REVIEW | Pacific Rim Uprising (2018)

We thought we had seen enough, but the war we thought was finished is just beginning.

A terrific entry in the franchise — with Better Jaegers, Badder Kaijus, and Bigger Battles.

After 10-years since humans won the war against the invading alien terror of skyscraping Kaijus. The world has moved on in reinforcing their global security by resuming and enhancing the Jaeger program — giant combat-ready robots. But peace is slowly disrupted as mysterious attacks begin to surface that signify the Kaiju’s return, and it’s up to the new Jaeger pilots and rangers to face against the impending threat of certain extinction for humanity.

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*Minor spoilers for Pacific Rim Uprising ahead*

A movie that’s all about the Jaegers, the Kaijus, and the stuff that ties them together in fantastic, glorious battle — with a plot that packs a punch where it counts. Brimming with bursts of action sequences set in the fictionally fantastic future of massive military mechs, in defence against extraterrestrial titans.

Where Pacific Rim (2013) was the playground and runway for director Guillermo del Toro to display his imaginarium of monsters on the big screen, Uprising is a studio-steroid sequel that could’ve gotten away with simply dialling the volume to 11 — but instead delivers more than could be asked for in epic proportions.

The film does a great job of developing a post-Pacific Rim world with a well-thought-out environment of ridiculously huge robots and a history of massive monster attacks. Brilliantly bringing out the 12-year old in all of us — while simultaneously making its plot more digestible, in preparation to bring you along for everything stored ahead.

It also greatly benefits from [the commonly perceived misstep of] having one-dimensional characters and casting cinema fresh-faces. Where each of the cast members are written just well enough to take you on the ride from the backseat of the film, ensuring the spotlight remains on the bot & beast brawls.

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Pacific Rim Uprising stands tough and tall against its obvious textbook comparisons. It’s A Japanese fantasy in Hollywood’s backyard that bumps the scale significantly higher than Transformers (2007–), seals its signature next to Godzilla (2014), and does much more of the good things set by its acclaimed predecessor.

It is a movie that definitely succeeds as a catalyst in attracting new audiences to the series — using a cadence that straps you into the film, while whetting your interest for the movie that first brought the colourful badass brutes to cinema. And despite del Toro’s lack of awesome hulking monster contributions in this instalment — the film still oozes with creativity with fresh new weaponry and grotesquely curious creatures.

All without being held back from excessively honouring its origins, as much as enhancing it — with the film only bridging its continuity if (and only if) it polishes anything they’ve cherry-picked from the prequel.

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All in all, Pacific Rim Uprising is a well-rounded film where your big bad monsters and sandbox robots come to life. A light-hearted, fun-fuelled joyride from the moment the Jaegers hit the floor with action that’ll blast you off your seat.

And if you’re the kind of moviegoer that lacks the imagination to get past the logic behind stuff like giant fighting robots, or can’t brush aside mild cinematic tropes —

Then maybe you’ve got other concerns than the apocalypse.