Enter to Win Blu-ray Combo Pack of “Pacific Rim: Uprising”

To celebrate the Blu-ray release of “Pacific Rim: Uprising“, Media Mikes would like to give two of our fans a chance to win a Blu-ray + DVD combo pack of the film. If you want to win this great prize, please leave a comment below your favorite Jaeger or Kaiju from the films. This giveaway will remain open until June 12th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to our readers in US only. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

In Pacific Rim Uprising, directed by Steven S. DeKnight, John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous Kaiju. Jake has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld.But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy. Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (The Fate of the Furious’ Scott Eastwood), 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (newcomer Cailee Spaeny), returning veterans Charlie Day(“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), Rinko Kikuchi (Pacific Rim),Burn Gorman(The Dark Knight Rises)and a talented crew of fiercely young cadets.The international cast also includes Tian Jing (Kong: Skull Island) and Adria Arjona (“Emerald City”).Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.

 

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Book Review “The Art and Making of Pacific Rim Uprising”

Author: Daniel Wallace
Foreword: Steven S. DeKnight
Hardcover: 156 pages
Publisher: Insight Editions
April 3, 2018

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When I see a specific movie is getting the “Art and Making of” treatment, I always get excited to get to see the film from another view but I get more excited when it is being released by Insight Editions. Insight always gives their releases a little extra. They have fold out posters or little index cards glued to pages to lift and reveal more info, I really enjoy this “gimmick”, if you want to call it that. This adds a whole new interactive level to the book. Personally I wasn’t a huge fan of this film but the book does do the film justice and it is a must have for fans for sure!

“Pacific Rim: Uprising” is a big movie and has a lot of great detail that is showcased in this book and allows you to go deeper into the mythology and world of that the movie continues from the 2013 Guillermo del Toro directed predecessor. If you are looking to be transported behind the scenes and right into the middle of the epic battle between Kaiju and Jaegers then pick up “The Art and Making of Pacific Rim Uprising” because it delivers that…and then on the next page gives blueprints on the robots and CGI breakdown and showcases the beautiful concept art from the film. This book was a page turner for sure or rather hard to turn to the next page because their was so much to look at in detail in each page!

Got excited (and a bit concerned) for a minute that this book was authored by Daniel Wallace, the author of “Big Fish”, which was made into a movie by Tim Burton…but same name different guy. This Daniel Wallace is definitely still the right man for this book. I am well aware of his work in books “Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual History” and “Ghostbusters: The Ultimate Visual History”, which is another amazing book from Insight Editions. Even though, I didn’t love the movie I still really enjoyed the book. The sequel’s director, Steven S. DeKnight, gives a good foreword as well and give wrap-up and I did how he came as a fan of the series to end up directing the next film. This book is jam packed with great images and content. check it fans of “Pacific Rim”.

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4DX Experience Review “Pacific Rim: Uprising”

Directed by: Steven S. DeKnight
Starring: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Jing Tian, Cailee Spaeny, Rinko Kikuchi, Burn Gorman, Adria Arjona, Zhang Jin and Charlie Day
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 111 minutes

4DX: 4 out of 5 stars
Film: 3 out of 5 stars

Since I was a kid, I have always been a fan of the Kaiju films like “Godzilla”, “Ultraman” and even “Power Rangers”. I loved the first “Pacific Rim”, especially in 3D. The action sequences are outstanding, especially in the water. Unfortunately, my excitement for the sequel has been next to nothing. I blame it on the studio because I am not the only one either. My friend told me because I posted about seeing it, it was the first time he even knew it was coming out (and he LOVED the first film). I see that as a missed opportunity for this film. I called this one a bomb before even seeing it based on how it was being marketed and I wasn’t wrong. Listen, I want to see more films like this in theaters, so I definitely say support it otherwise films “Godzilla” and “King Kong” won’t get made but I would have just liked a little more effort in this film and less trying to setup a new “Cinematic Universe” to make a new franchise.

I was excited to find out that “Pacific Rim: Uprising” was playing in the 4DX experience in one of its ten theaters across the country in Orlando FL. This made the movie feel like a two hour rollercoaster ride. I didn’t love the movie but with the 4DX experience I like it more overall. The fog is my only complaint since it was just one machine in the front of the theater and didn’t add anything. The motion chairs were moving non-stop and I was exhausted by the end of the movie for sure! If you get a chance to see this film and have a way to see it in 4DX I would definitely recommend that experience for sure.

Here is the long winded official premise: John Boyega stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous “Kaiju.” Jake has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld. But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy by his estranged sister, Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi)-who is leading a brave new generation of pilots that have grown up in the shadow of war. As they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite together in a global uprising against the forces of extinction. Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (Scott Eastwood) and 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (Cailee Spaeny), as the heroes of the PPDC become the only family he has left. Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they will set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.

