160. Pacific Rim - Uprising; movie review

PACIFIC RIM - UPRISING
Cert 12A
111mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, threat, injury detail, rude gesture

Ugh, another city's buildings are smashed to smithereens by giant robots (this time, with people inside them).
Pacific Rim Uprising appeals to the lowest common denominator among cinema-watchers. Its storyline is hole-ridden, its acting could be bettered by an amateur drama group but who cares as long as the special effects dazzle?
In 2013, I wrote of the original Pacific Rim: "I'm afraid I found Guillermo Del Toro's movie a terrible bore - even in IMAX. Clearly others feel differently (see the average score on internet movie database) but, despite its admirable special effects, I found the plot crass and the acting as limp as a dead lettuce leaf left out in a thunderstorm."

Even with Del Toro as director, I rated it three out of ten.

This time around, Steven S. DeKnight is the baton-waver and his previous offering was an American TV series called Travel Boobs.

I reckon he should have carried on travelling with those boobs because they cannot be bigger than the one for which he has been responsible with Pacific Rim Uprising.

Its predecessor had a dim enough premise with the prospect that giant alien monsters somehow burst through a rip in the earth's crust and try to take over the world, only to be stopped by huge piloted robots.

Anyway, last time's hero Idris Elba is dead so John Boyega takes over the mantle as world-saver but first has to handle an old rival (Scott Eastwood), pesky kid (Cailee Spaeny, who is actually 20) and a mad scientist (Charlie Day).

Ah, Charlie Day... can't say I have seen a good film with him in it, so, at least he maintains his record.

But here is the problem - Pacific Rim Uprising's budget was $150m but its takings so far have been $267m.

This only means one thing. More crass storylines and wet lettuce acting is on its way...

Reasons to watch: If you feel the need to see tall buildings smashed to the ground

Reasons to avoid: Its utter crassness

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 2.5/10

Director quote - Steven S. Deknight: "Coming into this I knew there is no way I could match Guillermo's visual style - I wanted to make it feel like an 80s throwback."

The big question - Why do so many people watch these type of movies?

Share this post