Pacific Rim (2013): Idris Elba walks around calmly yelling at everything. IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
Okay, guys. Have I ever steered you wrong about any movie ever?
No.
(No one who has watched Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine has ever regretted it.)
So, PLEASE, listen to me and go see Pacific Rim. Preferably, this weekend, because if Grown-Ups 2 (I refuse to bold it) beats it at the box office -- I will go somewhere where I can be alone and I will cry like I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye.
Pacific Rim is not the most ground-breaking or original or "classic cinema" film. But, it is awesome and perfect and lovely. Del Toro has repeatedly said that he was paying homage to the brilliant classic movie monsters (Godzilla, Gamera, etc, etc). AND THIS SO WORKS.
It's not just a copy of anything either -- it's new and interesting.
And, it's also SUPER-FUN.
And, guys, the emotional core of the film is not some stupid relationship (although, there are a couple of meaningful connections with varying degrees of well-done) and it's not some stupid "yay humanity!" (whatever) and it's not some stupid finding meaning in life (ha!). No, the emotional core of Pacific Rim is Idris Elba (alias Stacker Pentecost. Yeah.) walking around yelling at everything -- calmly.
It is truly wonderful.
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This is the main reason why you need to see it. I could tell you about the intricate visualizations and peachy-keen details, and you would get it -- and you would feel fulfilled in life.
BUT, I CANNOT DESCRIBE THE WONDERFULNESS OF IDRIS ELBA YELLING AT PEOPLE.
AND CANCELLING THE APOCALYPSE.
AND EVERYTHING HURTS. KILL ME. IT'S TOO BEAUTIFUL.
Oh, I went a little of the rails there -- but really.
And all jesting aside (I wasn't actually jesting, but I'm going to pretend I was), Idris Elba is the emotional core of the film. His relationships with the other characters (one in particular) is great. And his deep stares are actually transfixing.
He said this in an interview: "With Stacker, you know, I wasn't allowed to move anything but my eyes and my eyebrows and my mustache."
It's true. THROW SOME OSCARS AT HIM, PLEASE.
Also, does Idris only take on characters with cool names? Like is that a stipulation in his contract?
I mean, I guess when your real name is Idrissa Akuna Elba, you just don't want to play characters with unworthy names.
I also should probably mention the other actors. They were all pretty good. Some were great, but the rest played their characters well.
Rinko Kikuchi was absolutely wonderful and a complete star!
Charlie Day and Burns Gorman (who I always assume is a spy, but he actually wasn't a kaiju in human disguise. ooops. SPOILER ALERT!) were quite fun.
Also, I'm pretty sure that the director is messing with us by giving different end credits to all the blonde guys in the movie. Because, they are clearly all played by the same guy. I mean, sometimes, he has an Australian accent; sometimes, he's pretending to be his own brother. But, they're all played by the same guy! I could see no difference. It must be an in-joke about cloning. Or it's a set-up for a sequel. Or this entire movie was just a dream.
In conclusion, please go watch Idris Elba yell at people and please do not force me to burn up a sun just to say goodbye.
Goodbye!
^In an unexpected twist, that no one saw coming, Idris Elba is 3 feet taller than anyone else in the movie.
P.S. It was impossible to find ANYONE to go see this movie with me. HONESTLY. I couldn't even get my 13-year-old brother to go with me.
That's right. We now live in a world where 13-year-olds don't want to go see monster movies.
Anyway. I finally managed to get him to go with me by paying for his ticket -- BECAUSE HE WAS BORED. Seriously.
And, he loved it. So consider that a ringing endorsement.
-Meg
originally published on ClassicForever on July 12, 2013