaegers. The term Jaeger comes from the German, and it means hunter.  Unlike the robots of the 2011 film "Real Steal," two pilot's minds tied together by a neural link between the two drives the giant mechanical robots.  The two will share memories and will have to work together.  Jaeger pilots became like rock stars as they did battle with the giant Kaiju.  All this is shown from the point of view of television news footage, which is mostly from Asian countries, however, not all.  Apparently, the first creature attacked San Francisco, and many other cities followed over the years.  Raleigh leads the story up to the point, where he explains that he and his brother Yancy (Diego Klattenhoff) fought their last battle against a giant shark like creature with arms and legs, and that it beat the crap out of their robot and killed his brother.  Then finally, with all the brassy pomp and ceremony, the title credits start.

General Stacker Pentecost (Elba), the man in charge of the Jaeger program, finds out in a video conference, with heads of state, that the rim countries have decided to go with the inane idea of building vast seawalls along the seacoast of the Pacific.  Becket has retired from the Jaeger service and has spent the last five years as a construction worker helping building these futile walls.  Understanding that this is a Science Fiction monster movie, allows one to suspend belief to a certain extent, but building a giant wall to stop these creatures is completely unbelievable.  Yes, humans do stupid things; however, I think Guillermo del Toro doesn't give humanity any credibility in this choice in plot point.  It's silly.  Obviously, del Toro agrees, as he shows the walls easily breached.  

Typical of the "pull the has-been out of retirement" school of storytelling, Pentecost, now on his own, finds Becket in Hong Kong and talks him into coming to work for him as a Jaeger pilot.  Idris Elba is a formidable actor in the role of Pentecost (a comic bookish type of name).  Although he is only an inch and a quarter taller than Hunnam, Elba seems to tower over him in both size and personality.  His presence on screen overshadows Hunnam, in every scene they are in together.  Enter Mako Mori (Kikuchi) as Pentecost's aide in charge of finding Jaeger pilot candidates.  Mori has issues, and those issues turn out to be predictable, and unpleasant.  Writer Travis Beacham along with del Toro, aim to put human faces, personalities and flaws inside these giant robots, and he does so by pairing Becket and Mori together.  Being linked neurologically is almost like a marriage, you share memories and emotions, and in the case of Mori and Becket, they both have emotional tragedies that bond them together at a more primal level.

Bringing "Pacific Rim" into focus musically is composer Ramin Djawadi (pronounced "Java-dee").  Currently he works on HBO's "Game of Thrones," Djawadi has worked on "Safe House" starring Denzel Washington, the remake of "Fright Night" with Colin Farrell, and Jon Favreau's "Iron Man" to name a few.  Working with guitarist Tom Morello the duo exhibit the musical sensibility that the film of this sub-genre of Science Fiction demands with a mixture of orchestral and rock that reminds one of your favorite Anime show.  Big and brassy sometimes, driving rock in others, Djawadi blends the two effortlessly.

When asked about the acting, one can say that Hunnam does his job and is a focus of the film.  However, he is not the main star.  Yes, he narrates the opening of the film, but there is so much happening, that the camera returns to him from time to time.  Half of those times, Hunnam is in a pilot suit, face covered.  Kikuchi is the other star, whose character, Mako Mori, although has an interesting backstory, falls prey to her own introverted character and it is the fears of her characters that make her role less substantial.  Idris Elba commands the spotlight from the beginning of the film to the point where he makes his Cancel the Apocalypse speech near the end.  He does this short speech almost as Bill Pullman does in "Independance Day," and the reference is not lost.

Let's talk about monsters.  The real stars of the film are the various forms of Kaiju that del Toro and crew have developed.  These creatures make the current Master of Disaster, Roland Emmerich's 1998 "Godzilla" look outdated, and immature compared to those depicted in "Pacific Rim.”  They rise from the deep from time to time in unseeingly never-ending types and variations.  Why do they come?  Well, that is up to Charlie Day as Dr. Newton Geiszler, and Professor Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) to find out.  Geiszler, played by FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" actor Charlie Day, reminding one of Rick Moranis as the kind of mad scientist stereotype as he runs around squawking about the entrails that he is dissecting.  His partner, or nemesis, Gottlieb, on the other hand is the other side of the sci-fi intellectual scientist trope with his short-cropped hair, his halting British accent, his stiff gait, and walking a limp and with a cane, gives us the mathematical analysis of the Kaiju.  If one can actually reduce the attacks of these creatures to a mathematical formula?  Somehow they do.  Geiszler does a neural link with the creature and determines that this is in fact an alien invasion, and the creatures are the alien's version of the clean-up crew.  Gottlieb determines that soon there will be two and three incidents of these creatures at a time, and that they will get bigger.  The goal of these creatures is the total takeover of the planet Earth. It is up the humans, with the help of the Jaeger Robots, to stop them.  Sounds like a worthy goal.