John Boyega gets a chance to shine outside of the “Star Wars” gang but ends up getting lost in the confusion and doesn’t really have a strong arc and no love interest, which I felt he needed. I do not understand why people like Scott Eastwood. I think he is a terrible actor and I roll my eyes every time he is on the screen trying to be tough. there are three returning talent from the first film including Rinko Kikuchi (for 10 seconds), Burn Gorman and Charlie Day. I really dug having Burn and Charlie day back! They made the film more enjoyable to watch. I didn’t like how the rest of the cast was made up with teenagers, it felt like I was watching a Nickelodeon

“Pacific Rim: Uprising” was definitely a different kind of movie from the first. The first kicked off in an epic battle and then filled you in as time went on and I dug that. The sequel starts explaining way too much in the beginning and takes a while to get going. The sequel doesn’t have the heart or the visuals to match the first film but ends up being a fun popcorn flick. Just keep your expectations low and don’t expect it to be like the first film. If their is more films, I want more Charlie Day for sure! Luckily for the 4FX experience which really enhanced my experience watching this film, I ended up leaving the theater excited for more to come. I can’t help it I am sucker for giant monsters and robots!!

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Film Review: “Pacific Rim: Uprising”

 

PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING
Starring:  John Boyega, Scott Eastwood and Charlie Day
Directed by:  Steven S. Deknight
Rated:  PG 13
Running time:  1 hrs 51 mins
20th Century Fox

I will admit right here that I never saw the original “Pacific Rim.”  I’ve been told it was pretty good.  I certainly hope so, because this new installment isn’t.

After a quick shot of Idris Elba – I’m told he was the hero in the first film – we learn about how mankind and their giant Jaegers pulled together to defeat the evil, monstrous Kaiju, which in my limited imagination meant that some Transformer rip-offs beat Godzilla and his family.

It is 10 years later and the world isn’t really doing well.  We meet Jake (Boyega) and learn he is the son of Elba’s character.  Jake lives on his wits and the barter system.  Squatting in an abandoned Hollywood mansion, he’s not above trading an Academy Award for a box of cereal.  He’s also not above stealing, mostly technology, and selling his spoils to the highest bidder.  When he is caught stealing parts from damaged Jaegers he is sent back to “the academy,” where he will now train a class of young people to be the next great Jaeger pilots.  Hijinx ensue!

A loud movie with lots of giant shiny things, “Pacific Rim: Uprising,” is a CGI spectacle of crushing metal played against a background of tough kids and one-liners.  Think of it as “Real Steel” without Hugh Jackman.  Which is a shame because the cast seems to be trying their best.  Boyega is bold and cagey here at times.  Hopefully he’ll demonstrate some of this ability in the next “Star Wars” film (sorry, I think Finn is a little too wishy-washy sometimes).  As the tough-as-nails Amara, Cailee Spaeny also shows some emotional depth.  And damn it, Scott Eastwood is one handsome man.  Charlie Day also shows up (apparently he was in the first film) but spends most of his screen time yelling, like he’s channeling Bobcat Goldthwait

If you like big shiny things destroying things, this is the film for you.  If you don’t, go see “Black Panther” again!

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Blu-ray Review “Pacific Rim”

Actors: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Ron Perlman
Directors: Guillermo Del Toro
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: October 15, 2013
Run Time: 131 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 5 out of 5 stars

“Pacific Rim” is one of the most unique and also riskiest films of the year. When it premiered in theaters it was out-grossed by the piece of shit movie “Grown Ups 2”, which is a sad day for moviegoers. Guillermo Del Toro is one of the best directors in Hollywood and he has such a creative mind. I just wish that America will get smart, stop seeing mindless garbage and actually watch a film that is not a sequel, remake, prequel or whatever else. “Pacific Rim” is easily one of the best films of the year. It is epic, action packed and visually amazing. I haven’t seen visual effects as great as this film since “Avatar”. I have a feeling that this film is going to become quite the classic overtime and I am sure that this franchise is not over just yet since del Toro has some decent pull (see what he has done with the “Hellboy” franchise). If you haven’t seen this yet, I would definitely recommend checking out this film as you will not be sorry.

Official Premise: When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

When it comes down to it, what guy (or girl for that matter) doesn’t love the idea of giant monsters vs. giant robots? This is a real dream come true, no question. If you love films like “Godzilla”, then will be right up your alley. The cast of the film may not include some of the most recognizable A-list names but the cast is nonetheless quite awesome. Charlie Hunnam, who is know best for his role in “Sons of Anarchy”, steps up and delivers a great leading role. Idris Elba (“Thor”, “Prometheus”) is also quite bad-ass as well. I was a little bit taken back that the funny-man, Charlie Day (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), was cast but he was a great asset to the film. Lastly, del Toro reunited with Ron Perlman yet again with him playing Hannibal Chow, the fan-favorite in the film. Perlman has worked with Hunnam before with “Sons of Anarchy” and Frankie Goes Boom”.

