Pacific Rim - Part 4

[Octoberist]

With Hunnam...it's hard playing the 'straight-man' in modern film. In most cases, they come off as..boring. I blame the writing but why did it work so well in the past.

There's Luke of course...I would also call Marty McFly a noble straight man, with some roguish tendencies. Michael J. Fox made his character endearing, memoable, and you're constantly rooting for him. Was it the writing sensibilities of the past, or our cynical present?

 

[Poni_Boy]

What did you think of Hunnam? Still keep seeing people bash his performance. Baffles me because I think he's great on Sons of Anarchy (only thing I've seen him in). Maybe it's just because he has more to work with on there.

DO NOT go into this movie expecting a performance anywhere close to Sons of Anarchy. Same with Idris Elba and Luthor or The Wire. The characters are as cliche and silly as their names. The only exception is Max Martini who I feel gave a truly great (not even good, great) performance.

 

[Serpico Jones]

What did you think of Hunnam? Still keep seeing people bash his performance. Baffles me because I think he's great on Sons of Anarchy (only thing I've seen him in). Maybe it's just because he has more to work with on there.

His narration over the trailer is awful.

 

[Poni_Boy]

I also wonder if the end credits listed Zack Snyder as the director instead of Del Toro what would the tomato meter look like.

If this movie was presented exactly the same but directed by JJ Abrams or Brett Ratner it would have been destroyed by geek bloggers. Destroyed.

 

[Liam_H]

Being great in one role doesn't mean it translates into other types of role. Unless he's basically playing Jax in the movie, which it doesn't seem like.

 

[Poni_Boy]

With Hunnam...it's hard playing the 'straight-man' in modern film.

Hunnam is not the good natured straight man in this. He's the stereotypical bad boy with mad skills who quit being a badass but gets begged back by his former boss because he's what is needed to win the war. That is the entirety of his character.

 

[Bruce Malone]

This bombs is this the last we'll be seeing of any mainstream mecha type films for a while?

 

[Serpico Jones]

This bombs is this the last we'll be seeing of any mainstream mecha type films for a while?

I'm more worried about what will happen to GDT's career. He's a director that I love but he's made some strange decisions with his career.

 

[Poni_Boy]

Doubt it. One movie bombing does not ruin a genre. Never has, never will.

This movie was never expected to be a smash hit from the studio side of things. Del Toro was contractually obligated to get a $200 mil movie with WB before he could go do something else with another studio. This was it.

 

[Xeno]

If this movie was presented exactly the same but directed by JJ Abrams or Brett Ratner it would have been destroyed by geek bloggers. Destroyed.

And if it were directed by Michael Bay?

I'm still gonna go see this thing on Friday but I have low expectations going in. The movie will be a success if it can give me some park-your-brain-at-the-door thrills like any other giant monster film. Hopefully my eyes won't get injured from rolling so hard at the earnest silliness of it all. "Transformers Meets Godzilla" is about what I'm looking for here.

 

[Serpico Jones]

Doubt it. One movie bombing does not ruin a genre. Never has, never will.

This movie was never expected to be a smash hit from the studio side of things. Del Toro was contractually obligated to get a $200 mil movie with WB before he could go do something else with another studio. This was it.

When you dump $200m into a movie you do expect a hit. Del Toro was attached to this movie as a producer and jumped into the directors chair when At the Mountains of Madness got canceled.

 

[Man in the Suit]

Del Toro was contractually obligated to get a $200 mil movie with WB before he could go do something else with another studio. This was it.

For real? Didn't know that. Because of the Hobbit crap that went down?

 

[Poni_Boy]

When you dump $200m into a movie you do expect a hit. Del Toro was attached to this movie as a producer and jumped into the directors chair when At the Mountains of Madness got canceled.

That's why WB brought Legendary into the deal and only put in 25% of the production costs. That's why WB decided not to put 100 mil into marketing it even though they set that much aside to do so. It is guaranteed that WB will make their money back, Legendary not likely. It was never a financial risk for WB.

 

[Poni_Boy]

For real? Didn't know that. Because of the Hobbit crap that went down?

Yup. Just like Bryan Singer making Jack the Giant Slayer. He was contractually obligated to give WB a movie after Superman Returns 2 didn't happen.

 

[Octoberist]

If this movie was presented exactly the same but directed by JJ Abrams or Brett Ratner it would have been destroyed by geek bloggers. Destroyed.

