“Pacific Rim: Uprising” fails to surpass predecessor

Pacific Rim: Uprising had a lot to live up to. Its predecessor, the first Pacific Rim movie, was packed with efficient storytelling, cheesy romance, and, above all, robot-on-monster brutality. Did Pacific Rim: Uprising live up to the bellicose hype of its fans? Did it continue the legacy of gargantuan combat started by the first movie?

The answer is yes, and no.

By no means is this movie a complete dumpster fire. However, not only did it fall short of the first movie’s efficient storytelling, it lacked the gravity of the first film, which made it such an epic experience.  Lack of chemistry between characters, childish color palettes, and many other shortcomings made Pacfic Rim: Uprising feel less like a live action anime and more like a high budget episode of Power Rangers.

In the beginning of the movie, we meet former Jaegar pilot, Jake Pentecost, who makes a living by selling illegal Jaegar parts on the black market. In one of his heists he meets Amara Namani, who builds her own Jaegar out of stolen parts. The two are apprehended and taken to prison; thereafter, they are sent to the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps to join the other Jeagar pilots and prepare for an oncoming threat.

Jake Pentecost, played by John Boyega, is the highlight of the movie. He quips, he’s athletic, he’s got the most personality, and he makes the greatest impression out of all the characters in the movie. However, even Boyega’s acting could not save the moments he and Amara Namani (played by Cailee Spaeny) were on screen together. Boyega and Spaeny were awkward, to say the least, and her somewhat sophomoric? acting horribly clashed with Boyega’s humor and confidence.

Later in the story, Boyega sparks a rivalry with his former co-pilot, and Spaeny grows in camaraderie with the other cadets. Both of those dynamics are far more interesting than the one Spaeny has with Boyega., and yet, those more interesting interactions are pushed aside to make screen time for Boyega and Speany. Throughout the entire movie, I hoped to see more of those spunky young cadets and less of the two main characters.

In addition to uninspired character dynamics, Uprising contained irreconcilable clichés and plot holes. Predictability of the plot hampered the movie’s goofiness, and as I watched, I accurately predicted every clichéd transition between acts.

Lastly, fight scenes in Pacific Rim: Uprising didn’t quite capture the immenseness of the first film. The fights of the first Pacific Rim felt operatic, romantic, and epic in ways one would not normally feel about giant robots fighting giant monsters. The color palettes felt misty and highly saturated; the way the waves swelled and roared around the Jaegars gave the sea a life of its own. Fights in the first Pacific Rim could almost be described as art.

Uprising lacks the aesthetic quality of the first installment that legitimized giant robot action for adults. Instead of musky oranges and dark blues, the monster fights are fought to a childish blue sky and light gray buildings. Instead of the giant monsters surprising audiences with their powers, their abilities are highly predictable. Instead of a talented director using beautiful cinematography to give life to a dumb premise, we see a director taking his dumb premise much too seriously (or not seriously enough).

Pacific Rim: Uprising is an entertaining movie, and for the casual moviegoer that may enjoy the spectacle of mountain-sized robots and monsters doing battle, this movie will be fun. It is, however, a noticeable step down from the first Pacific Rim. Due to awkward character chemistry, confused plotlines, and decreased aesthetic quality, this film does not receive my recommendation.

Image courtesy of Legendary Pictures