By now, Guillermo Del Toros monster mash, Pacific Rim, has been in release for over two weeks. Critically, its seen mostly glowing reviews. Financially, its been declared a bomb, a failure, and a disaster. The first sign appeared when proponents of deer piss humor pushed Grown Ups 2 to open higher on the same opening weekend. Things got worse from there as hopes that it would rebound from its disappointing 3rd place finish ended after it suffered a steep second weekend drop off. When all is said and done, production company, Legendary, will likely chalk the film up as a small financial failure. So what happened? What went wrong? Pacific Rim received no shortage of internet hype, but as weve seen from (countless) (examples), internet hype doesnt always translate to box office supremacy. And what about those comparison to Star Wars? Are they a marketing gimmick or something more? The truth is that Pacific Rim had a number of problems looming against it from the beginning of production. First, its chiefly a movie about giant mechs fighting giant monsters. Thats really it. While that may sound appealing to people who like anime, robots, or scifi, its not exactly going to usher in a diverse audience. Del Toro could have rectified that with a popular, likable cast, but instead, the film is led by the likes of Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, and Charlie Day. While they all acquit themselves well, this is the type of film that needs star power so the audience has a recognizable human presence to latch on to. It didnt have it.
Further limiting its appeal to mainstream audiences, the film spectacularly fails the Bechdel test. The only female character of any importance in the film, Mako Mori, though proven a capable fighter by the climax, has to be defended on numerous occasions from petty insults and dangers. Her own womanly emotions constantly get in the way of her ability to function as a soldier. In a film that already had limited female appeal, Del Toro may have alienated women some more with his characterization of Mako. Pacific Rim may be a financial misfire, but is it fair to call it a failure, as so many have? The answer is no. The films central conceit, that humanity builds giant mechs called Jaegers to fight giant monsters from another dimension called Kaiju, is as shallow and cartoonish as it possibly could be. But the movie miraculously works. Longtime collaborator Guillermo Navaro returns to lend his cinematographic eye to Del Toros aesthetic sensibilities, and together they create an imaginative, fully realized world that just begs for further exploration. Its the type of film that hints at a larger expanded universe, the kind that made Star Wars such a resounding success. Speaking of which, many of the films trailers have called attention to the Pacific Rim/Star Wars comparisons that a few critics have made. Its an apt comparison, as the films share a lot in common, despite the vastly different narratives. Both films feature simplistic plots and clearly defined heroes and villains. They both feature mind blowing special effects, the type of stuff that seeps into kids imaginations, that can change their entire childhood. Detractors of Pacific Rim will note that it couldnt possibly compare to the story of Star Wars, but Star Wars didnt become a true epic of complexity and surprise until The Empire Strikes Back. With the world building that Del Toro has done in creating the Jaegers, the neural bridge, and the Kaiju, it wouldnt be a stretch if a potential sequel turned Pacific Rim into the next Star Wars. While writer Travis Beachem is supposedly working on a sequel script, as of now its unlikely that Legendary green lights a sequel. However, if Legendarys Godzilla reboot next summer becomes a massive hit, dont be surprised to see the return of Jaeger and Kaiju mayhem. But until then, let your inner child take over, and go see Pacific Rim on the big screen before the opportunity is lost.