Warner Bros delivered one of the best Blu-ray releases of the year, no question. In this combo pack, we get a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD UltraViolet. The 1080p transfer is absolutely stunning. I would personally recommend watching this film in 3D if possible but the 2D version of the film still works so well, just missing the added depth. The film uses a great wealth of digital effects but they are so done so well that the film just looks like it is actually real. When I saw “Oz The Great and Powerful”, I couldn’t help but vomit a little watching it cause it just looked so damn fake. “Pacific Rim” has a perfect blend of practical/CGI effects and amazing looking sets with unbelievable production design. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is absolutely perfect. The scale of the film is so large and it just sounds so amazing. Ramin Djawadi’s score, who is known best for “Game of Thrones”, delivers one of my favorite scores of the year and it sounds amazing on this track.

The special features are absolutely jam-packed and deliver an amazing punch. There is a must-listen audio commentary from Guillermo del Toro, who really shows his love for the film and gives such an in-depth look into the production. There are thirteen “Focus Points”, running just over an hour. The featurettes included: “A Film by Guillermo del Toro”, “A Primer on Kaijus & Jaegers”, “Intricacy of Robot Design”, “Honoring the Kaiju Tradition”, “The Importance of Mass and Scale”, “Shatterdome Ranger Roll Call”, “Jaegers Echo Human Grace”, “Inside the Drift”, “Goth-Tech”, “Mega Sized Sets”, “Baby Kaiju Set Visit”, “Tokyo Alley Set Visit” and “Orchestral Sounds from the Anteverse”. So we get all this and it is only disc one. The rest of the amazing extras are included on the second disc.

Disc two starts off with an amazing interactive look into “The Director’s Notebook” including another six featurettes. There is a great visual effects featurette with “The Digital Artistry of Pacific Rim”. “The Shatterdome” is a great collection of the films art and concept designs. There are four pretty decent deleted/extended scenes: “The Wall of Life/Rations,” “Excuse Me,” “Theft” and “Catch You in the Drift, Dad.”. There is a look into the film’s four sequences in “Drift Space”. Lastly there is a gag reel included lead by the very funny Charlie Day and Ron Perlman. Warner Bros really delivered here with this release and did not cheap out like a few of this summer’s other big box office hits like “Star Trek Into Darkness”. They made this release for the fans of the film and they will be left very satisfied and hopefully held off until we (hopefully) get a sequel in the near future.

Pacific Rim is available on 3D+Blu-ray Combo Pack 10/15/13 at the WB Shop http://bit.ly/PacRimWBShop

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“Pacific Rim” Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Giveaway [ENDED]

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EACH WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

To celebrate the release of “Pacific Rim”” arriving on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD Oct 15th, Media Mikes would like to giveaway a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack of this amazing film. If you would like to enter for your chance to win this great prize, please leave us a comment or send us an email with your results from the “Pacific Rim SUPERFAN QUIZ” located below. This giveaway will remain open until October 25th Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to our readers in US and Canada only. Each household is only eligible to win 1 Pacific Rim Blu-Ray via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

Go BIG or go EXTINCT!

Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Pacific Rim is an epic science fiction film set in the 2020s. Earth is at war with Kaijus; colossal monsters from an inter-dimensional gateway on the Pacific Ocean floor. Humanity unites to fight these huge monsters by creating the Jaegers: gigantic humanoid robots that are controlled by two pilots whose minds and memories are linked. The story takes place in the later days of the war, following Raleigh Becket, a former Jaeger pilot called out of retirement and paired up with newbie pilot Mako Mori in a final effort to defeat the Kaijus!

 

Pacific Rim is released on Blu-ray & DVD Oct.15!

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Film Review “Pacific Rim”

Warner Brothers Pictures and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Ron Perlman
Directed by. Guillermo del Toro
Run time: 2 hours 11 minutes
Rated: PG-13
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Beginning in the present day and running through the year 2025, “Pacific Rim” delivers a futuristic lesson about coming together; not as a nation or as a race, but as humans joining together to keep Earth safe from destruction.

