Ripping Good Yarns: Pacific Rim Shot

A still from the movie Pacific Rim.  Here the giant robots (Jaegers)  are doing what they did most of the movie - walking through water.

This is what the movie needed more of.  The giant creatures coming out of the water to threaten familiar cities.

The very best scene of the movie involved a flashback where this girl is alone, running through the city in terror, being pursues by one of the giant creatures.(Kaijus).

Transformers vs. Godzilla!

Who could ask for anything more?

Unfortunately, not quite more than meets the eye.  This movie promised a great deal, wasn't truly awful, but didn't quite make it in to be really great movie.  Kind of a rim shot, where it spins around the rim of the basket, finally dropping out instead going into the basket.

Too many scenes of sloshing through the water, and water battle scene, both above and below the water line.  Not enough big time stomping of cityscapes as in a good Godzilla movie. And way too much Top Gun style pilot training.  

There was a diverse international cast, which should help the movie with overseas audiences.  Most of the cast was adequate to bland, except for a part played by Ron Perelman and the two scientists.  Two of the blond male pilots were completely indistinguishable to me, and it took me most of the movie to tell them apart.

Benjamin saw the movie with me, and he was immensely impressed by it. He has been into robotics lately, so he was very fascinated by that aspect of it.

Hollywood this year has taken some chances and done some high cost movies that were not sequels, but trying to tell independent stories or kick-start new franchises.  Most, like After Earth and The lone Ranger, have bombed in spectacular fashion.  Pacific Rim appears to be more of a disappointment than a bomb.

Despite this rim shot, Hollywood needs to keep trying new things.  Hopefully, they can control costs and still bring great stories that promise more to come.  We can always use some great new ripping good yarns!