Pacific Rim (2013) - 5 stars out of 10

Pacific Rim (2013) - 5 stars out of 10

“Pacific Rim” is a sci-fi action film that uses a flimsy storyline to tie together long sequences of incredible special effects.  I understand why they had to make this film, since there’s never been a Hollywood blockbuster about gigantic robots but I wish that it had actually told an interesting story.  It’s interesting to see a new Godzilla-esque film and the destruction by these giant beasts is very enjoyable.  Guillermo del Toro’s name is synonymous with cool creatures and vividly real special effects and that is 90% of the film.  All of the action is awesome in concept and execution, like picking up a boat and using it like a baseball bat on a Godzilla-like creature.  The problems begin with the plot and the actors.  The whole “two person neural connection to operate a giant robot” plot could have been presented better.  The human element of the film is pretty dumb even though the robot element is entertaining.  I think I would’ve rather seen a “Freddy vs. Jason” parody entitled “Godzilla vs. Transformers.”  Amongst the 2013 list of summer blockbusters, “Pacific Rim” was one of the biggest but it failed to live up to its hype.  I imagine that the eighteenth sequel in the Transformers series and the new Godzilla movie will have many similarities to “Pacific Rim” but I’m glad that Guillermo del Toro saved me some time and money by combining them into one.