In 2013, Guillermo del Toro debuted a sci-fi blockbuster that wowed crowds, especially overseas. Giving Godzilla a run for the behemoth’s money, Pacific Rim depicted a war between humankind and a race of international skycraper-sized monsters known as Kaiju. In order to combat the threat from these interdimensional monstrosities, humans harnessed the power of technology and crafted their own colossal, mechanized weapons referred to as Jaegers. These Jaegers were heavily inspired by popular mecha animation. Between the Kaiju, which clearly drew inspiration from Japanese pulp science fiction, and Jaegers that look like something ripped out of a popular Japanese mech anime or video game, Pacific Rim was on a fast track to gaining an audience from fans of all things Japanese pop culture.
This modern clash of the titans offered film-goers more than just style. It is centered around a world-ending narrative that pits the human heroes against a ticking clock to preserve our world from a race of malevolent interdimensional aliens hellbent on claiming Earth for themselves by using the Kaiju as their weapons of mass destruction. The movie would ultimately perform well critically and see modest financial success globally. It was enough for Legendary Pictures to line up a sequel that was released in 2018 led by John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Woman King), Scott Eastwood (Fast X, Fury), and Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus, Civil War). Unfortunately, the sequel was considered a critical and commercial flop.
A box office flop that deserves a rewind thanks to HBO Max
The film could find a new audience on a streaming platform
Recently, Pacific Rim: Uprising landed on HBO Max. Fans now have an opportunity to rediscover this misunderstood sequel, and they absolutely should. If you already have a subscription to the streaming service, you’re all set. But if not, you can acquire a standalone membership for $10.99/month (with ads). As with any streaming service these days, you can drop a few more of your hard-earned dollars each month to remove ads and add the number of devices or downloads you use. If you already have Disney+ or Hulu, you might consider bundling those services with HBO Max. You can land all three services for just $19.99/month which is a great deal in the age of streaming.
With access to the platform, there’s no reason not to take the opportunity to give Pacific Rim: Uprising a second chance. It’s easy to frame this film as a “disappointing sequel.” Now that we are 8 years removed from the film’s release, strip that label away from the movie and view it as a standalone feature.
Let’s remove Uprising from Del Toro’s shadow
A style shift for this sequel actually works
Guillermo del Toro is an incredibly talented filmmaker and storyteller. His unabashed style is iconic and irrefutable among fans of cinema. With Del Toro stepping away from the director’s chair for this sequel remaining only in a producer capacity, it’s easy to get cynical. My recommendation, however, is to separate Uprising from what you know about Del Toro and his work. The original Pacific Rim was stylistically heavier in tone and much darker thematically and literally. Most of the movie takes place in rainy, cloudy weather and often at nighttime against the glow of the technologically magnificent Jaegers standing as beacons in bleak, oceanic settings. Neon lights radiated in the night within the cityscape. Tonally, everything felt a bit more serious, despite moments of humor.
Uprising is the opposite. It features a younger cast, and the atmosphere is a stark contrast with most scenes taking place in brilliant daylight. Everything feels a bit more hopeful and optimistic, and Uprising is not unlike any of the best of the Transformers movies with regard to explosive action sequences. The Jaegers feel less weight-y and are more agile. Therefore, the action is unshackled and off-the-rails at times. It’s the kind of unpretentiousness you’d expect from an entertaining blockbuster.
Lock in the right mindset before hitting play
Expectations are everything
When watching a sequel, fans often expect to find more of what they loved about the original. Expectations frame our assessments all too often. When expectations aren’t met, movies fail critically and commercially. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that a movie that falls into this categorization is actually bad entertainment. Now that we’re several years removed from the release of Pacific Rim: Uprising, you can approach the film from a new perspective. Don’t go in expecting Guillermo del Toro’s directorial styling. You’re no longer paying upwards of $20 for a movie ticket, so the price barrier is significantly lower (or nothing at all if you already have the service).
Do expect flashy, fun action. You’re not going to see any Oscar-worthy performances here, so leave that notion on the sidelines. Sometimes, the narrative hooks and dialogue will absolutely be cliché. However, Uprising still has heart and interesting characters that expand the lore behind Del Toro’s creation. So, sit back, relax, grab a drink and a snack, turn your brain off, and enjoy the ride. With accessibility on a streaming platform like HBO Max, this 111-minute film deserves a second chance to entertain and, possibly, delight you.
Pacific Rim: Uprising
- Release Date
-
March 23, 2018
- Runtime
-
111 minutes
- Director
-
Steven S. DeKnight
- Writers
-
Emily Carmichael, Kira Snyder, Steven S. DeKnight, T.S. Nowlin, Travis Beacham
-
John Boyega
Jake Pentecost
-
Scott Eastwood
Nate Lambert
-
Cailee Spaeny
Amara Namani
-
