OVERVIEW: Monsters and robots go head to head when the action-packed spectacle “Pacific Rim” from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures arrives onto Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on October 15 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Directed by Oscar® nominee (Best Writing, Original Screenplay, “Pan’s Labyrinth,” 2006) Guillermo del Toro, “Pacific Rim” follows a team of unlikely fighters who unite for a final attempt to save humanity from terrifying monsters that emerged from the sea.

“Pacific Rim” will be available on Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, on Blu-ray Combo Pack and on 2-disc DVD Special Edition. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in 3D hi-definition, hi-definition and standard definition; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray; and the DVD features the theatrical version in standard definition. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and the 2-disc DVD Special Edition include UltraViolet* which allows consumers to download and instantly stream the theatrical version of the film to a wide range of devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players. 

SYNOPSIS: 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.

FILM REVIEW: So regardless if you are a colossal monster (Kaiju), a giant robot of sorts (Jaeger), or just a regular movie goer, this movie hits the ground running. It is fast paced and action packed to say the least and that pretty much sums it all up. This movie is to be taken at face value, nothing more and nothing less. It is eye candy for action buffs. It is intense and elaborate. The special effects are just as colossal as the Kaiju and Jaegers. It truly is a spectacle of sight and sound. For this alone it is worth the watch but do it cautiously with reasonable expectations because this movie is not a story for the ages, nor is it a dramatic masterpiece. I mean, the story is okay considering the genre, and there is some drama, but this type of movie is meant to entertain via special effects and action. The rest is just secondary. In other words, there is plenty of cheesiness. It is best summed up as a new age Godzilla, Hong Kong and all. And just like the classic Godzilla films are cinematic treasures in their own right, so could this one be someday, maybe, in the future, possibly . . . nah, I doubt it. But it is a fun movie for what it is.

So again, the main aspects of the film are the effects and action so characteristics such as actor performances are not as noticeable. But the cast did good enough for this type of movie, the most impressive performance given by Idris Elba. He was quite good at imposing his authority as the “man-in-charge”. Charlie Hunnam in the lead role was okay but not very memorable. There were some good supporting role performances by Ron Perlman, Charlie Day, and Burn Gorman. Charlie and Burn gave some good comic relief as you would expect from them. The cast all in all was okay but definitely not the focus of the film. Nor are the characters they play. The character development is weak so it’s hard to attach to any of them. The storyline is also weak, at times too simplistic and at others trying to be way too convoluted. You know, a sci-fi story. One could easily want to compare this to Transformers but can I tell you that no matter how similar they might be, the movies are so different that it’s hard to compare them. The Transformers themselves are individuals whereas the Jaegers are machines, highly regarded and celebrated machines but machines nonetheless and piloted by human beings. And then there’s that Iron Man looking Jaeger with the lighted circle on its chest. What’s up with that? Guillermo del Toro has directed some off the beaten path fun movies such as the Hellboys and Blade II, as well as the critically acclaimed Pan’s Labyrinth so this one fits right in that mix. This is an off the beaten path fun movie, not great but fun.

BLU-RAY: The film is presented in widescreen in a 1.85:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good, a 7.1 Dolby Digital in English that provides a good complement to the picture. It also includes  English, French  and Spanish subtitles.

VIDEO:
Widescreen (1.85:1) 16x9

AUDIO:
English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital,  and English Audio Description

Subtitles - English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio Commentary by Guillermo del Toro

The Directors Notebook

Drift Space

The Digital Artistry of Pacific Rim

The Shatterdome

Focus Points

Deleted Scenes

Blooper Reel

Ultraviolet Copy

DVD Copy