Universal Pictures
The film made for every Power Rangers fan is back! Pacific Rim: Uprising is the sequel to the 2013 monster film that lost the opening weekend to Grown Ups 2. Guillermo del Toro’s film built a cult following and fans have petitioned for a Pacific Rim sequel for quite some time now. Pacific Rim: Uprising takes place ten years after the events from the first film. Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost played by Idris Elba in the first film, reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots against the re-emerging Kaiju threat. The first trailer I saw for Pacific Rim: Uprising was much brighter than the first action film which concerned me. I was hoping that this new sequel wouldn’t turn out to be more like Transformers than the original Pacific Rim film. Luckily, though the sequel isn’t as engrossing as its predecessor, it is miles better than any Transformers film.
What sets Uprising apart from the first film is the lighter tone that the film presents. Not only is the lighting much brighter and clear than the 2013 film, the tone is geared more towards children this time around. The newly recruited members for the revamped Jaeger program offer many young teenagers recognizable from Disney Channel shows. By enlisting these young stars, it immediately draws the attention to a younger audience where kids might relate to the characters. The younger stars bring a more uplifted presence to the film and provide more fun when the film should have a more at stake feel to it.
The first film offered a deeper storyline for Charlie Hunnam as he suffered a loss early on which gave a reason for him to return to the Jaeger program. None of the new recruits, including John Boyega, feel as if they really provide a much-needed presence to the storyline. Boyega’s character specifically is leaving a comfortable life of partying and stealing. When he fully commits to the program and helping stop the upcoming Kaiju, it never feels like he is a worthy addition to the team.
Boyega brings a mixed performance to the movie. His attempts at humor come across as awkward while his cockiness leads him to butt heads with Scott Eastwood. Moments of peril are often shot down with Boyega mixing a joke into the scene which killed the tension and suspense.
Throughout half of the film, I felt the storyline was generic and didn’t see it amounting to much but towards the third act there is a reveal that really changes the pace of the movie. As soon as I learned about the reveal my mood about the movie instantly changed for the good. I was more focused once the story took a shift. The first two acts were focused on world building and getting the viewers caught up on what the Jaegers have done for the world since the first film. It honestly took a little longer than needed and it felt a bit exhausting.
The action is fun once again. The Jaegers come equipped with new advanced technology that makes them move quicker and more user friendly. I enjoyed learning about the new weapons for the giant robots and each Jaeger had a chance to use their unique weapons in the film. When it came to Jaeger and Kaiju fights though, this movie was lacking in it. There is an epic showdown in the third act of the film but by that point, I wanted to see more of the two duking it out.
Pacific Rim: Uprising has its problems and its not perfect, but as a fun action film, it works. I was still keen on the action sequences and the new advanced Jaegers were welcomed. The characters weren’t as strong, and the jokes were off point, but there was still fun to be had with Pacific Rim: Uprising.
Pacific Rim: Uprising runs 1 hours 50 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and some language.
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