Director Guillermo del Toro is best known as the man behind the most soul-crushingly beautiful, frightening, haunting Spanish Civil War/ fantasy quest epic ever, Pan’s Labyrinth and the film adaptations of everyone’s favorite cigar-smoking, cat-loving, super-hero demon from Hell, Hellboy and Hellboy II. However, whether or not he can create a massive summer blockbuster will be put to the test on July 12, 2013 when his new film Pacific Rim opens in theatres. The film’s new trailer just had its premiere at Wondercon, where no doubt a flood of fanboy drool drowned hundreds, because it looks like a gleefully made sci-fi epic. To the cynical viewer, Pacific Rim, has a title that makes it sound like a G.I. Joe ripoff and looks as though Transformers mated with Battle: Los Angeles and produced a film that practically screams fanboygasm.
This
+
This
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Lots and lots of this!!
It involves a race of monsters that rise from the Pacific Ocean (from the…Rim, if you like) that human beings counter attack with giant robots that must be piloted by two psychically linked pilots. However, the monsters refuse to die, and humanity’s hope seems lost, until a pattern is detected in the ways in which the monsters attack and a legendary piloting duo are recruited to control an ancient, older robot model. They are America’s last hope (and all that). In other words–and I want you to ponder this for a moment– it’s monsters, robots, robot-monster fight scenes, and an underdog story all wrapped in one bright, confectionary summer package.
Rocky Sock ‘Em Robots
Del Toro usually trades in emotionally complex monster stories, in which the demons and monsters on display serve to enrich the family dynamics and/ or strong character arcs that provide his movies’ cores. Movies like Cronos, his first film, and Pan’s Labyrinth may feature vampires, fauns, and other facets of magical realism, but the spectacle/ supernatural elements on display never overwhelm the films’ emotional powers. His films always have an achingly poignant relationship or dynamic at their hearts.
Go ahead. Pretend you didn’t cry at this. I’ll let you live that lie.
The present supernatural elements on display enhance and strengthen the more real-life darkness that intrudes and violates the central characters’ lives. In contrast, Pacific Rim seems, at least to the casual observer, a rousing, well-made summer spectacle. There’s nothing wrong with that. It looks like a blast. After all, it has this:
The cynical part of my brain has shut down. This looks awesome.
And this:
The cynical part of my brain is stirring, but it’s weak, and I can keep it distracted with thoughts of Michael Bay.
However, whether or not it is capable of achieving any kind of emotional response in its viewers is still TBD. I may feel del Toro is just making this movie to psychologically torment me through his continual not-making of Hellboy III, but I cannot help but feel tingles of anticipation when I watch this trailer– the involuntary smile and slightly elevated pulse eagerness produces. Del Toro is a brilliant filmmaker and I refuse to believe any movie he gets behind could be all spectacle, no emotional power. Plus, I like to see monsters and robots engage in an epic battle for Earth’s soul as much as the next guy, even if giant robots seem a bit atypical for del Toro.
Then again…
For those who love Del Toro’s previous films, Pacific Rim may be a hard sell. It seems to lack the haunting, grotesque beauty of his most notable works. Yet, the fact that del Toro is behind it leads me to hope that the film will more than the sum of its impressive parts (though as long as those parts seem to have a robot carrying a battleship, I’m gonna stay kinda on board). Plus, Ron Perlman is around, also torturing me by reminding me he’s not doing a Hellboy movie at the moment, so it has that going for it.
“Why are people sending me cats and cigars?”
Bring on the post-apocalyptic Earth, sea-rising monsters, and massive, human-controled, robots. I’ve got my bag of popcorn ready for an awesome summer blockbuster. experience, even if I’m still holding out for this:
Putting a bullet through your hopes and dreams.
Check out the trailer below:
So, what do you think? Are you guys sexcited for this? Are you just waiting for Hellboy III, as well? Let us know in the comments!
Filed under: Film, Trailers Tagged: Film, FIlm Trailer, Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy, Pacific Rim, Pan's Labyrinth, Ron Perlman, Trailer, Wondercon
