Review: Pacific Rim Uprising
REVIEW: Pacific Rim Uprising
The sequel to the 2013 film is a junior version of the melodrama of the first Pacific Rim, with a much higher emphasis on adolescent team playing this time around amid the action sequences of gigantic robots fighting monsters. Among other places on the map, Tokyo gets clobbered and some sequences look like parodies (perhaps intentionally) of classic Godzilla films with fleeing civilians running through city streets. (One sequence has civilians running into metallic bunkers which then close up and screw-down under the earth to safety from the gigantic feet thumping about above. We witness that a number of people didn't reach the bunker in time and are still in the streets, though a P.A. announcement says everyone has reached safety when clearly that's not the case, which caused one movie goer to mumble "no they're not!")
The CG work is good and the script tries to keep everything buttered up and moving along with witty one-liners. The cast is hampered by the usual green-screen acting, where reactions to CGI effects seem limited and, well, acted, but otherwise the ensemble do what it can to keep Pacific Rim Uprising proceeding briskly. (Scott Eastwood is one of the stars and seems to be repeating his father somewhat, since Clint began his Hollywood career acting in sci-fi giant bug movies, for example Tarantula).
The Jaeger pilots against the Kaiju have to overcome their personality clashes, secret fears, etc., but they get it together in a long climax sequence that has everything is sight getting torn down.
This sequel does not compare to the prior film for emotional intricacy, but it does more or less carry on the visual fun well. Lorne Balf provides an interesting soundtrack.
You will see Amazon links on this web site because I am an Amazon affiliate. I earn from qualifying purchases.
Hapi Tokyo Mix - Pack of 12 - Amazon
Comic Books and American Cultural History: An Anthology