PACIFIC RIM: A Comment
So I just found out that PACIFIC RIM is AWESOME.
Despite my wish to see my favorite little actress, Ashida Mana in her Hollywood debut, I was reluctant to watch this movie, cause I usually hate western Hollywood blockbuster stuff, not to mention Pacific Rim sounds like "wtf, another Transformer-like movie?". But my friends recommending this movie saying it's good, so I thought I'll give it a shot... at least, just to see Mana-chan.
There's something "Asian" about the story. The relationship of a man and his adopted daughter, brothers bond, father and son and partners' connection. The story has depth. Then I found out, the director, Guillermo del Toro is a Japanese film otaku. There's always something right for me about Western directors who are Asian-films-otaku. Gareth Evans and The Raid... George Lucas and Star Wars (inspired by an old Japanese movie). Del Toro's love for Japanese movies was very well delivered through the screen.
Mecha vs monsters action scenes is still not my cup of tea though. They're gigantic, complex-structured creatures fighting in the dark. I really couldn't see who's fighting who and what's really happening, my eyes went @_@ But I really love the drama of the story. Mechas and monsters might not sound original, of course.. we had Gundam, Evangelion and even Ultraman... but combining two pilots' neural system and mind was pretty new, I think.
The suits were pretty cool, though the white ones reminds me of Evangelion and the black ones reminds me of GANTZ.
Remember Ninomiya Kazunari and Matsuyama Ken'ichi in this suit, my friend?
And there's Kikuchi Rinko. Boy, isn't she hot in Hollywood now. I first saw her in LIAR GAME as the brilliant and evil female professor, she was awesome there. Thus, I have this image of her as the villain, not to mention after I saw 47Ronin trailer, she plays a villain too, there. So when I found out... wtf she plays a love interest in Pacific Rim? Eek~ Is she gonna be another "Kuroki Meisa" for me?? Meisa was hot and so cool in Ninkyo Helper, but I really can't stand her in romantic roles, it just doesn't suit her.
But Rinko proved me wrong! She kicks ass indeed.
But she played the teenage-girl-falling-in-love part very well. I really love how she seem to be happy and all smiley when she thought it was Raleigh who was knocking on her door, but it turned out to be her father. Her smile was very cute and girly. Rinko looks tough, but apparently she has her girly side too. Really fits Mako's role.
And I have to mention that I LOOOOOOOOVVVEEE Raleigh and Mako's chemistry!! Those eyesex during their first meet and the stick fight, was AWESOMENESS!!
It's really weird that the director said he didn't want to go to the romantic direction for Raleigh and Mako, but it was obvious these two had burning chemistry since the beginning. And the scene where Raleigh was all, "Didn't you feel it? We're drift-compatible!" and then Mako felt cornered and went all flustered, then she had difficulties in unlocking her room, then Raleigh smirked, "That's my room".... omg, the CUTEST SCENE everrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! They were attracted to each other since the beginning obviously, lol! I like that Mako is very Japanese... she's calm and composed, serious, reserved, and the shy type... for a heroine in a Hollywood movie, it felt fresh.
And omg, how the NO-KISS-AT-THE-END scene shocked me... "WTF?? Am I really watching a Hollywood movie???" lololol, though I was upset but after reading the director's opinion on Raleigh and Mako's relationship, I have to say I'm glad... well... at least he gave a hint that they might develop into a romantic relationship. (and i thought they already are with all the eyesex, deshooo!)
Honorable mention.... the cute and remarkable Ashida Mana!!!! *clapsclapsclapsclapsclaps*
To my surprise, not only she got a total two minutes screentime (I thought she only appeared for a few secs!), her scene was very, very crucial to the story too! For Raleigh and Mako's future relationship, and also on Mako and her father's past.... incredible! It was really not a waste of Mana-chan's talent! I've seen better performance by Mana-chan, but she still stole the screen here. She totally OWNED those two minutes, though Charlie Hunnam, the lead of the film, was behind her... but she was really the lead of the 2-mins scene, perfect!
The director seem to love her a lot. He asked her to call him Totoro and she said the director really looks like Totoro, haha. He praised her that she's an amazing talent and she never complained though she had to go through an 11th, 12th take. In the pre-premiere of the movie in Japan today, Del Toro mentioned that she must be a 50 years old adult inside, cause she's so professional in doing her job.
These are behind the scenes with Ashida Mana-chan, and her interview.
Click to viewShe said she's so happy everytime the director pat her head saying, "Amazing!" or "Perfect!" when she gave a good performance. And since she would like to express her gratitude and feelings personally to the director (and perhaps the film co-star and crews too), she wants to learn to speak English from now on. Sugoiiiii, Mana-chan!!!
A snippet of Charlie Hunnam interview and his comments on Mana-chan.
Q. How was it working with Mana Ashida, who played young Mako?
Charlie Hunnam: It was amazing. She’s a huge star in Japan - Justin Bieber meets Dakota Fanning. Guillermo said: “I hope we can get her…” “Who is this girl?” I’ve worked with some talented people, but to see a little girl with so much poise and control? And it was a hard role because she’s supposed to be terrified, crying her eyes out the whole time. And she would walk on to set, regal as could be, hit her mark and Guillermo would start cueing up the action, but she’d hold up her hand for silence. She would stand there for a while and meditate and all of sudden, tears would start streaming out of her eyes, and she would nod, and Guillermo would call action. She’d cry her eyes out take after take. It was humbling. I had to take some lessons from her!
source: http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Film-Review/pacific-rim-charlie-hunnam-interview
Sweet! If Pacific Rim is ever gonna be a trilogy or a tetrology or even a pentalogy, I want to see Raleigh and Mako gets married and having a daughter played by Mana-chan, lol! Then, Mana Becket will enter the Jaeger Academy and become one of the Jaeger pilot too! woohoo~ would love to see that haha! I want to see Raleigh Becket as the PPDC Marshall (Obi wan Kenobi, anyone? lol) in a future Pacific Rim film haha.... hope it gets to be a franchise!^v^ Also, if there's ever a sequel, I want them to explore the world of KAIJU more... that kaijus aren't merely monsters, but they also have intelligence. I want to see what the Kaiju World is like and those 'masters' who occupied the Kaiju world, are they kaijus as well?? There are still more mystery to be revealed in the Pacific Rim universe, really looking forward to a sequel!
I wonder if Rinko and Mana will visit Bistro or any other Japanese talk show to promote the movie? It'll premiere Aug 9th, in Japan. Hope so!