Guillermo del Toro lends his expertise of genre-filmmaking to the kaiju movie. No detail is left neglected in this story about a team of pilots overcoming the odds to defeat an invading army of evil giant monsters. Not only are the tropes and hallmarks of the Japanese kaiju film on display, but so are elements of any classic army/cadet story where relationship dynamics rest on archetypes – the idealist loose-cannon, the hotheaded antagonist, the small-but-mighty female warrior.
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro, Travis Beacham
Producers: Guillermo del Toro, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Callum Greene (executive)
Cinematography: Guillermo Navarro, Troy P. Liddell
Editing: Peter Amundson, John Gilroy
Music: Ramin Djawadi (composer)
Select Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba, Max Martini, Clifton Collins Jr., Ron Pearlman, Charlie Day
Runtime: 131 minutes
Country of Origin: USA
US Release: July 12, 2013
Screenwriters del Toro and Travis Beacham are simply playing with toys in a sandbox; even better, when there is an otherwise cliché line (“don’t get cocky”; “fortune favors the brave”), it is delivered with supreme confidence. Enough too, cannot be said about the special effects of the film. The practical props and set elements are as detailed as you would expect in a del Toro picture; but the CGI is equally convincing. As in Jurassic Park, magic happens when these two tools of the trade come together. Costumes by Kate Hawley are a visual delight, and the score by Ramin Djawadi evokes the kaiju work Akira Ifukube in its pulse-pounding dynamism.
Ironically, the only fault with Pacific Rim could be its own commitment to itself. The film fully invests in its characters: their backstories, relationships, wants and needs, etc. This is a true character-driven drama. But by the third act, that tone competes with the “expected” campiness of a kaiju film; you realize you’re not having as much “fun” as you might otherwise have with a similar movie. This is a tough concept to quantify. The most memorable kaiju flicks are those that indeed take themselves seriously (Godzilla [1954], Shin Godzilla, Rodan). Nevertheless, the seams of del Toro’s effort fray by the end, as a sense of weariness creeps into the long story arcs.
Ultimately, however, any critique of Pacific Rim falls into nitpicking territory. The movie is required viewing for those interested in the rich traditions of kaijueiga, bringing the genre to mainstream Western audiences amidst a smorgasbord of visual delights, kooky characters, and epic storytelling.
by Vincent S. Hannam
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