It's funny. Outside of the bloggersphere, JJ's films have all been positively reviewed and liked. His filmography is still at an early stage, and not even as strong or personal as Rian Johnason or Chris Nolan, JJ's wildly talented who is held back by his TV past, which may include Orci/Kurtzman. He has outgrown them.

Ratner..I don't care for him enough to defend him...haha. He's not awful but I would go out of my way to list the pros either.

 

[Poni_Boy]

Oh, one more thing regarding adjusting expectations: don't expect a ton of action. The majority of the movie is talky-talky stuff especially the second act. The Jaeger who gets 90% of screentime is Hunnam's. The three others - Russia, China, New Zealand -- are barely in it at all. It feels like they get more screentime in the docking bay than in their one fight. Was very disappointed by this

 

[georgec]

I really thought the marketing would pick up on the heels of Man of Steel. MoS did very well and had trailers for PR, but for some reason interest seems to have waned.

 

[Liam_H]

Cause the trailers were ineffective, they were catered to the people who were already gonna see the movie.

 

[kendalag]

The marketing is garbage and it's been garbage from the start. I like Robots and Monsters enough and I'm a fan of Del Toro so I'm seeing it but I can see why the film would look completely unappealing to a lot of people.

I'm a GDT fangirl and even I think that his fanbase has been embarrassing themselves for the last month. The fanbase, including site runners like Devin Faraci, have accused everyone who reports tracking numbers and talks about what the movie might do at the box office, in a non positive light, of geek treason, accuse them of having an agenda against the film. Jamie is right, this happens everytime.

It's a kill the messager deal. There were plenty of people who commented on the bad marketing and the fact that the movie looked like a fanboy fest and the fans didn't want to hear it and now they are faced with actual tracking numbers 1 day before the film comes out and they are in complete denial about it.

I loved Pan's Labyrinth ... and even enjoyed Hellboy & Hellboy 2 ... and admit to enjoying the first Transformers ... but yeah, this film just doesn't do it for me. I've never once had this feeling of OMG, I have to see this. I still might see it in theaters, but even good reviews aren't going to force me to check it out.

... suddenly tracking doesn't mean anything to people who want the film to succeed ... yet last week tracking did matter for Lone Ranger ... and any other film that came before that which was in that fans interest.

 

[jacobed]

Oh, one more thing regarding adjusting expectations: don't expect a ton of action. The majority of the movie is talky-talky stuff especially the second act. The Jaeger who gets 90% of screentime is Hunnam's. The three others - Russia, China, New Zealand -- are barely in it at all. It feels like they get more screentime in the docking bay than in their one fight. Was very disappointed by this

I agree. They really aren't in it as much as they should be.

 

[Spideyfan93]

On vacation near the Dolby Theater, and chilled for the premiere. Saw the cast of "Always Sunny," Cheech, and some others including the cast obviously.

But I got to meet Del Toro and damnit, if he isn't the coolest Hollywood contact I've met yet. He exchanged a legitimate firm handshake and genuinely appreciated the fandom. And he was getting around to every single person near the black carpet. If I didn't already support the man, I'd be on board now. Great guy!

 

[craigdbfan]

On vacation near the Dolby Theater, and chilled for the premiere. Saw the cast of "Always Sunny," Cheech, and some others including the cast obviously.

But I got to meet Del Toro and damnit, if he isn't the coolest Hollywood contact I've met yet. He exchanged a legitimate firm handshake and genuinely appreciated the fandom. And he was getting around to every single person near the black carpet. If I didn't already support the man, I'd be on board now. Great guy!

Did you film a quick interview?

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

On vacation near the Dolby Theater, and chilled for the premiere. Saw the cast of "Always Sunny," Cheech, and some others including the cast obviously.

But I got to meet Del Toro and damnit, if he isn't the coolest Hollywood contact I've met yet. He exchanged a legitimate firm handshake and genuinely appreciated the fandom. And he was getting around to every single person near the black carpet. If I didn't already support the man, I'd be on board now. Great guy!

Cool. I always found him to be hilarious and charming while watching interviews with him.

 

[Spideyfan93]

There was no time for an interview man haha!

 

[TheVileOne]

Movie was the most fun I had all summer. A lot of things I read about it and Rinko Kinkuchi were inaccurate.

Too bad it's probably going to bomb.