Movie Review – Pacific Rim: Uprising

Sequels tend to get a bad rap. Following a blockbuster with a sequel helmed by a different director can be dicey at best and a fully expected disaster.  Fortunately for all of us PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING (2018) made the seamless transition from one-off Kaiju/Mecha flick to enjoyable (possible) trilogy (and we all know there will be a third).

Jake Pentecost (John Boyega) has abandoned the legacy his father gave his life for and now makes a living stealing scrap and selling it to the highest bidder. After a scrape with the law that could get him more than a slap on the wrist, he trades scavenging for piloting as a new threat from not only next-gen drones turning pilot into “desk jockeys,” but rogue Jaegers threatens human existence. Orphan and skilled scrapper herself, Amara (Cailee Spaeny) has her own personal trauma to deal with and she’s even built her own single-pilot Jaeger to deal with some anger issues, but she’s a less than perfect fit for the Shatterdome Cadet program, and her fellow cadets would agree. Both Kane and Amara are outsiders thrown into a world they simultaneously love and hate. Back for Round 2 is Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), now commander of the Pan-Pacific Defence Corps, as well as Dr. Hermann Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) and Dr. Newt Geiszler (Charlie Day), though Newt has left for the private sector, and he couldn’t be a bigger bootlicking sycophant doing what he loves – being a duplicitous jackass.

I can’t say any more because it has to be experienced, especially the [REDACTED]. I’m giddy thinking about it.

I enjoyed Pacific Rim: Uprising because not only did it managed to seamlessly introduce us to new characters in a world we’re already familiar with, but the storyline continued without shoehorning far-fetched threats outside of the universe. This feels like a well-planned trilogy as natural character evolutions are revealed and the plot shifts. None of it feels forced. These are palpable threats. No one takes some stupid leap of faith or logic, and that is so refreshing for a Kaiju movie.

I’ll admit, I’d only seen Pacific Rim (2013) just this past weekend in preparation and now I wish I’d seen it on the big screen. It’s big and loud and so. much. fun.

This movie is just a hoot. I love the fighting Jaegers, I love the deception, I looooove the Kaiju. I love the story. It’s a movie worth seeing twice and it feels exhilarating. Pacific Rim: Uprising is a great big monster movie and you’re allowed to be swept up in all of it, so let it happen. Just go and have a good time. We want to see at least one more of these.

Pacific Rim: Uprising is rated PG-13  for Kaiju destroying cities, jaegers kicking the crap out of each other, stuff blowing up, mild swears, and some really gross innuendo with a – you know, I can’t even talk about it (bleech).