Pacific Rim: Giant Robots vs. Giant Monsters

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I saw Pacific Rim yesterday! Finally. I liked it a lot, though I had a similar problem that I had with Firefly: people were squeeing so much about it that I ended up almost disappointed because it didn't quite live up to my high expectations.


Things I liked: GIANT ROBOTS. Yay worldbuilding! With politics and economics and society in the background and all working together, with black markets and stuff. Canonical soulbonding. Somewhat realistic technological improvements and yet not because of general panic. Mako & Stacker :) The action scenes were fun, the soundtrack fit, the colors were well done, and the kaiju didn't look silly. The emphasis on acting together instead of solo was very nice.

Things I didn't like:
- Some of the characters. The Russian couple and the Chinese triplings die in the beginning without any meaningful scenes, while the Australian jerk survives? I wasn't interested in the Australians, or Raleigh for that matter, I've seen characters like them hundreds of times before.
- The science subplot. Seriously, they've been fighting these things for twelve (?) years and never before did they think of doing a DNA analysis, or attempting a drift with a kaiju brain, and they don't have more scientists? Please. It's not like they need geneticists for building the walls. Not to mention it's soo silly and unnecessary that the kaiju are all grown clones, canon rejected. And I wasn't interested in the twitchy scientists either. Give me more Russians instead.
- With so much fight experience and/or simulations they really should know more about their weapons and fighting techniques by now than "oh, right, we do have a sword!" ;)

The stories I want:
- Obviously there are remnants of the drift even when disconnected, right? ;) But nobody talks about it so it's quite a surprise, and not always a good one for different teams.
- Mako learning about Raleigh's brother, Yancy, first through the drift and then later
- The futurefic, especially AUs where Cherno Alpha (which is not correct Russian, btw...) and Crimson Typhoon survive, and those that focus on economics and politics and society rebuilding
- the dark one where the aliens simply re-open the breach a few years later and this time they attack hard and immediately and defend the breach so it can't be attacked that way again
And the crossovers:
- with Leverage, shortly after the first few attacks, where Hardison gets into the Jaeger program as a programmer and Parker and Eliot get involved with the black market
- with Gundam Wing, where the Gundam pilots are the only survivors from a secret program that tried to teach kids how to control a Jaeger on their own; they are integrated into the international Jaeger program but everyone is secretly freaked out by them
- with Generation Kill, with Brad and Ray as copilots that nobody can understand how they work, and Nate as the young deputy commander of their shatterdome
- with the Sarah Jane Adventures, a short one from adult Clyde's perspective, wondering where the Doctor is etc.
- with Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, because obviously they are extremely successful copilots, though now that I think about it I'm not sure how well they would do with the actual program and setting... maybe a few AU elements... hm.

and many more that I will probably think of later. :)

Comments

[extempore]

OMG Leverage X-Over. ♥______♥

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There's no way Hardison is not getting involved. At first he'll probably just hack into their systems and maybe send some anonymous tips, but then as the attacks get worse he realizes how much more he could help from the inside and that they really need him. And defending cities against the Kaiju is more important than taking down corrupt businessmen, even though there are officials that embezzle money from the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps etc. Eventually Eliot and Parker, who of course noticed what he's thinking about, tell him to go, they'll be fine on their own and they'll still be in contact, so he goes. And once he gets to know the Jaeger program better from the inside he can direct Parker and Eliot to the areas/companies where corruption and crime are the biggest problems for the program.

[extempore]

This needs to be written NOW.

Also, because I just have to giggle every time I see this scene (and Eliot's face): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4vmnitfeEA

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Aww *g* I should rewatch Leverage.

There could be a scene where Eliot goes undercover into a Jaeger pilot training station and beats up all of the trainees. But he's not compatible with any of them. It took Hardison a long time to persuade him to do it because he doesn't want to share his mind with anyone.

[astridv]

Think it'll work on DVD/small screen? I'd like to see it, but I have sensitive ears and this one sounds like it's gonna be a loud movie, with lotsa action and explosions...

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There were more shattered buildings and punches than actual explosions. I'm not sure how loud it was - with maybe the exception of one or two scenes I don't remember it being especially loud, but I didn't particularly pay attention. I don't see a reason why it wouldn't work well on a smaller screen.

[lian]

fwiw, I found the trailers leading up to it annoyingly and markedly loud, but the film itself was okay. Maybe that was just acclimatization, though, but it's really not very explosion-y.

[lian]

Joa, bin ziemlich deiner Meinung, aber bei so nem Film bin ich sehr geneigt, Effekt vor Logik gehen zu lassen (wie die Sache mit dem Schwert. 1-A-Anime-Szene!)

Aber es ist halt immer bissl schade, wenn potentiell großartige Konzepte & Charaktere nicht richtig zum Einsatz kommen, ne.

[schneefink]

Super Szene! (Hat mich sehr an Gundam Wing erinnert...) Es wär mir halt lieber gewesen, wenn die Erklärung dafür, warum sie das Schwert nicht vorher verwendet haben, ein mysteriöser Systemfehler oder sowas (*handwave*) gewesen wäre, als dass sie´s einfach vergessen haben. Kleinigkeiten halt. Aber im Großen und Ganzen kann ich das ignorieren. (Viel Übung *g*)

Ja, die Russen und die chinesischen Drillinge hätten viel Besseres verdient, aber was will man machen.

[kittydesade]

I disliked the science subplot for a whole other reason: I thought that guy was an utter idiot for just plugging himself into a kaiju brain without any kind of mental preparation, supervision or backup even if he had to drag some people in clandestinely (did he really have NO friends?), scans of any kind... Even Drifting with other animal brains to practice! I found that reckless and stupid.

[schneefink]

Yes. Not only were there not enough scientists, but the ones they had were reckless and stupid, and jerks to everyone else. (And not even funny.)