Talking about del Toro's love of the past and what is familiar, Ron Perlman from "Hellboy" and "Blade Two" makes an appearance in "Pacific Rim" as the character Hannibal Chau.  A ridiculous name to say the least, but with his gaudy excessive outfit, gold capped teeth, and gold plated giant shoes, courtesy of costume designer Kate Hawley, it seems to work in making Perlman's Chau an interesting semi-antagonist in the world where the real monsters are, uh, monsters.  What keeps "Pacific Rim" from being overly serious and lacking humor are in fact the three actors mentioned in this paragraph.  Between Day, Gorman, and Perlman, their interplay and antics bring this film in to perspective, not to be taken seriously as story about humanity against monsters, but how humans, can work past their differences and work together for a common good.

Guillermo del Toro is a complete fan boy and loves to bring stuff from his childhood to the silver screen in bold new ways.  From "El Laberinto del Fauno" ("Pan's Labyrinth"), "Hellboy," "The Devil's Backbone," and the films that he has produced such as "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," and recently "Mama," all depict a certain sense of Guillermo del Toro's longing for the days of his childhood and his sense of philosophical justice that he brings to his films.  "Pacific Rim" is not epic, but it is impressive and awesome.  He and Beacham bring action and adventure, characters designed to be liked and sympathized with, and in some cases, unexpected comic relief that brings to mind the days before our innocence was lost.  Overall, "Pacific Rim" is that movie that the whole family can enjoy and not feel guilty about having to watch a completely mindless action film.

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Year:  2013

Staring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Ron Perlman, Charlie Day, Clifton Collins Jr.

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Producer(s): Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Thomas Tull

Writer: Guillermo del Toro, Travis Beachamt

Rating: PG-13

Pacific Rim ~ Jaegers: Mech Warriors- Featurette

As we get to know more about Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim," a homage to Japanese horror films from the 1950's and 60's we take a look at the giant robots called Jaegers that the Pan Pacific Defense Corps uses to fight these giant monsters. These Jaegers are piloted by a pilot and a co-pilot whose minds are linked neurally together so they act in unison. 

Warner Bros. official synopsis:

"When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot and an untested trainee — who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse."

The pilot, Raleigh Becket, played by "The Sons of Anarchy's" Charlie Hunnam was a "washed up former pilot called back into to service". His co-pilot is  Mako Mori played by Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her work in the 2006 film, "Babel." 

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Charlie Day, from FX's television series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" plays  Dr. Newton Geizler. Day's job as Geizler is to study the Kaiju (big Godzilla type monster) and figure out what does this creature want. While adding to our knowledge of what a Kaiju is and what's its motivation, Geizler also provides some comic relief to this otherwise horror-action tale.

When you think of a person by the name of Hannibal Chau, your mind doesn't automatically conjure of the likes of actor Ron Perlman. Perlman is also Charlie Hunnam's co-star on the FX show "Sons of Anarchy." In Pacific Rim, Perlman's Hannibal Chau is an organ dealer. No, not a Hammond organ, but the organs of the Kaiju. Also, if you were not aware,, Ron Perlman and Guillermo del Toro have announced that "Hell Boy 3" will be in the works. Perlman and del Toro also worked together on the first two "Hellboy" films, "Cronos," and "Blade II," and with "Pacific Rim," that makes six films together for the two veterans. 

Expect to see "Pacific Rim" in US theaters on July 12, 2013 

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Year:  2013

Staring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Ron Perlman, Charlie Day, Clifton Collins Jr.

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Producer(s): Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Thomas Tull

Writer: Guillermo del Toro, Travis Beachamt

Rating: PG-13

Pacific Rim ~ Getting To Know The Story

Some things never die. Some things come back to haunt us. Some of those things are from our youth, and we can't just get them out of our heads. For Guillermo del Toro, and Travis Beacham, that thing is called a Kaiju. As you watch these trailers and you look at the creatures that have risen from the watery deep seem somewhat familiar, they should be. A Kaiju, or monster, is a creature similar to our old friend Godzilla. That prehistoric creature that destroyed Tokyo, and was usually had a couple of kids along with "Perry Mason's" Raymond Burr.

Warner Bros. official synopsis:

"When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot and an untested trainee — who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse."

Unlike the old 1950's Japanese horror movies,where  the humans didn't really have a great way of fighting back. Now, Del Torro presents us with Jaegers  -- Giant robots controlled by two pilots, whose minds are locked together by a neural link. The pilot, Raleigh Becket, played by "The Sons of Anarchy's" Charlie Hunnam was a "washed up former pilot called back into to service". His co-pilot is  Mako Mori played by Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her work in the 2006 film, "Babel." 

