0 Comments

FILM REVIEW

PACIFIC RIM, 2013, co-written and directed by Guillermo del Toro.

★★★ out of ★★★★

After an abscence of five years since HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, del Toro makes a triumphant return to the silver-screen in blockbuster style with PACIFIC RIM, a gigantic monster fighting picture unlike any seen before.

———————————————
SPOILER ALERT: SIGNIFICANT PLOT POINTS
———————————————

To paraphrase a quote from a blog entry I wrote nearly two months ago: “giant monsters … del Toro?”. Indeed the idea does not sound keen from the director of the PAN’S LABYRINTH (2006) or CRONOS (1993) but in fact del Toro orchestrates his regular themes and love of monsters magically in a film that knocks the ole nostalgia muscle into physical fitness by reminding us of the Godzilla-giant-monster movies. Although the film itself does not make obvious homages to the excellent kaiju Japanese monster movies of the 1950s and 1960s, this actually fuels the picture’s original concepts of humans piloting the “Jaegers” or “Hunters” (giant humanoid mechas) to combat kaijus (colossal monsters) which have emerged from the Pacific Ocean.

It is necessary for the two pilots to sync their movements for controlling the Jaegers by first synchronising their thoughts and emotions in a process called “drifting” and in this film director del Toro’s mind is absolutely connected to the overall project’s juxtaposition of the giant battles and human emotions that coarse through characters like Idris Elba’s blood. Unlike J J Abrams’ own giant monster which emerged from the New York Harbour in CLOVERFIELD (2008) and terrorised audiences with terrible dialogue, inept story, corrupt soundtrack, and two-dimensional characters, del Toro’s monsters and opposing mechas are beautifully decorated with pastel-like special effects that enhance their painterly depth like creatures from a Francisco Goya (1746-1828) painting.

There is no doubt that the most powerful scenes in the whole film were the flashback sequences to Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) as a child when she lost her family to a kaiju and witnessed a jaeger save her life. These sequences offer the best perspective to the damage kaiju inflict on humanity – emotional pain – likened to losing one’s family or culture, and I cannot help but feel as though del Toro was also hinting at historical events such as the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 as backdrop to the political implications of “monsters”.

Not since the South Korean picture THE HOST (2006, directed by Bong Joon-ho) has a monster film tackled so many issues (e.g. economic, political and social) all reolving around humanity’s struggle to survive their own worst enemy: themselves. Not even the large budget seems to affect RIM’s charisma and expectations, as demonstrated when the Jaeger pilots make final preparations inside their cockpits to synchronise their memories in order to pilot gigantic mechas that are [excuse the cliche] “humanity’s last hope”. Even the film’s tagline, mentioned by narrator Charlie Hunnam near the beginning – “To fight monsters, we created monsters” – is elegant and endearing.

Though PACIFIC RIM ranks high above the likes of the diastorous American remake movie GODZILLA (1998, directed by Roland Emmerich) both films do unfortunately share a common ancestor: bumbling people. The most maligned accessory to this RIM were the two bumbling scientists (Charlie Day & Burn Gorman) whom seem to fulfil all of the stereotypes and yet contribute weak comic relief to the overall production whilst in GODZILLA (1998) just about everyone is granted an opportunity to bumble and joke, despite the fact that a humongous lizard is destroying a specific city and nesting hundred of future offspring in Madison Square Garden. Some of RIM’s Hollywood-action-movie editing certain dialogues such as Idris Elba’s are unnecessary and cliche but overshadowed by it’s excellent auteur’s vision.

Perhaps the most original and outstanding sci-fi film of the year (so far), del Toro’s PACIFIC RIM is frought with his distinctive eye for monsters, and fairytale-like wonder. Coupled with Ramin Djawadi’s electronic, heroic score and Guillermo Navarro’s appropriate ‘apocalyptic’ cinematography RIM has all the ingrediants of a must-see film. And whilst RIM will not likely stimulate children to enact their own monster battles it is still set to become a cult classic and this fan’s favourite sci-fi picture of the year (so far).


0 Comments

FILM REVIEW

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, 2013, directed by Dan Scanlon, from Pixar Animation Studios.

★ out of ★★★★

Following the scare duo of Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman) before they met at the titular university, it seems that some of their original chemistry still exists although it is two grades short of heartwarming since the predecessor MONSTERS, INC in 2001 directed by Pete Docter.

It is most unfortunate that since the success of TOY STORY 3 in 2010 directed by Lee Unkrich, and the death of Pixar co-owner Steve Jobs in 2011, the studio famed for such classic hits such as FINDING NEMO (2003, directed by Andrew Stanton) and more have been gradually going downhill. This film is sadly no exception.

———————————————
SPOILER ALERT: SIGNIFICANT PLOT POINTS
———————————————

Whilst the movie has pockets of funny moments they are not deep what-so-ever but merely reminiscent of every “college motion picture” ever made including THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2011, directed by David Fincher), the REVENGE OF THE NERDS franchise (1984-1994), ANIMAL HOUSE (1978, directed by John Landis) and more. Sadly, this Pixar film has children laughing but adults occasionally checking their watches.

It is regretful that Randy Newman’s score (his seventh collaboration with Pixar) not only borrows heavily from MONSTERS, INC but also features no moments to itself. Dan Scanlon’s feature-film debut [with Pixar] is all-over the place and does not stand with two feet on the ground but five, maybe even more as he displays no clear approach. The cinematography though is one of the movie’s better qualities as it’s David Fincher Social-Network-esque lighting and camera angles (also borrowing from TOY STORY 3) benefits it’s themes of loneliness and superiority complexes. Apart from the two lead roles voiced by BC and JG the rest of the cast are as dull as a copyright infrigned Buzz Lightyear toy, with too many new characters (again like TOY STORY 3) rehearsing a ridiculously terrible screenplay.

The remotely decent scenes in the film however came when Mike and Sulley are caught in the human world and you can play witness to the awe of Pixar’s human animations (as you should have already done so with the attached theatrical short film THE BLUE UMBRELLA directed by Saschka Unseld). But the scene quickly reminds you just how trivial this overall film is as Mike and Sulley are forced to scare the adult police officers in order to power the door that will allow them to escape the human world. This is faulty for two reasons: first, story – whether it is just children’s toys or human objects in general, aren’t all human items meant to be “toxic”? And yet Mike and Sulley are freely touching all sorts of human trinkits. Secondly, the scene feels too much like a bad Pixar version of FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980, directed by Sean S. Cunningham) as the scaring takes place in a wooden cabin next to a lake on a full moon night, and distastefully sees Mike expose his existence to several human children.

By the time the ending has arrived, a quick five-minute montage places Mike and Sulley at the Monsters Inc scare factory where would you believe it, the Abominable Snowman monster is a post delivery employee in what is Pixar “lukcy charm” John Ratzenberger’s worst voice character performance, and appearance.

Overall, it felt as though Pixar were trying to replicate their success with TOY STORY 3 where the toys ended up in a day care centre (more like a prison) as their owner Andy (John Morris) was preparing to leave for college – Pixar were trying to combine their childlike minds in adult bodies with fun situations. But without a Michael Arndt (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, 2006) screenplay or that same childlike wonder, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY is a miss and might as well have been a [Disney] parent-company-made movie like the Pixar rip-off PLANES set for release shortly.

I just hope Pixar can recover again like they did after CARS (2006, directed by John Lasseter) because I miss the originality, the spectacle, and joy I got everytime I saw just the Luxo Jr lamp enter the screen’s frame and introduce their pictures.


0 Comments