[Movie Review] Pacific Rim Uprising (2018)
Plot Summary: Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots, including rival Lambert and 15-year-old hacker Amara, against a new Kaiju threat.
Director: Steven S. DeKnight
Writers: Steven S. DeKnight, Emily Carmichael
Runtime: 1h 51min
Main Cast:- John Boyega as Jake Pentecost
- Scott Eastwood as Nate Lambert
- Cailee Spaeny as Amara Namani
- Burn Gorman as Dr. Hermann Gottlieb
- Charlie Day as Dr. Newton Geiszler
Review by: Heidi
Alright! Here we go, Pacific Rim 2! Like any sequel to a movie that doesn’t need a sequel, I went in expecting it to be subpar. The first one had Idris Elba, this one doesn’t, to me that alone is a great representation of my expectations about this movie. But I was wrong!
Let me set the stage, we pick up 10 years after Marshall sacrificed himself and Gypsy Danger to close the breach. This has ushered in an era of peace for the world, allowing the people to rebuild and readjust to life without Kaiju. Marshall Pentecost’s son, Jake (played by John Boyega), is a survivor of the new world not walking in his father’s footsteps. Instead, he’s a thief who uses his vast knowledge of Jaegers to collect scrap parts and sell them to eat and sustain a stable life. A very Aladdin-ish way of living. The story takes off after Jake meets another young street rat, gets in trouble, and in order to stay out of jail is forced to return to military service, training cadet’s to pilot Jaegers.
What did I like? It’s the same giant fighting robot feel we loved in the first movie, and I can honestly say I liked the storyline a little more this time around. Speaking of which, do yourself the favor of at least refreshing your knowledge of the original movie first. The writers and director did a good job of incorporating elements of the first movie into key turning points of the second. Thus to me, it was an excellent use of the developing franchise. Not to mention that this one has more action, probably due to the fact that they didn’t have to use a portion of the story to explain what Jaegers or Kaiju were. Simply put Pacific Rim 2 is all about the action & we’re totally here for it! The cast was also good, including a few familiar faces like Charlie Day and Rinko Kikuchi returning as Dr. Newton & Mako. However, Boyega led the cast with his mix of the comedy and heroism throughout the film.
Other than the nice action scenes it’s a very generic and story that looks at the concept of an alien invasion in a new way. Aliens adapting to use our technology against us. There was a slightly younger and therefore less mature acting class in this movie, but if you don’t judge too harshly you will like it just fine. There really wasn’t much that I didn’t enjoy about this movie. There isn’t a book to criticize it against or any predetermined thoughts other than I would hate it, so since I didn’t hate it I think that says a lot.
Summary
If you were a fan of the original Pacific Rim, & not at all tied to the main characters. Then you’ll love the sequel to the developing franchise. The younger and maturing acting class showed their potential and can continue to develop in the Pacific Rim franchise. Plus who doesn’t love giant robots fighting on the big screen? So, grab your crew (drift and none drift compatible) and head to the theater today!
User Review
( votes)Images Courtesy of IMDB
