Tag Archives: Guillermo del Toro
Rob’s Quick Review: Pacific Rim
|
Letter Grade:
C- |
The Good: Magnificent world-building. The Bad: Writing doesn't keep up with the visuals. |
|
Cast & Crew: Directed by: Guillermo del Toro Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language |
|
Pacific Rim has magnificent world-building, and spectacular special effects. It’s just visually breathtaking. (Even if I do wish the Mech/Kaiju fights were obscured less by rain and the night.) Unfortunately the writing doesn’t keep up with the visuals. It has a good framework there, but nothing’s really properly fleshed out from a character perspective. The characters are closer to action figures than they are to real people, they’ve very one-dimensional. Yes, the Kaiju do a lot of damage to the city of Hong Kong in Pacific Rim, but I’m pretty sure about half that damage is actually just from Ron Perlman chewing through the scenery. (Which actually isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I was more than ready for a character to at least be memorable.) If you’re looking for a visual feast then Pacific Rim has you covered, but if you’re looking for anything more substantial then Pacific Rim just melts away like cotton candy.
*Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Jennie’s Review: Pacific Rim
|
Letter Grade:
D+ |
The Good: The special effects The Bad: The writing |
|
Cast & Crew: Directed by: Guillermo del Toro Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language |
|
The first thing you see when the movie starts is what appears to be a computer screen that explains that Jaeger means Hunter and Kaiju means giant beast. This is the explanation as to why the giant robots are called Jaegers and the giant aliens are called Kaijus. We are then guided by voiceover through the history of the very first attack in San Francisco, and then the second on Manila, and so on. Then the voice quickly explains the development of the Jaeger Program and how the giant robot warriors are piloted by 2 persons with their minds and memories connected. The Jaeger program seems to be successful, very successful, the pilots become worldwide heroes, and the whole situation starts to be taken less seriously because humanity now feels like they have the upper hand. Of course, this is not the case. The Kaiju apparently have the ability to evolve very quickly to adapt to and withstand the weapons used against them. We discover this as the voice is revealed to be Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) who is a co-pilot with his brother (Diego Klattenhoff) and they are called to defend the Alaskan coast from the newest Kaiju attack. Things do not go well for the Becket brothers and from then on, the supremacy of the Jaegers is no longer intact.
Summer Movie Preview: July
July is officially here and there are a ton of movies coming out over the next few weeks. There seems to be a movie for everyone this month – Action, Horror, Sequel, Quirky Independent, Family, Comic Book, Violent Thriller, Science Fiction, and Comedy. Happy July movie going Cinedrafters!!
The Lone Ranger
Release Date: July 5
Synopsis: The masked ex-Ranger and his Native American companion Tonto fight injustice in the Old West. From the people who brought you the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, including Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp, plus Armie Hammer, Helena Bonham Carter, Barry Pepper, and Tom Wilkinson.
Our Thoughts:
Rob: I know this is from the people who brought us Pirates of the Caribbean, but this just stinks of “bomb”…
Jennie: Not saying this is going to be revolutionary or not completely predictable BUT, I’m looking forward to it. It’s got that Disney money and eccentric Johnny Depp, count me in. PLUS, I’m really hoping for a Depp, Hammer, Pepper fight in a wheel scene.
Dave: This will be a good, fun movie. Bruckheimer and Verbinski know how to make a big action summer movie just fine. I don’t expect anything ground breaking but it will be ok. I think my biggest fault with the movie is expecting anyone to care about the Lone Ranger…No one has cared about the Lone Ranger since the 1950’s.
Jennie: But people do care about Johnny Depp and apparently Armie Hammer is pretty popular right now. For sure people will care about this more than they did John Carter
Dave: Sure. This could be literally any generic Western action movie with Johnny Depp and it would make money. I just don’t think people are going to be lining up at the Box Office because the Lone Ranger movie is FINALLY out.
Felix: And Terry Rossio can write a good script when being reigned in (which he wasn’t for At World’s End)
New Trailer: Pacific Rim
New official trailer today for Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro’s entry into the summer movie race. Pacific Rim features giant human-built robots battling monsters that emerge from the depths of the ocean. The cast includes Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Ron Perlman, and Charlie Day.
New Trailer: Pacific Rim
New official trailer today for Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro’s entry into the summer movie race. Pacific Rim features giant human-built robots battling monsters that emerge from the depths of the ocean. The cast includes Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Ron Perlman, and Charlie Day.
New Trailer: Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro’s entry into the summer movie race, features giant human-built robots battling monsters that emerge from the depths of the ocean. The cast includes Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Ron Perlman, and Charlie Day.
