Pacific Rim 3D IMAX

3.5 Stars (out of four). (No change)

Wow.  This movie is...

Big.

In case that didn't get it across, the movie is...

REALLY big.

Under the definition of BIG, summertime popcorn blockbuster movies, there should be two entries:  the granddaddy of them all, Jaws, and this one.  This is why we go to movies, entertainment on a big scale.  This movie has that it spades and more.  There has been an interesting phenomenon happening recently with movies.  Less people are going.  With movie tickets skyrocketing and home theater systems that are almost as good as a theater itself, people just would rather wait than fight the crowds, the prices and the hassle.  The funny thing is, historically, this trend has happened twice before.  Once with the invention of radio/the Great Depression and the invention of television.  Both times, people were leaving the theaters and staying home.  So, the studios adapted, which means they had to offer an experience you couldn't get at home, and that was spectacle.  In the 30s, it was huge Busby Berkely/Fred Astaire-type musicals.  In the 50s with the advent of TV, it was epic films like Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments.  HUGE entertainment that was meant to be seen on a movie theater screen, not on a tiny box.  Now the studios face the same problem, and if this kind of film is their answer, the future is indeed so bright, we gotta wear shades.

The danger of films like this, though, is the studios will inevitably get lazy and pump out a bunch of crap later.  That is how Godzilla becomes Gamera and Son of Godzilla.  You start with a great director and team and the idea get systematically squeezed until you have Ed Wood films.  This particular film was written and directed by Guillermo Del Toro, the amazing talent behind Hellboy 1 and 2, Blade II, and Pan's Labyrinth.  But in the past, he has always been fighting with one arm tied behind his back, with meager budgets that he makes look like a million bucks.  We now get to see for the first time what happens when that big brain of inspiration gets a real Hollywood budget behind it.  And it is amazing.  And big.

The movie is about a war between the world and an alien invasion of huge monsters.  We conveniently put aside our petty squabbles and band together to form the Jaeger Program, which are huge robots run by a pair of pilots who use them to fight the monsters hand to hand.  Mayhem ensues.  The movie opens with a big fight where in the end, one of the two brother pilots dies in combat.  The other brother can't continue because you need two pilots in each Jaeger who can synch together telepathically, which is a rare combo.  Most of the teams tend to be related.  Suddenly, for some reason (which is not explained), the world cancels this successful program in favor of building large walls to keep the monsters out.  Promptly, the monsters break through the wall and suddenly the Jaeger Program is back up again and they go back to fight with our hero...oh, never mind.  The story doesn't really matter here, and, quite frankly, doesn't make a lot of sense in a lot of parts.  This is probably because of post-production editing, but again, it doesn't matter.  What matters is huge-ass monsters and huge-ass robots beating the crap out of each other and demolishing a major metropolitan center or three.  The incomprehensible plot is the only reason why this movie doesn't have four stars.  Just turn your brain off and go along for the ride.  Savor the spectacle, drink in the fun.  This movie is a visual and auditory assault on all your senses.  I think I may try to see it again in 3D to see if it's any more fun.  It's raucous, loud and over-the-top, but in the end, a big ol' honkin' mess of fun and worth the price of admission.

Oh, and did I mention it's REALLY BIG?

BONUS!!!  3D IMAX UPDATE!!!  BONUS!!!

Now, for the first time, a BONUS update to this most BIG film of films.  Now, I'm sure the question on ALL of your minds (it certainly was on mine), is the IMAX 3D version worth the extra price of admission.  The answer is...(drum roll-imagine a bunch of drums.  Think the ending scene to Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves when they are hanging everybody)...an unqualified...



no.



Just kidding.  Yes, yes and YES!  A big old honkin' YES, just like everything else in this big damn movie.  Twice the spectacle!  Twice the lights!  Twice the sound and thunder!  Twice the big, twice the fun, and yes, twice the dumb.  Did you really expect it to be any different?  But I will digress into serious geek mode here for a moment.  Guillermo Del Toro is an excellent director.  And like James Cameron's Avatar and Martin Scorsese's Hugo, Del Toro properly uses the 3D palate, that is, not to make stuff jump out, but to give depth, to emphasize the hugeness of the story even more dramatically, visually.  While some have complained the action is hard to follow with the 3D, I respectfully disagree.  I was perfectly able to follow everything that was happening.  My one complaint was that it was REALLY loud, as loud as some rock concerts I've been to.  The bass was so loud you could feel it.  Also, the high end spectrum was so loud that it drowned out the mid-range a lot.  The problem is that dialog resides in the mid-range spectrum, so you could not understand what characters were saying at times.  And while I state earlier that knowing the story wasn't necessarily a prerequisite for watching this film, it does help to know what everyone is saying.  Otherwise, the movie was still a lot of fun and worth the extra money if you are so inclined to see it in 3D.

And did I forget to mention that it's really, REALLY big?