Transformers, Godzilla, King Kong. These have been some of the larger than life entities that have taken a giant bite out of the box worldwide box office in the past several years. I mention “worldwide” because for some reason or another, these large-sized characters seem to resonate more so with international audiences than they do in the US. Pacific Rim (2013) was no exception to this trend. With a budget of almost 200 million dollars, the $100 million it made domestically was underwhelming to say the least. Thankfully for Warner Bros., the rest of the world loves movies like this. With that, a sequel was eventually greenlit, bringing back Jaegers versus Kaiju in Pacific Rim: Uprising.
The big war is behind them but the world is still feeling the effects of a Kaiju breach that almost became an extinction level event. The Jaeger program that proved to be the deciding factor in mankind’s victory but as we know, nothing is for forever, especially peace. Jake Pentecost (John Boyega) is the son of fallen hero, Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba). Jake is more about living life for the moment than anything else. He left the Jaeger program of his own volition but fate has a funny way of flexing its muscles. When yet another poor decision lands Jake in a precarious situation, he finds himself back in his father’s shadow. None of this may matter as the program is looking to take a more autonomous approach. Before any of this can happen, there’s an attack and the scramble to survive starts.
It’s pretty obvious from the start that director Steven S. DeKnight is looking to take a lighter approach. Comedic moments are the commonplace when action is taking a break. John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman, and a young Cailee Spaeny are main focal points of Pacific Rim: Uprising with obvious CGI doing the heavy lifting. There’s enough laughs, explosions, and action sequences to assist in offsetting the weaker storyline. The pace is uneven with dry spells bookended with some decent action sequences. Lacking the deep character development, there are few emotional ties to anyone.
The draw to Pacific Rim: Uprising lies with the Jaegers, the Kaiju, and everything they get to level. Expectations are more subdued this time around with less star power attached and the five year wait in between. There’s an obvious jump in the timeline in order to usher in this next generation. Even so, they did not neglect past history in any way.
Surprisingly, Pacific Rim: Uprising is actually an entertaining outing for the most part. Steven S. DeKnight doesn’t try to make this sequel more than what it’s meant to be. The people spending money on the sci-fi action adventure are ones that enjoyed the experience they got the first time around. This is more of the same aimed at a slightly younger demographic. I can confidently say that this is the best action movie of the Spring so far. I should point out that we’re only a couple of days into the Spring season, but still. While being far from perfect, there’s something about seeing giant creatures on screen doing harm to one another while also laying waste to the surrounding landscape. Check it out in theaters now.
