In “Pacific Rim,” legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, have started rising from the sea, beginning a war that takes millions of lives and consumes humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes – a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) – who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.
Guillermo Del Toro has crafted one of the most fun and jaw dropping spectacles I've seen in quite some time. From the opening moments on I felt transported to a post apocalypse world filled with Kaiju (an alien species who attack from deep below the earth's surface) and Jaegers (human controlled and built giant robot fighting machines). The battles between them go from deep under sea to above the ocean, through cities, and even briefly above the planet. Of course without human characters you care baout then all the action in the world doesn't add up to much. Thankfully Del Toro has brought together a terrific cast that includes Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Rob Kazinsky and more. While we don;t get a depth of character development you get enough info and what drives these people to keep fighting and they play off one another beautifully.
I was amazed by the gorgeous creature design and the Jaegers are without a doubt the most bad ass war machines to ever grace the screen. Gipsy Danger is my favorite design. How this film wasn't one of the biggest movies of the summer still dumbfounds me. This is a definite must own and encourage you to add this to your collection. You won't be disappointed. 9/10
Pacific Rim arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1. - In a word breathtaking. Colors burst across the screen with rich saturation. The neon colored aspects of the Kaiju and the bright blue bursts of the Jaeger's plasma shots are rendered perfectly. Fleshtones have very natural and inviting look. Fine detail was astounding brings you close up to the fearsome creatures and human faces show every freckle and wrinkle line. Black levels were deep and inky with perfect shadow delineation. I noticed only a few quick moments of noise in darker scenes. This is one of the finest presentations of the year. 10/10
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. - POWERFUL! and GIGANTIC! is the best way to describe this monstrous audio presentation. LFE response is massive and brutal. There are moments in this film where I literal felt like a Kaiju had just stepped on me and caved my chest in. Surrounds are almost constantly engaged and help to create some of the most immersive battle scenes to ever pound my listening room into submission. Dialogue through all the mayhem stays crisp and clean throughout. Dynamics are spectacular from quiet scenes where you can hear a pin drop to five seconds later a Kaiju makes it's presence known and then attacks with ferocity. Without a doubt this will be demo material for years to come and in my personal all time faves for a full on Blu-ray aural assault.10/10
**DISC 1**
* Audio Commentary with Guillermo Del Toro - It is such a treat to listen to a filmmaker speak with so much passion and honesty. No stone is left unturned here and truly is a master class for anyone who loves film.
* Focus Points (HD) - By selecting individually or using a play all feature you get 62 minutes of featurettes that show pretty much every aspect of the production. The craftsmanship and the minds that melded to make the wondrous feature film are explored in detail. The featurettes include:
- A Film by Guillermo Del Toro (HD, 4min47sec)
- A Primer on Kaijus & Jaegers (HD, 4min9sec)
- Intricacy of Robot Design(HD, 4min53sec)
- Honoring the Kaiju Tradition (HD, 4min30sec)
- The Importance of Mass and Scale (HD, 5min45sec)
- Shatterdome Ranger Roll Call (HD, 5min39sec)
- Jaegers Echo Human Grace (HD, 4min1sec)
- Inside the Drift (HD, 4min36sec)
- Goth-Tech (HD, 4min39sec)
- Mega Sized Sets (HD, 8min54sec)
- Baby Kaiju Set Visit (HD, 3min7sec)
- Tokyo Alley Set Visit (HD, 3min17sec)
- Orchestral Sounds from the Anteverse (HD, 4min4sec)
**DISC 2**
* The Director's Notebook (HD) - Director Guillermo Del Toro brings us deeper into his mind with this interactive Pacific Rim notebook. A plethora of designs, interviews, additional Focus Points, and much more. Take your time and enjoy this fun feature.
* The Shatterdome (HD) - Here we are treated to everything that went into the film's design. Numerous still art galleries, sketches, animatics and looks at the detailed maquettes.
* The Digital Artistry of Pacific Rim (HD, 17min) - An in depth look at the visual effects to bring Del Toro's vision to life.
* Deleted Scenes (HD, 4min) - Four scenes total that aren't missed in the movie but are fun to take a look at.
* Drift Space (HD, 5min) - Get more info on the amazing Drift scenes of the film.
* Blooper Reel (HD, 4min) - Enjoyable to see a cast and crew who seem to be having a great time working together.