We're getting mauled by a race of giant monsters, Kaiju, coming out of an inter-dimensional rift in the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. For the last dozen years or so the earth has fought back with Jaegers, massive robots piloted by neurally-linked pairs of brave souls. The problem is the Kaiju are winning, coming through the rift bigger, badder, and more often and the Jaeger program, and the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps that runs it is about to be defunded as the final days of humanity draw near.
Enter our hero, Raleigh Beckett (Charlie Hunnam), a former Jaeger pilot who lost his brother halfway through this long Kaiju War. With earth down to a handful of outclassed and outgunned Jaegers, PPDC Marshal Stacker Pentecost (yes, that's his name, and yes, he's played by Idris Elba) drags him out of anonymity in Alaska and to the final remaining Jaeger base in Hong Kong, with the plan to make a last-ditch effort to attack the rift itself and seal it, saving the planet.
If this seems like the plot of the most badass live-action anime you can think of (plus Ron Perlman) then yes, you're pretty much right on the mark. Pacific Rim knows exactly who its audience is and opens up with slam-bang action, all the way through, as we see the Kaiju War through Beckett's eyes. Mako Mori (Oscar-nominated Rinko Kikuchi), Pentecost's young protege', may be the only person able to link with Beckett and handle the pain of his loss while still being able to fire plasma cannon shots down the throats of rampaging Kaiju, and Drs. Geiszler and Gottlieb and (Charlie Day and Burn Gorman) round out the cast as the brains behind the robotic brawn.
Proust and Longfellow, this ain't. But as far as giant robots with elbow-rocket assisted punching goes? It's Shakespeare. So far, this movie is the only thing coming close to Iron Man 3 in the summer fun department.
I suppose a set of pocket nukes was out of the question?
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