Pacific Rim

[CJD]

So, proving once again that the average American movie-goer is scum that doesn't deserve nice things:
Grown Ups 2 took in 10mil more than Pacific Rim this weekend (and got 5% on Rottentomatos).

Yea I've been trying to figure that one out since I first heard about the sales estimates on Saturday. I'm utterly confounded how something like Transformers can easily break 3 digits on it's opening weekend but Pacific Rim struggles. What market exists that would see Transformers but not Pacific Rim?

Also, isn't Pacific Rim like the most hyped movie of this summer? I don't even know of any other movies coming out past this point.

[arkiel]

Yeah, but all kinds of fucks are super-nostalgic for Transformers. This was new IP, and the daikaiju & giant robot genres never really caught on here in a mainstream way so... yeah.

[CJD]

Is the Transformers name really that powerful that it would bring in so many people who wouldn't otherwise see a giant robot movie? I feel like I've been living in an echo chamber this past year considering I've heard naught but anticipation for PR since the earliest trailers.

[Jayfive]

Apparently Del Toro cannot lie.
Everything he says is the truth from Gospel...
If he says "never seen eva" everybody says "see? he's ever seen eva..."
Logic?

I didnt say he wasnt lying. I asked why he would lie. What would be do gain from NOT specifically citing eva as one of many influences? Especially when it appears from comments hence that other influences from other shows are as clear as day. What makes Eva so special? Answer: it isnt, its just too many Eva fans think mecha begins and end with Eva.

Apart from anything else the guy was in his 30s when Eva came out. The mecha and monster movies Del Toro is making a homage to here are from his childhood.

[Bagheera]

Is the Transformers name really that powerful that it would bring in so many people who wouldn't otherwise see a giant robot movie?

Oh hell yeah. Those flicks were shit sandwiches from start to finish, and there's no way I'd touch them if not for assloads of nostalgia. Hell, even with that in mind I wouldn't have bothered if not for the fact that Peter Cullen was returning to voice Prime. Other than that? No way, no how.

I feel like I've been living in an echo chamber this past year considering I've heard naught but anticipation for PR since the earliest trailers.

I know a few of us here were pretty skeptical about it, and I know such sentiments were echoed on Skype as well. Not the majority view, certainly, but not exactly absent.

[Gendo'sPapa]

You've hear anticipation online & in certain nerd circles. Circles that are a very VERY small part of the filmgoing audience as a whole.

If you frequent serious movie websites - i.e. sites that don't talk about Celebrity A was seen leaving a club with Celebrity B, are they dating? - those places were excited for Pacific Rim because it was Guillermo Del Toro's first movie since 2008. His come-back after a long period of serious setbacks - his version of The Hobbit would not have sucked for one - & that was a reason to celebrate. You frequent any area of the internet where people can tell you the differences & similarities between Gunbuster & Diebuster & of course they'd be excited for the film.

I really wish PR can do better. Not because I want a sequel. The movie was clearly designed & shot as a one-off picture & any "sequel talk" only became a thing after people started asking them in every interview because there's no easier question & way to get traffic to your movie website than "What are you planning to do in the next one?". I was happy to see PR is one of the first "summer movies" in a long time that doesn't end with a set up or lead in to the next one. Even if PR flops hardcore there's a real sense of finality to the film & you can show it to kids 20 years from now & they don't need to wonder "what happens in the next movie". I want PR to do better because the guys making it clearly cared & it shows on the screen.

Is the script very basic? Yes. They certainly removed my favorite element from the initial drafts - Mako doesn't understand English & Raleigh doesn't understand Japanese, they're seperated by language & only start to really understand one another AFTER joining in the Rift - to make the film more broad & marketable to all. But, I love the very basic script exists to tell a simple story in an expansive universe. No wasting time on shitty plot twists meant to only appease fans & idiots without a single original thought in in their brain... coughStarTrekIntoDarknesscough.

We'll see if word of mouth can give Pacific Rim some legs in the theaters to become a sleeper hit. Tell your friends to go see it! I did! I got about 6 different couples to go & they loved it. If audiences can't be enticed to see the film next weekend - a weekend seemingly swarmed with like 6 mediocre looking movies that all star the mediocre Ryan Reynolds for some reason - then Pacific Rim will be gone in like a month. It's certainly one of the better summer movies in a while & I'm a big supporter of the film doing good for the sake of being a good movie!

But since I'm such a snarky bitch I can say the film underperforming alleviates any worries I had about studios rushing out a shoddy live action Evangelion in 2 or 3 years. No studio is going to touch nerdy science fiction mecha or anime adaptations after PR.

