This needed better acting from some of the main characters. The two scientist are too stereotypical for my taste. Cheno and Red Typhoon were taken out too quickly. They need to focus on the other team a bit more to give them some depth instead of just background canon fodders. Lastly, the monsters all looked the same. It's hard to identify which is which except for "that class 4 or class 5 monster". Here's hoping they put more thought into the great franchise.
Here's what someone on another forum posted a Japanese watcher as saying:
>>I live in Japan and work at a University here, it’s a University of Technology, almost all male and almost all interested in robots/electronics and sci-fi movies (Gundam, pla-model etc.) However not one of my students had even heard of Pacific Rim before I told them about it, after showing them the trailer (Japanese Version) they showed some interest, but seriously nobody had heard of it at all. I live in a fairly rural prefecture but we still have a large population (around 800,000) and I didn’t see even one advertisement, poster or other piece of PR outside of the movie theater itself. I went on the opening night to the main movie theater in the prefecture and there were 8 people in the showing. So yeah maybe they covered Tokyo with their tour but it seems like the rest of Japan had no clue. I personally love the film and I really think it IS a great tribute to classic Japanese monster movies but if nobody knows it exists you can’t expect a big opening weekend. So I think whoever was doing PR has some questions to answer.>>(World War Z by contrast had regular TV spots posters everywhere and yeah admittedly Brad Pitt can’t of hurt, but the difference in PR was not even close. Again I can only speak for my prefecture here.)
So yea, apparently *they* got crap marketing too.
Meanwhile, in *China*, it's still raking in dough!
Originally posted by dconev
Like some of the most iconic sci-fi blockbusters, Pacific Rim also has the advantage of appealing, archetypal characters and a story that’s both viscerally and emotionally engaging.
I agree and I didn't want it to end! The story itself was boring, but I couldn't get enough Big Robot Action!
Imo the story was decent enough for what it was....nice & simple.......But of course people these days want a sophisticated story etc
also i found this
Pacific Rim lands record-breaking opening in China
The film opened in China to a record-breaking $9 million on Wednesday, making it Warner's biggest ever debut in the Chinese market.
That puts the film's foreign box office at $140 million, a welcome boon given the film's lacklustre domestic opening of $37 million.
Originally posted by WhiteWitchKing
This needed better acting from some of the main characters.
I disagree. The acting was fine for the roles played.
Originally posted by WhiteWitchKing
The two scientist are too stereotypical for my taste.
you're going to complain about sterotypes in a giant robots vs giant monsters film? And even if so, they still had a bit of relatability to them.
Originally posted by WhiteWitchKing
Cheno and Red Typhoon were taken out too quickly.
Again, I disagree. They got their moment to shine, and went out with accordance to the pacing of the plot.
Originally posted by WhiteWitchKing
They need to focus on the other team a bit more to give them some depth instead of just background canon fodders.
TBF, there are already various main characters and sub-plots going on already. I didn't need to know anything about the Triplets and Russians besides the fact that they were tough fighters who were motivated by a desire to save humanity, and that was firmly established.
Originally posted by WhiteWitchKing
Lastly, the monsters all looked the same. It's hard to identify which is which except for "that class 4 or class 5 monster".
Definitely disagree there. Every monster, from the one in San Fran, to the one in Hong Kong, looked different IMO.
Originally posted by WhiteWitchKing
Here's hoping they put more thought into the great franchise.
I do agree they can expand on a bit, but they did well and packed as much as they could in the limited timespan they had. Even though the plot wasn't complex, it was substantial enough to carry the film, and although there was a lack of major character arcs, I didn't mind because A) the characters had fleshed-out enough backgrounds to be relatable, and B) there was enough going on in the main plot that the extra arcs were not necessary.
I find the plot to be exemplary for a film of it's simplicity, because it was not complex, but not weak either. It was substantial enough that although much wasn't happening, I was not at one point looking at my watch or wondering when the film was going to end. I was fully entertained throughout.
I think the biggest problem is that the film had so many ideas and only had 2 hours to put them in. For instance, the nefarious world council never got elaborated on, but this was necessary to maintain the film's perfect pacing. If they had more time, we would have probably seen more of the world council, the Russians, and the triplets, but I feel they got significant screentime for the plot given.
All in all, one of my favorite films of the year, and like The Avengers and MoS, an excellent director has made the epitome of the popcorn summer blockbuster. Sure Pacific Rim's plot wasn't too complex, and the character arcs weren't too significant (although they were definitely there), but when you're going to see giant robots vs giant monsters, is plot and character development what you focus on the most? This is definitely a film I recommend seeing in theaters and it has great rewatchability potential as well.
I will say that MoS was better, because, as stated, it had better and more complex character arcs to go along with the beautifully shot action, whereas Pacific Rim mainly focused on the latter. But it still is a film that should not be missed if you have any desire at all in escapist popcorn flicks.
TBH, I think Michael Bay may have phucked Del Toro with his shitty Transformers films. After those, I don't think US audiences were clamoring for more giant robots, which is the reason for it's disappointing domestic box office. All I know is that it's a horrible world we live in where Pacific Rim, probably the best live action giant robot or giant monster film ever made, only made barely $100 mil in the US, whereas Transformers: Dark of the Moon, a despisable piece of garbage that was the direct sequel of one of the worst films ever made, made $350+ mil. I don't care if there was a franchise behind it. After Revenge of the Fallen, people should have learned their lesson. But they gathered back for more crap from DotM....and completely missed out on the infinitely better Pacific Rim.
Like I said, horrible world 🙁
Originally posted by Kazenji
I never understand the whole"the monsters all looked the same. It's hard to identify which is which"
sounds like some people need to go to a optometrist.
My comment was that Del Torro must've used the same artists/modellers as he did in HellBoy.
2 distinct, different movies...similar creature designs.
I'll mention there was a whole team of designers on the monsters. Wayne Barlowe, Guy Davis, Keith Thompson, Allen Williams, plus others.
Most of whom didn't work on the Hellboys (Barlowe did, but he's know for his sheer variety of alien designs. He was on Avatar too, and wrote a famous guidebook to aliens from everything. Guy Davis didn't work on the movies, but has been involved with the Hellboy comic).
Also, to illustrate the variety in monster designs, here's a nice pic:
All the main ones but Scunner (the one with the wide blades around it's head).
Anyone checked out that Pacific Rim Comic?
http://pacificrim.wikia.com/wiki/Pacific_Rim:_Tales_From_Year_Zero
This week's international numbers just came in, getting another 20-some mil from China, bringing up the world total to 384m. Breaking 400m seems really likely!
Originally posted by Kazenji
Anyone checked out that Pacific Rim Comic?http://pacificrim.wikia.com/wiki/Pacific_Rim:_Tales_From_Year_Zero
Yes, it's got some fun backstory stuff in it. Hopefully they'll do more.
Also worth recommending, but getting hard to find, is the artbook Pacific Rim: Man Machine and Monsters, which has a lot of cool production stuff.