Pacific Rim

[murdoc]

This would been 12 year old me's favorite movie EVER. As an adult, I thought it was still pretty awesome and am pretty sure I'll see it in theatres again.

Incredibly disappointing it is showing so poorly at the boxoffice, but I am also not very surprised. No chance we'll see another one and it probably hurts Del Toro's chance at another big budget movie.

[Ghambit]

Yeah, the umbrella and the digital/analog thing bugged me also, but the tanker was used for awesome, so everything else is forgiven, amirite?

I preferred the umbrella doing what it was doing, because of artistic license.  It really wouldn't have been that great a scene (and I thought it was very well shot) with a fluttery awkward umbrella ruining the moment.  Definitely wouldn't have matched Mako's stoic ninjanerd character.

As for the digital/analog thing, I let it go because they explained the default powersystems... which were diesel-electric (in all of the other mechs).  An EMP would wreak havoc on those.  A nuclear-vortex turbine-reactor though??  Notsomuch.  Granted, all of the subsidiary components would be at risk, but let us assume those were adequately ray shielded.

[HaemishM]

No chance we'll see another one and it probably hurts Del Toro's chance at another big budget movie.

I'm truly astounded he was able to get the kind of money for this movie that he did. He hasn't ever really delivered a blockbuster hit. His movies have been GOOD but they haven't been profit centers. Supposedly it made $60 million overseas, so it will make its money back in the international market. That was enough for Battleship to not be a complete flop, it should be fine for this movie too.

Now, if he'd done the Hobbit, he'd have been able to write his own ticket in Hollywood like Peter Jackson after the LotR series.

[Merusk]

Part of the reason it lost to DM2 and GU2 is they're more family-friendly.  You may not like fart jokes, etc but you know your kids won't wake-up having nightmares because of them.  Even though the movie has a PG-13 rating, few parents are going to take their kids below the age of 11 or 12 to it because of that.  Therefore, those two movies will win-out. 

Now it's pathetic that GU2 will do better domestically simply because Gu1 wasn't all that funny but that's the breaks.  The public wants predictability and consistency, we've known this for decades so don't be shocked by it now.

[eldaec]

No chance we'll see another one and it probably hurts Del Toro's chance at another big budget movie.

I'm truly astounded he was able to get the kind of money for this movie that he did. He hasn't ever really delivered a blockbuster hit. His movies have been GOOD but they haven't been profit centers. Supposedly it made $60 million overseas, so it will make its money back in the international market. That was enough for Battleship to not be a complete flop, it should be fine for this movie too.

Now, if he'd done the Hobbit, he'd have been able to write his own ticket in Hollywood like Peter Jackson after the LotR series.

I was more surprised it got this budget without an a list star.

This movie could have flopped. Add Colin fucking Farrell and it could not.

[dd0029]

Reason 7; no pointless sex scene.  It would have undercut the idea that the drift made you closer to your partner than anything else.

I forgot to ask if anyone stayed through the 1st part of the credits.  I did only because the background was a series of detailed, un-skinned stills of the models.  It was the first really good look at some of the modeling and pretty fantastic.  To my surprise there was a 'stinger' scene.

For those who missed it:

Spoiler was not in my showing. Terribly annoyed to have sat through it all.

[Merusk]

Crazy, I figured it'd be in all of them. There's the model montage credits, then the stinger, then the traditional roll credits.

[Evildrider]

This was so damn good.   

[Khaldun]

One reason it's not doing so well is that Warner is apparently deliberately ass-fucking the picture to teach Legendary a lesson. Hopefully everyone will remember that the next time there's a chance to hire Del Toro.

[Teleku]

Just got back from it.  Agree with what everybody said here, it was a really fun movie.  Well done over all.

Only one scene where it got in the way, but unable to think of anything it helped, suggests you are setting a very low bar for "pretty good".

The way you describe it sounds a lot more like "worthless and occasionally irritating".

I accept this counts as "much better than average".

Let me go against the grain then.  I thought this film was significantly enhanced by its 3D to the point I'd almost say not to bother seeing it in theaters if you can't get it in 3D.

[Sir T]

YOU know, I've been seeing the trailers in TV and the vibe I got was "yet another Transformers crapola" they had the black guy with his "I am CANCELLING THIS APOCALYPSE" which was a pretty dumb line. I would believe conspiracies about Warner bros deliberately screwing this movie over. And yed in my local supermarket there's Monsters university merchandise. Urgh.

[Ingmar]

YOU know, I've been seeing the trailers in TV and the vibe I got was "yet another Transformers crapola" they had the black guy with his "I am CANCELLING THIS APOCALYPSE" which was a pretty dumb line. I would believe conspiracies about Warner bros deliberately screwing this movie over. And yed in my local supermarket there's Monsters university merchandise. Urgh.

Monsters U. isn't Warner, so, um, OK?

[Merusk]

Yeah, to counterbalance what I said previously about ads for PR.  I haven't seen a single one since Friday evening.  I haven't changed my viewing habits, they just aren't on anymore.

[Sir T]

I haven't seen any ads either, now that you mention it.

Monsters U. isn't Warner, so, um, OK?

Just contrasting it with another movie's promotion gimics.

[Ingmar]

Well, that's Disney for you.

[Ghambit]

So now, how do we get Del Toro to do Dark Tower, instead of Ron Howard.  Can we like, start a petition or something?