[pwhodges]

I've no idea how PR is doing in the UK (showing started three days ago, I think); but I've seen a decent amount of advertising for it, especially sides of London buses and such.

[tomrule123]

Pacific Rim made it to 3rd in box office weekend... BEHIND GROWN-UPS 2?! WHAT THE FU-

SPOILER: Show

[Trajan]

I'm going to go see this on Wednesday. Here's to giant monsters and giant robots.

[CJD]

I know a few of us here were pretty skeptical about it, and I know such sentiments were echoed on Skype as well. Not the majority view, certainly, but not exactly absent.

Even the people who were skeptical seemed to still be "I'm skeptical it will be good, but I'm curious enough that I'll see it."

I dunno, I guess I just understand movie goers less than I thought.

I want PR to do better because the guys making it clearly cared & it shows on the screen.

That's why I want it to succeed. That and because judging from the reviews and the feedback it deserves to sell well.

[Ornette]

1. PR staff other than Del Toro have seen Evangelion, as noted in interviews. Direct influences from Evangelion could have made it into the movie without Del Toro having seen it.
2. Del Toro admitted to buying figures and used them as an influence
3. Evangelion drew inspiration from the same shows Del Toro used to draw inspiration for PR, vague similarities are to be expected.

Conclusion? Del Toro said he has never seen Evangelion, and I see no reason not to believe him. It really boggles my mind why people would think he's lying.

[Catamari]

It really boggles my mind why people would think he's lying.

We need a little juice in our lives to keep things interesting. Conspiracies are always popular.

[Gendo'sPapa]

It really boggles my mind why people would think he's lying.

Four possibilties.

1. Cause conspiracy!
2. Really immature & self-centered people belief if something is important to them then it must be important to everyone.
3. They want to come off as really informed & hip.
4. It's that annyoing tendency fans have about niche interests - they want it to be COOL so they by jumping through logic hoops can feel cool themselves.

[Nyanlathotep]

I really wish he'd taken more leaves from Honda's and Harryhausen's books. Some suits, puppets, prosthetics, and stop-motion would have drastically improved the quality of the effects sequences (though I seem to be in the minority since I don't care for what was in the film, so perhaps that's a goal not worth pursuing).

If anything, the prosthetics in this are good.

[bobbyfischer's ghost]

Finally went and saw it and enjoyed it for the hot Mech on Daikaiju action. It's certainly a popcorn flick but a damn enjoyable one, I came away feeling satisfied and that's the most important part with these kinds of movies. Though would it kill them to use more practical effects

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

Though would it kill them to use more practical effects

Well, the techniques for the effects that are in the film resulted in some really solid and believable imagery. The effects looked better than anything from the Transformers movies or anything like that. When dealing with fast-moving giant monsters and robots, it's beat to avoid suitmation and miniatures, which usually needs to be shown in slow motion in order to complete the effect.

The cockpits of the Jeagers was all a practical set, though. I did very much enjoy that.

[Gendo'sPapa]

I believe Ron Perlman was a practical effect. But CG is getting so good these days it's getting hard to tell. He might've been motion captured by Tom Hanks for all I know.

[Bagheera]

The effects looked better than anything from the Transformers movies or anything like that.

It's funny you say that, because they looked almost exactly the same to me. It was a bit easier to tell what was going on, but you could tell the same outfit used the same basic techniques to do the job.

When dealing with fast-moving giant monsters and robots, it's beat to avoid suitmation and miniatures, which usually needs to be shown in slow motion in order to complete the effect.

Not sure about that. Return of the Jedi did pretty well in this regard, and that fighter battle at the end was anything but slow. Also, "fast-moving" isn't necessarily a virtue when dealing with kaiju films (particularly when the fights are taking place underwater).

[schwarzstahlhelm1993]

Movie of the Millennium:

- Mecha anime references (intentional or not doesn't matter, they're there).

-Motherfucking Pentecost.

SPOILER: Show

So long, sweet prince, for now you shall be part of the GARhalla of Kamina, Kei Ayamine, Sleggar Law, and many others like you that fought and gave their lives glorious for mankind.

-Those goddamn sexy designs. Gipsy Danger is OBARI AS FUCK; Guncannon/Dougram hybrid was beautiful in the sunlight; Kawamori as Fuck and Edgy was hotblood incarnate; Mother Russia was so goddamn cute; and Chicom Mech was fantastic.

-The hotblooded Australians were awesome (despite the exaggerated accents).

-The damn Kaiju were awesome. TDSA can cry me a river.

-The OST was fantastic as well and fit every scene.


[s]Variety a shit[/s]

[Mr. Tines]

-The damn Kaiju were awesome. TDSA can cry me a river,

Does he have a review up you can point us at?