Del Toro's Pacific Rim

I disagree with that, to some extent. Perhaps it's time that U.S. cinema goers and critics should accept that they no longer have the right to say whether or not a film is a flop unless it's on the scale of John Carter or Battlefield Earth?

Because the world's film industry and its global audience is much bigger now than what it used to be - and Hollywood stopped being the world's biggest cinema money maker years ago.

That reminds me of a blisteringly stupid Atlantic review of Pacific Rim that "accused" it of being aimed entirely at "the international market." Oh, yes. A movie aimed with laser-like focus at everywhere but the US. Of all the myopic, ethnocentric... I can respect not liking the movie, but that kind of reasoning makes me want to break the reviewer's keyboard with a whiffle bat.

It's called Pacific Rim, not Pacific Northwest. The Rim goes AROUND THE ENTIRE PACIFIC.

East coast West coast doesn't have the same flair.

I wonder if the reviewer would have said the same thing if it was Atlantic Rim.

Which exists, by the way.

Just wanted to source my claims.

The existence of Atlantic Rim kind of blows my mind. I mean, I know there are whole studios that make their money that way, but still.

Yeah. That article was a fun read. For all of the two seconds I looked over it. Guy needs his head examined.

I think that kind of presumption is actually pretty common, and one of the big problems in Hollywood. It even crept into PR itself, perhaps, in that the Chinese and Russian jaegers had to be chumped super-fast to get them out of the way for the American jaeger to do everything. Hopefully PR 2 goes even further in showing the international nature of the PPDC.

That sounds along the lines of the point I made in post 3926. And I agree.

Now that review is just plain silly.

Having now read the review, I don't think that's entirely fair. I think that the reviewer was suggesting that the film attempted to pander to so many markets by reducing itself to the lowest common denominator across those markets. I don't agree with that myself, but I don't think the reviewer is being deliberately US-centric. Indeed, in his own words (emphasis mine):

Rather than being annoyed that Pacific Rim attempts to appeal to viewers outside the United States, I think that he is disappointed because he thinks that Pacific Rim falls back on basic concepts that are common to every market (e.g family, teamwork) rather than trying something new and innovative in its appeal. Again, I don't agree with this myself.

edited 10th Jul '14 9:57:51 AM by pagad

I do. I think you guys are overreacting because it's a panning review. Let's face it, Pacific Rim is NOT a particularly challenging or deep movie. At points, it has about as much depth as a generic Hulk Hogan / John Cena promo, and has the same kinds of principles/themes/messages that said wrestlers promos contain. A lot of the anime it fashions itself after went out of fasion with the Universal Century War, long before Evangelion tore down the foundations of the Super Robot. It doesn't really strive as far as something like Gurren Lagann or Gunbuster at rebuilding those foundations. The characters are very flat and one-note with perhaps the exception of Rinko Kikuchi.

I think a many hours long series can perhaps go deeper than a movie. This seems like a logical thing to think.

edited 10th Jul '14 11:54:37 AM by Bocaj

The problem is, a movie should be able to explore these concepts on it's own without the need to do homework before viewing it.

Shifting topics a bit, the Atlantic review pointed out something else I didn't even think about until now; for a concept allegedly meant to symbolize our need to bond over differences, most of the drifting teams are depressingly insular; except for Mako and Raleigh, they're all related or already married or whatever, undermining the whole idea.

What about Newt and Gottlieb? Despite the fanfics I've seen, they aren't married.

Also, Pentecost and Chuck.

edited 10th Jul '14 12:03:36 PM by Bocaj

They're not robot jox, though, and that's where most of the movie's focus was on.

Most of the focus is on Mako/Raleigh which as you said exemplifies the themes.

Much of the beta focus is on Newt and Hermann and their contribution to the resolution of the plot is pretty dang important too.

So the majority of the focus of the movie does support the working together theme.

In fact, Gottlieb is expecting his first child with his supermodel wife.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Would have been nice to SEE that, not have to take someone else's word for it. Which, as you guys probably know by know, is my biggest problem with the movie.

Maybe we'll see her in the sequel. Prime case of Ugly Guy, Hot Wife.

I don't see why the contents of the book (which, mind you, was based on a different version of the script) would be your biggest complaint with the movie...

You misunderstand, the problem is we're TOLD all these intersting world- and character-building details, but we don't get to SEE much of them in action. Most exemplified with that opening montage, which feels like we've accidentally gone into the sequel without seeing the first movie.

Why would it have been nice to see Gottlieb's supermodel wife? (except for the obvious reasons, you perv)

People have spouses and parents and its not always relevant.

edited 10th Jul '14 12:20:38 PM by Bocaj

To subvert the stereotypes about the crazy, angry scientist with the cane?