Pacific Rim - Part 4

[ThePhantasm]

No thanks. I thought Elba did a great job. The brother role wasn't really big enough for an actor of his calibre.

 

[Schlosser85]

My interest would have gone down with Cruise in this.

 

[Schlosser85]

Also how is Michael P Jordan any more of a star than Hunnam?

 

[Poni_Boy]

That's too bad. I think he's great. Having the biggest A-lister in the world in this movie would have made a big difference in box office take. Especially now that's he's on a sci-fi bender. But instead PR will go the way of Scott Pilgrim. There's got to be a balance between hardcore fandom and pleasing the masses.

Also how is Michael P Jordan any more of a star than Hunnam?

He's not a bigger star, but he will be very soon. Hunnam seems destined for a TV career at this point. Jordan would have gotten a better draw because, for once, you'd have a big budget sci-fi movie with an African American actor in the lead that isn't Will Smith. The fact he's a better actor than Hunnam is just icing on the cake.

 

[Schlosser85]

I guess we just agree to disagree about Cruise. I think Elba is easily a better actor.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I like Elba but I like Cruise too and wouldn't feel any difference in excitement for the film.

 

[Poni_Boy]

I guess we just agree to disagree about Cruise. I think Elba is easily a better actor.

It has NOTHING to do with acting quality. It has EVERYTHING to do with box office draw and general audience appeal. No one knows who Elba is outside of a small fanbase. This movie needed an A-lister. The fact they wanted Cruise from the beginning shows they knew that.

It's not like Elba was given anything in this movie that actually tapped into his talent.

 

[DACrowe]

The film was enjoyable, but only when the monsters and robots were fighting. I guess that should go without saying, but all the humans are cardboard types (though Elba and [blackout]Pearlman[/blackout] are great) who go through the motions of clichés mostly so American audiences can buy the anime concept on the big screen.

But once it gets to the meat of it, it is fun, creative and has a cheeky subversion that I appreciate. Del Toro is having a blast and extends it to us. But everything he builds around it, including a ridiculously over long expository set up, makes for a movie that is fun to look at but very cold and ambivalent in feeling.

6/10.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Schlosser85]

Cruise is obnoxious to me. It's not because he's a Scientologist or any of that offscreen stuff. I don't think he's that good of an actor, and I just find him overexposed and overhyped to the point where he's kind of offputting and annoying to me. Also, personally I like the trend that seems to be increasing lately of high-profile movies with less exposed actors. X-Men: First Class didn't have an A-list star. Granted, Michael Fassbender is better-known than Charlie Hunnam and maybe Idris Elba for that matter, but he's not really a household name.

 

[Poni_Boy]

Again, you're harping on acting ability over general appeal. X-Men First Class had Fassbender, James McAvoy and Kevin Bacon. All three are much more known than Elba. Not to mention it was an X-Men movie. PR needed a similar set up and if not, one big A-lister. Not to sound brutish, but I'm pretty sure at this point the studio would gladly trade off the few people like you who wouldn't see it because of Cruise for the many more people that would see it because of him.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

It has NOTHING to do with acting quality. It has EVERYTHING to do with box office draw and general audience appeal. No one knows who Elba is outside of a small fanbase. This movie needed an A-lister. The fact they wanted Cruise from the beginning shows they knew that.

It's not like Elba was given anything in this movie that actually tapped into his talent.

That's my feeling as well. Elba IMHO wasn't giving a good performance (not his fault) so what do I care if they replaced him with Cruise or any other A-Lister? At least I could respect that business wise. I would have respected a movie I liked infinitely more but we are talking about the business side of things.

I don't get comparing a franchise prequel to Pacific Rim as far as casting goes.

 

[Poni_Boy]

Exactly. You can bet Legendary are starting to get worried as hell about Godzilla now because of that.

 

[Schlosser85]

I guess I'm being idealistic and liking lesser-known people getting shots in big movies instead of reserving it for the VIP A List club. You guys are looking from a pragmatic business standpoint, and I understand and respect that.

 

[TheVileOne]

Again, you're harping on acting ability over general appeal. X-Men First Class had Fassbender, James McAvoy and Kevin Bacon. All three are much more known than Elba. Not to mention it was an X-Men movie. PR needed a similar set up and if not, one big A-lister. Not to sound brutish, but I'm pretty sure at this point the studio would gladly trade off the few people like you who wouldn't see it because of Cruise for the many more people that would see it because of him.

All solid actors, but none of them are proven box office draws either.

X-Men First Class was also the lowest grossing X-Men movie ever.

 

[Schlosser85]

Also, I don't refuse to see movies because Tom Cruise is in them, I just think he's annoying.

 

[Serpico Jones]

What do you guys think will happen to Del Toro's career?

 

[TheVileOne]

Del Toro will be alright. He's got a TV show lined up he's working on and he's got his next feature as well.

He probably just won't get a budget this massive anytime soon.

 

[Schlosser85]

I am kind of curious what made them trust him with such a massive budget for an original property with no name recognition.

 

[BrollySupersj]

For the record, I thought the acting was just fine. It got us from point A to point B. That's really how I looked at it. I thought Rink did a good job specifically.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

That's too bad. I think he's great. Having the biggest A-lister in the world in this movie would have made a big difference in box office take. Especially now that's he's on a sci-fi bender. But instead PR will go the way of Scott Pilgrim. There's got to be a balance between hardcore fandom and pleasing the masses.



He's not a bigger star, but he will be very soon. Hunnam seems destined for a TV career at this point. Jordan would have gotten a better draw because, for once, you'd have a big budget sci-fi movie with an African American actor in the lead that isn't Will Smith. The fact he's a better actor than Hunnam is just icing on the cake.

I have nothing against Hunnam, (he's hot. Sue me for noticing) I just don't think he was right for the type of film Pacific Rim is. They needed an actor who could make up a good charismatic moviestarish character that obviously wasn't on the page and Hunnam is incapable on that. And I'm not saying an A-lister should have been sought, I'm just saying that he shouldn't have gotten the role.

 

[Kane52630]

I like Elba but I like Cruise too and wouldn't feel any difference in excitement for the film.

agreed, the real star is the robots.

 

[TheVileOne]

Cruise's last two movies didn't even break $100 million domestically.

I'm not sure he would've raised the box office gross of the movie that much. Overseas maybe.

 

[Poni_Boy]

All solid actors, but none of them are proven box office draws either.

X-Men First Class was also the lowest grossing X-Men movie ever.

First Class was also the first film in the franchise to not be marketed towards kids. No kid-friendly tie ins or promotions. That makes a huge difference. Not sure why they did the same with Pacific Rim.

Cruise's last two movies didn't even break $100 million domestically.

I'm not sure he would've raised the box office gross of the movie that much. Overseas maybe.

Cruise's last two movies also didn't cost more than $100 mil for each to make. And they both more than doubled their budget with worldwide gross. PR would be lucky for that.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

What do you guys think will happen to Del Toro's career?

Director's get a lot of chances and Del Toro is actually a good director so he'll get his chance at another big budget project. I don't see it being "original" though. The international numbers should save him from being in director jail too long.

 

[Poni_Boy]

I am kind of curious what made them trust him with such a massive budget for an original property with no name recognition.

Well this is really the first time Legendary has taken the majority of the risk in a genre movie. They're the ones who put in 75% of the budget. WB didn't have a say-so in production decisions.