If you’re going into Pacific Rim Uprising expecting it to feel like a Guillermo Del Toro directed sequel to the 2013 film, there’s a chance that you’re going to be disappointed. While this is very much a sequel to that film, it is also very much a Steven DeKnight directed sequel to that film which is both a good and bad thing at times. Set ten years after the end of the Kaiju War, the film focuses on Jake Pentecost (John Boyega) who is making a living selling stolen tech. This lifestyle leads him to cross paths with newcomer Amara (Cailee Spaeny) just in time for a new threat making its way to the surface.
Beyond that though, it’s hard to talk about the plot of the film without getting into spoiler territory. When I tell you that the story for this one is weird, that might be a bit of an understatement. The film gets really weird at times which also results in it being a bit overly complicated. The plot of Pacific Rim Uprising isn’t quite as straightforward as the first film and due to how quickly the DeKnight directed sequel moves, some of these weirder elements don’t fully work. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it’s a fast-moving film which sometimes doesn’t fully allow for the breathing room that might be needed at times.
While I might have some complaints about the film’s plot and pace, there are two things it has going for it that make it worth the price of admission: Jaeger on Kaiju action and Boyega. DeKnight delivers some great action sequences that are on the level of Del Toro’s and look amazing on the big screen. As soon as I started to think about any of the minor issues I had with the film, there was an action sequence that I got lost in and reminded me of what I loved about the last film and why none of that is actually important.
When it comes to the new characters, outside of Boyega and Spaeny’s characters, they’re mostly forgettable. Luckily though, DeKnight scored an incredibly fun and charming lead in Boyega, who is a vast improvement when compared to Charlie Hunnam’s bland character from the first film. Look, no matter how much you might have enjoyed that first film, we both know it’s true. Moving on. Boyega is so charming and funny in Uprising, that he carries the movie by himself. Besides wanting to see more robots punching monsters, you’re likely going to want a sequel to this film just to get more of his Jake Penetecost. And maybe Charlie Day’s character Dr. Geiszler, who returns from the first film in a much weirder way that I’m not going to dive into because of spoiler reasons. There’s some weird and wild stuff involving his character and Foreigner songs that you just need to experience for yourself.
Pacific Rim Uprising is a fun action-packed sequel that features more of what fans of the first film will likely want. While I might have some minor complaints when it comes to plot and pacing, when I actually sat down and started writing about the film, I realized that none of those really mattered. This film knows exactly what it is and delivers on that. It doesn’t try to be something that it isn’t or doesn’t need to be. Often times we get so worried about a film either being great or bad. Sometimes a film simply being fine is just fine. Pacific Rim Uprising is like a solid burger from a place that you went to once before on a Friday night. It hits the spot and might even make you want to visit this place again in the future.
Final score: 7/10
John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous “Kaiju.” Jake has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld. But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy by his estranged sister, Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi)—who is leading a brave new generation of pilots that have grown up in the shadow of war. As they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite together in a global uprising against the forces of extinction.
Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (The Fate of the Furious’ Scott Eastwood) and 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (newcomer Cailee Spaeny), as the heroes of the PPDC become the only family he has left. Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they will set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.”
Directed by Steven S. DeKnight, Pacific Rim Uprising stars John Boyega, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Jing Tian, Adria Arjona and Nick E. Tarabay.
Pacific Rim Uprising hits theaters this Friday.
Empire Unveils New ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Covers
Empire Magazine has unveiled six new Avengers: Infinity War covers featuring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the Mad Titan, Thanos.
Avengers: Infinity War will unite the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and now Empire has assembled a number of our favorite characters on six new covers for their May issue. Divided across the six covers are Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Shuri, Doctor Strange, Drax the Destroyer, Scarlett Witch, Okoye, Black Panther, the Winter Soldier, Nebula, War Machine, Thor, The Vision, Mantis, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Hulk, Spider-Man, Falcon, Gamora, Star-Lord, and Thanos.
You can check out the first cover below and click “next” to continue the gallery!
The May issue includes interviews with Chris Evans, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Pratt.
The Avengers: Infinity War issue of Empire will be available on March 22, 2018.
An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Peter Dinklage, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, and Chris Pratt.
Avengers: Infinity War will be released in theaters on April 27, 2018.
Source: Empire
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