[Teleku]

Rather upset he wasn't retained for the Hobbit now.

[Paelos]

One reason it's not doing so well is that Warner is apparently deliberately ass-fucking the picture to teach Legendary a lesson. Hopefully everyone will remember that the next time there's a chance to hire Del Toro.

How are they deliberately doing this? What measures did they take it set it up to fail?

[eldaec]

Its a dudebro film without a recognisable star.

That is the only reason it is running below the apparent expectations of some people in this thread.

The man is not keeping anyone down.

[Lakov_Sanite]

How this is a dudebro film is beyond me. It's nerdporn at it's finest.

[eldaec]

If its nerdporn without a recognisable star that is even more if a reason it doesn't have people queing around the block.

What I am saying is the man is not oppressing Luther and co.

[tazelbain]

Its for the same reason everything is remake or from a big name, the movie costs and ticket prices are so high, movie goers need something familiar to latch on to to get them out. Nearly everything about this movie was unfamiliar.  Most of us who want out to see this, went out to see Robot Jocks with kick-ass sfx. Most aren't going to do that. The fact that the kick-ass sfx are wrapped in a good story with a strong emotional core is pretty surprising. This thing is going do amazing on DVD but its budget is way too big for DVDs to save it.

Honestly I wish the marketing had been less honest and made to seem more familiar like Transformers.

[Merusk]

I'd be happy if there were any marketing past last Thursday.   It's just gone, poof.

[Surlyboi]

I saw a commercial for it last night.

[Merusk]

What were you watching?  They were pretty regular on Fox, CBS and CN in the week running-up but I haven't seen one on any of those since Thursday.

[HaemishM]

This thing is going do amazing on DVD but its budget is way too big for DVDs to save it.

The international market is going to "save" this. It will make a profit.

[tazelbain]

Turning a small profit doesn't get more GDT big budget movies made.

BTW I had Voltron flash backs. We are so ready for this.

[Margalis]

del Toro's better films are the mid-budget ones anyway.

When the budget becomes too big and the movie aims too mainstream the script really suffers. Maybe this is partly a language issue, but it feels to me like Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labryinth are both about something in the way his other films are not. The Hellboy movies especially feel inappropriately slight. I don't know that there's any way to make Blade 2 more than a fun romp, but the Hellboy films felt like they could have been more but just weren't.

Nerds vastly overestimate the appeal of nerd movies. Serenity, Scott Pilgim, Snakes on a Plane, etc. The net's most active posters are nerds, they don't represent the general public. Pacific Rim has no stars, no recognizable IP, and according to reviews a fairly slight story and characters. (I would point out that Godzilla is actually about something, at least the first film and some other stray ones) At a high level it's just a rock'em sock'em summer popcorn movie without any selling point that appeals to like one-half of the four quadrants. I mean, I'm sure it's a million times better than a turd like Transformers, but on paper there are a lot of reasons to see Transformers.

[Paelos]

I'll admit I looked at this preview, wondered why it got made, and moved on with my day without a second thought.

[Ghambit]

I fail to see how Perlman, Elba, and "Mako," Rinko Kikuchi constitutes having no stars.  Those 3 actors right there have a helluva pedigree.  Idris is pretty much considered the heir apparent to Denzel (shit he's won BET best actor a million times). Perlman?  nuff said.  Both of em have golden globes.  Mako is oscar nominated and one of Japan's best.  No, I believe viewers are just really dumb.

BladeRunner failed at the box office too remember?  That has a similar neo noir feel to this movie.  Both introduce new movie tropes w/o gettin excessively arsty (like Pan's); so in many ways it's a tough pill for pop culture to swallow.  I anticipate kudos given down the road, but by then most folk will not have been able to see it in IMAX3D, which further worsens ratings.

[Paelos]

No, I believe viewers are just really dumb.

Or it's possible this kind of thing, even if done exceptionally well, has absolutely no appeal to a large swath of the public. You could tell me this movie was the absolute best movie done of all time on monsters, robots, or both. I'm still not dropping $12 on it.

My main concern was my friend on the financing side, and whether or not the thing would make back the budget.

[MediumHigh]

Just say it and I cried tears of joy. I went to downtown chinatown and it was only a half a dozen people in the 2D version and only 2 showings for the 3D version. It wad an amazing movie that no one is watching.

[Ingmar]

Now I'm confused, Mako died years ago. Did they CGI him up or something? I guess I can look it up.

EDIT: Oh, Rinko Kikuchi. Yeah she's pretty good. Don't confuse the old people!

[pxib]

Or it's possible this kind of thing, even if done exceptionally well, has absolutely no appeal to a large swath of the public. You could tell me this movie was the absolute best movie done of all time on monsters, robots, or both. I'm still not dropping $12 on it.

What did Avatar have that this movie doesn't? Other than that Cameron is a bigger name than del Toro.

[Ingmar]

Or it's possible this kind of thing, even if done exceptionally well, has absolutely no appeal to a large swath of the public. You could tell me this movie was the absolute best movie done of all time on monsters, robots, or both. I'm still not dropping $12 on it.

What did Avatar have that this movie doesn't? Other than that Cameron is a bigger name than del Toro.

Sigourney Weaver in a movie by the guy who made Aliens comes to mind.