We have strong opinions about what the best science-fiction movies are (we have a big best science-fiction movies list to prove it), but one of our favorites has its tenth anniversary today, and we need to look back on it.
We’re talking about a Kaiju movie from one of the best directors of all time, Guillermo Del Toro‘s Pacific Rim. Not only is it an awesome monster flick, but it’s also one of the best robot movies in our opinion due to ‘The Drift’: a state of shared consciousness that allows Jaeger pilots to control massive mechs.
It came out on July 12, 2013, 10 years ago today. We’ve been thinking about it recently, even writing about how it’s the movie Transformers wishes it was.
Pacific Rim is a unique specimen, a special summer blockbuster that hits all the notes studios want a big movie to strike yet comes alive under a unique directorial vision and character writing that doesn’t put audiences to sleep.
When compared to its unfortunate 2018 sequel, Uprising, it’s even easier to appreciate. The film is colorful, with awesome sets and a textured world, even if the CGI hasn’t held up quite as well as Transformers‘ has. That’s fine with us, because Charlie Hunnam and Rinko Kikuchi who led Pacific Rim’s cast have a reliable chemistry and lively dynamic with the supporting characters that set the film apart from other similar swings.
The 2013 tale of humanity’s battle against giant aliens also earned praise for how it handled its romance. So often in 2010s movies, we’d see god-awful attempts at love stories that often left female viewers turned off. Pacific Rim frames the relationship in a way that encourages investment from everyone, without sacrificing the romantic tension or sexiness. There are a lot of good articles out there about how it flirts with the female gaze and strikes a different tone with its female lead, those are worth reading if you’re a fan.
For more like Pacific Rim, check out the best monster movies. We’ve also got a tidbit about how Charlie Day was electrocuted while filming. Or, you could look through our lists of the best movies of all time and the new movies coming soon.