PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING
US, 2018, 111 minutes, Colour.
John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Burn Gorman, Charlie Day, Tian Jing, Jin Zhang, Adria Arjona, Rinko Kikuchi.
Directed by Steven S.De Knight.
A reviewer remarked that there was a transition from the original action and mystery, post--apocalyptic horror of the original Pacific Rim to just a noisy action in this sequel. There was also a remark that the film was geared to an audience of 10-year-old boys. This reviewer, having missed the preview, found himself sitting, unintended, beside to 10 plus or minus boys. The film held their attention all the way through, rapt, sometimes comparing notes.
Which meant that their reactions were sometimes more interesting than what was happening on the screen. Not that there wasn’t a lot happening up there. Probably too much. Giving too much time to think about other things…
And, one of the thoughts was that this is something of a combination of Godzilla and The Transformers. And the sound engineering seemed like a combination of that from both films.
In the original film, there is a crack in the bottom of the ocean allowing alien monsters, rather gigantic, to emerge into our world. The early minutes of this film do a resume for us in case it wasn’t in the forefront of our memories – even with a visual tribute to Idris Elba as the hero of that film. What they did in the past was to create gigantic creatures, engines of war, with humans inside, physically moving the creatures forward, working out the strategies and executing the tactics.
And, there is a great deal of this in the sequel. Lots of fights between the aliens and the human creations.
And the humans? John Boyega, known now as Finn from the new Star Wars films, is the son of the earlier film’s hero, living a rather easy life because there is peace in the world, although he is not above leading on gangs who want to plunder some of the past technology. He encounters a young woman who has been honing her skills on re-creating the attacking creatures. They are all called up because of an imminent threat. And the officer in charge is played by Scott Eastwood – with everybody commenting that he seems a 21st-century uncanny embodiment of his father, in look, in whispering voice, in action and heroics.
There is some training. There are clashes within the troop. But, then they will have to go into action, Boyega and Eastwood inside the main attacking machines, running on the spot to propel the creation forward… there are also risks, no damsels in distress because the young woman can outmanoeuvre the men at times.
And, perhaps in memory of Godzilla, there is a huge destruction of a metropolis as in most of these films, but this time it is Tokyo. The aliens are on their way to Mount Fuji to get rare earths for their own strategies. Where better to have a climax than on the slopes of Mount Fuji and its volcanic crater? While it is not a Pacific Rim, it is a rim for derring-do.
Perhaps those 10-year-olds went out of the cinema eager for a sequel. It will probably depend on their box office contributions …
1. Action adventure? The impact of the original film? This film as a sequel? Apocalyptic, Post-Apocalyptic?
2. The style of the film at action, Godzilla films, Transformer films?
3. The impact of the effects? Action sequences and stunt work? The musical score? The sound engineering and its impact?
4. The reprise of the original, the explanation of the crack in the ocean, the monstrous invaders, the engines built to repel them? The destruction? The memories of the original commander – and in memoriam to him? 10 years passing, rebuilding the world?
5. Life in the 10 years, Jake Pentecost and his attitudes, influence of his father? The girls, the drinking, squatting? His leading the thieves and their being caught?
6. Amara Namani and her presence, her skills, her attitude? Conflict with Jack? Her building the armament? The bonds and the clash?
7. Lambert, his personality, the pilots, the recruits, the training? The squad, personalities and clashes?
8. The background of the range of scientists, the Asians, Newton Geiszler? Hermann Gottlieb? Geiszler and the infection? Going mad, sabotage and destruction? Gottlieb and
his constant work? Success, time, ideas, engineering, the men and women? Building?
9. The Sydney sequence, the attack, its effect?
10. The transition to China, to Shanghai, the laboratories, the work, invention and ingenuity?
11. The rise of the monsters, giants? The combat with the rivals? The aim of the monsters, Japan, Mount Fuji, the rare earth minerals?
12. The impact of the destruction of Tokyo, extended sequence, mayhem?
13. The team, as pilots, running on the spot in the creation? The pilots? The effect of the sabotage? Being ready to attack, the risks? The dangers? The injuries?
14. Jake and Lambert, heroics, Jake and his saying he could not give a speech like his father – yet doing so, to save the world? Namani, her presence, kicked out, kicked back in, her help?
15. Gottlieb, the timing, the risks, the role of the scientists?
16. Geiszler, mad, watching and gloating?
17. The final attempt at Mount Fuji, the monsters are writing, the Allies in pursuit, conflict, destruction, Lambert and the rescue, the getting out of the vehicle, the world saved?
18. Geiszler, his threats? Jake confronting him, the attitude of attack to save the future?
