BTW, due to limitations in time and space, I had to see Pacific Rim in a LIEMAX 3D theatre - - and guess what? It looked great! Remember, I'm not shy to criticize crazy fast action or bad editing - - but Pacific Rim looked like a million ...errr... billion bucks! Even the 3D didn't bring it down!!! Dis baby's made for da big screen!!!!!

Not the best movie ever but it was definitely awesome and visually stunning IMO.

B+

Lots of great international actors in the ensemble cast...

- Rinko Kikuchi was the standout - - remember her as Bang Bang in The Brothers Bloom?

- Charlie Day and Burn Gorman were great fun as the brain link team.

- Children Of Men's Charlie Hunnam was solid as the lead - - I'd like to see him in a solo lead role soon.

- Idris Elba and Ron Perlman have already gotten plenty of press for this, but they were solidly reliable as always.

A few things...

The action was great, but I really wish there would've been more shown of the attacks on cities to make it seem like the World was in danger. Because attacking coastline cities just didn't really get me to care that much.

The story was filled with SO MANY CLICHE'S. The really only interesting part of the story was the Charlie Day storyline. (Maybe because I love him so.) Also, I didn't really think they built it up as a "love" connection, and I'm glad that they didn't.

All in all, it was good. But it had so much more potential.

B/B+ (leaning B+)

1. It's a very, very satisfying movie, especially in a summer of mostly half-baked action tentpoles.
2. I'd highly reccommend going in lieMAX (not sure if it's playing in 15/70). The 3D action in MOS was quite hard to follow, yes, but everything feels crystal clear in Pacific Rim.

Personally I'm not giving PR a "pass" just because the action is good (or great in this case). I think the story here is actually functional and the characters are worth caring about. I think the universe created here feels genuine and worth investing in. I think there's a sense of scope and detail to del Toro's monster fights that's just not in the Transformers movies. I like this movie for a lot of the same reasons I like Furious 6- there's a ton of attention paid to both the action setpieces and the characters in and around the setpieces.

Well they were not annoying characters unlike say Michael Bay films that you want to invoke the stand your ground law to them for being a nuisance to the public.

This.

Strange 'cause I feel like half-baked definitely sums up how I feel about the execution of this movie. The right balance between character and action and I would've been on board for this.

Really? Geez. We're just not in the same page with this movie, then.

Maybe it's because I went into this with low exceptions with all the bashing on here, but damn it I actually enjoyed this movie.

Sure the dialogue and the acting isn't the best. Charlie Hunnam is a pretty bland hero and he has some terrible lines, but I still didn't mind him. All the actors did ok with their parts IMO, but I agree that they could have done more and I would have liked if we got a chance to explore more of this world GDT created.

That and obviously more daytime battles would have made the movie better, but I really dug the entire Hong Kong battle. The majority of the action scenes might be murky and not the best lit, but I could still see what was going on for the most part and all the badassery and carnage was definitely on display.

As for the monsters themselves I was a bit disappointed that they weren't more creative with the designs or made any of them that memorable, but I thought they were different enough for the most part and as long as we got some cool monster bashing I honestly could care less after a while.

Bottom line this movie isn't perfect nor is it one of Del Toro's best, but it's still passable popcorn entertainment IMO and it delivered what I wanted which was HUGE robots kicking GIANT monster ass.

Not one of his best?

He's only made 7 other feature films (Hellboy II, Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Blade II, The Devil's Backbone, Mimic, and Cronos).

I'd say all of his previous films are better, even Mimic.

Yes, this is his worst, easily. Mimic is fun. This is not.

The best moment of Pacific Rim cannot hold a candle to the worst moment in either Pan's Labyrinth or Hellboy II.

It's del Toro's worst film, yeah.

This really didn't feel like much of a Del Toro movie IMO. Not even the creature elements felt very Del Toroish, but the visual effects were there.

Also, I am not a big fan what they do with Ron Pearlman in this movie. I was atleast hoping he had a bigger role, but nope he's just some generic, shady business man/gangster type character. It's really a pointless, throwaway role and no I'm not saying he had to be the star of the movie, but when I first heard he was involved I expected more.

I mean why couldn't he be one of the Jaeger pilots in the movie fighting the monsters ? That would have been more badass and memorable.

And, don't even get started on his fate in the movie.

I hated that too .

You didn't stay till mid-credits, did you?

Nope, but I heard about the scene and it still sucks. I just wish he had more to do than show up for a useless extended cameo. Like I said one of Jaeger pilots would have been MUCH better and more memorable most importantly.

This.

Ken Jeong
John Turturro
Kevin Dunn/Julie White
Anthony Anderson
John Malkovich

I would be more entertained watching Stringer Bell eat frozen yogurt than watch a film, directed by Michael Bay, that contained any of the above actors.

Especially Ken Jeong. Well, maybe in a lead role in a Michael Bay directed snuff film.

I will take paper thin characters over annoying characters any day.

I hated Transformers and loved Pacific Rim.

How can you not like Malkovich or Turturro?

troll hard

Thunderbirds inspiration confirmed by del Toro himself!

Maybe Magnus exemplifies all those characters that Cauis mentioned hence his defense over Michael Bay's characters.

That is not trolling, it is fact.