Idris Elba ("Prometheus") plays Stacker Pentecost, Beckett and Mori's commander.in the war against the creatures from the deep. 

Expect "Pacific Rim" in US theaters on July 12, 2013 

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Year:  2013

Staring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Ron Perlman, Charlie Day, Clifton Collins Jr.

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Producer(s): Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Thomas Tull

Writer: Guillermo del Toro, Travis Beachamt

Rating: PG-13

The Losers

Rambo meets Jim Rockford

I f you are in the mood for a deeply serious social commentary about the CIA and government corruption, also if you want Comic-Book Comedy about a group of delta force set of commandos is right up your alley. Brought to us by Producer Joel Silver, ("Lethal Weapon," "Predator," "The Matrix" movies), "The Losers" is an outrageous action packed buddy film with plenty of funny points to make the comic-book style appealing on many levels.

The plot is straightforward, about a group of black ops commandos led by Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) on a mission to kill a Bolivian drug lord. Upon realizing that there is a group of children within the jungle compound, Clay halts the strike. Their CIA handler, Max (Jason Patric) orders in an air strike and now the group have just minutes to get the kids out and kill the bad guys. Now we meet Clay's team of highly skilled soldiers, Roque (Idris Elba) seemingly his second in command, Jensen (Chris Evans), Pooch (Columbus Short), and Cougar (Oscar Jaenada). Like the "A Team," each member has their own skill-set and personality. Columbus Short ("Death at a Funeral, "Armored") Pooch is the driver of the group and attaches a bobble headed Chihuahua to the dash of each of the vehicles he uses. Chris Evans ("Push," "Fantastic Four") as Jensen plays it over the top singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." Cougar, played by Spanish actor Oscar Jaenada is the only one of the group who doesn't talk much but is a wiz with a sniper rifle. Although he doesn't say much throughout the movie he rounds out Evan's over the top with quiet sureness. 

 After getting the kids to safety after Mr. Pooch's wild school bus ride through the jungle, and after loading the children onto a helicopter that is swiftly destroyed by the mysterious Max. With me so far? We have established the good guys and the bad guys now we have to establish the love interest. Realizing that they Max betrayed the group, they throw their dog tags into the burning wreckage. Now the former commandos settle down in Bolivia bidding their time until they can figure what to do with themselves. Enter Zoe Saldana as Aisha, the mysterious love interest who is willing to bankroll the groups return to the United Sates to exact revenge on Max for some unstated offence. By this time Clay, now in slacks, white shirt, and a worn jacket that he wears throughout the rest of the film is starting to remind me of Jim Rockford from the "Rockford Files." Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays Clay like Garner's Rockford getting beat up for a noble cause and getting the girl from time to time. On his first encounter with Aisha, Morgan and Saldana's fight-for-foreplay would have made Brad and Angelina proud. Working to defeat Jason Patric's megalomaniac Max, the group travels the world tracking him down. Patric plays his alter ego with all the panache of any decent comic book super villain.

 remember the day my dad took me to see the "The Wild Bunch." I was probably no more than 11 years old. I did not understand much of the story, but I did see characters that my dad identified with. Although there certainly was a lot of blood, guns, and action, films like "The Wild Bunch" or the "The Loser" stays with you because of characters, and the action. This experience gave me the understanding of what a formula film is, and The Losers is a formula movie. The opening comic book montage at the beginning of "The Losers," clearly reminds us that we arid going to see a comic book transfer to the big-screen. The producers set expectations for the audience pretty low, and not only lives up to that low expectation but surpasses it to some degree. The characters are thin but memorable and, the dialog is unassuming but not crude. The banter between the characters isn't Shakespeare, yet it is funny and relatable. Throughout the film, I heard the audiences laughing over the sound of my own chuckles. Director, Sylvain White makes sure we know where each location is with immense white location titles reminiscent of something out of a Quentin Tarantino flick. The music, other than Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" is not very memorable. The story, not particularly believable, but that's not the point of this movie. We go see films like this for the fun of it for the pyrotechnics and the action.

I am giving this movie points for the straightforward plot, no thinking involved. I am also giving points for fun characters, and lots of action. Do not mistake the rating as a representation of a quality film. The rating is purely for the enjoyment factor that this movie gives its audience. The bottom line is "The Losers" is a fun shoot-em up flick to take your significant other, forget about the crappy week you just had and enjoy a mindless romp around the world and have an enjoyable

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, War
Year:  2010
Staring:  Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Jason Patric,Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Óscar Jaenada
Director:  Sylvain White
Producer(s) Joel Silver, Kerry Foster
Writer: Peter Berg & James Vanderbilt
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 97 minutes 
Release Date: 4/23/2010