2013 brings the first attack. It comes from the bottoms of the sea as opposed to space, where we look for our aliens to come from. A monstrous being called Kaiju rises from the depths and wreaks havoc before it can be brought down with tanks and air support. Soon another one rises and again, with some effort, it is destroyed. The world realizes that protection will be needed and humanity develops a brand of robots called Jaegers that will be able to take on the 3,000 ton monsters. Each Jaeger is operated by 2 humans in a process called “drifting.” With two brains responsible for one wave length, every movement is perfected and synched in able to control something so big. Brothers, cousins, fathers and sons; all are used to drift as they will operate better together rather than two strangers. Over time the Kaiju develop and adapt, becoming stronger, larger and quicker. In time there are only four Jaeger teams left: retired pilot Raleigh Becket (Hunnam) and rookie up an coming pilot Mako Mori (Kikuchi), are among those called upon to rescue the world and block the intruders from the Kaiju’s world.

This is a film where the acting is secondary but, then again, this is an action movie with some underlying themes and not a movie looking to earn nominations for best actor or actress. I don’t think that is what director del Toro was trying to accomplish anyway. The story is great and it flows well. There were some predictable parts I had worked out before they happened, but the battle scenes and special effects ore than made up for that.

“Pacific Rim” is action packed and visually brilliant. I had the luxury of seeing this in IMAX and 3D and it is truly the only film that I have ever seen in 3D where I felt some scenes put me a little to close to the action for comfort. Director del Toro has a great reputation when making movies for American audiences and this one is no different. This easily could have been a film thrown together with loud noises, poor 3D and horrible special effects but del Toro delivers another success. If you plan to see this film I urge you to see it on the big screen

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CD Review: “Pacific Rim: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”

Composer: Ramin Djawadi
Release Date: June 25, 2013)
Number of Discs: 1
Label: WaterTower Music

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Pacific Rim” is personally my most anticipated movie of the summer, no question.  Giant monsters and giant robots going head to head, sounds totally EPIC! So when it comes to the score for this film, I was looking for that epic feel. Well leave it to Ramin Djawadi to not disappoint.  You might know his work…he does the music for a very small TV series, you never heard of, called “Game of Thrones” ;-). He really knows how to bring the epic action feel to this music.  When I listen to this score, it really gets me pumped up. It also feels very consistent that I can listen to it on loop and it feels like one long track, which I like. Easily one of my favorite scores of the year!

He has become very good at infusing epic action movies with emotion and heart. This film is massive and the score easily lives up to that rank as well.  For the film’s title theme, Djawadi joined forced with Tom Morello (from Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave) to add some killer guitar to the track. In fact it he ended up working on five tracks on this score and they also ending up being my favorite tracks on the whole album.  I love his guitar work on the score, which is not very common for an typical orchestral score. If you are considering seeing this film, I highly recommend this score since it will get you totally pumped and ready. Also I would recommend doing what I did and leaving it on loop since it really gets better and better with each listen.

Track List:
1. Pacific Rim (feat. Tom Morello)
2. Gipsy Danger
3. Canceling The Apocalypse
4. Just A Memory
5. 2500 Tons Of Awesome
6. The Shatterdome
7. Mako (feat. Priscilla Ahn)
8. Call Me Newt
9. Jaeger Tech (feat. Tom Morello)
10. To Fight Monsters, We Created Monsters
11. Better Than New
12. We Are The Resistance
13. Double Event
14. Striker Eureka
15. Physical Compatibility
16. Category 5
17. Pentecost
18. Go Big Or Go Extinct (feat. Tom Morello)
19. Hannibal Chau
20. For My Family
21. No Pulse (feat. Tom Morello)
22. Kaiju Groupie
23. Deep Beneath The Pacific
24. The Breach
25. We Need A New Weapon

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Book Review “Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters – The Inner Workings of an Epic Film”

Author: David S. Cohen
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Insight Edition
Release Date: June 18, 2013

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Guillermo del Toro is my absolute hero! This guy should be making every single movie in Hollywood.  “Pacific Rim” is any guys dream come true. Giant monsters and giant robots going head-to-head…I need a minute to myself.  Ok, I am back! I seriously can say that this is my most anticipated film of the entire summer.  Yes, I know that action heroes are the hottest thing right now but you cannot put that up against monsters and robots. This book is also one of my favorite companion books from this year. It is part art book, part visual companion.  Best of both worlds!

Official Premise: When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes-a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)-who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

You can also imagine that a $200 million dollar film is going to be backed with some amazing artwork and pre-production planning.   This book contains some really amazing images, all displayed in super high quality.  There is some amazing detailed set photography, along with great commentary from the film’s creative team. I also liked insights into the battle-torn world of 2025 CE depicted in the movie, so it takes you behind the story as well as behind the scenes. One aspect I loved about this book is that it is also very hands on, there are multiple sketches, blueprints and various tabs to enhance this experience. There are also two pull out posters in the back of the book.

David S. Cohen has been writing for Variety for over 10 years and is the author of “The Ballad of Rango: The Art & Making of an Outlaw Film”, which is another great companion book. There is an awesome foreword from director Guillermo del Toro.  He really is so passionate about his films and I loved reading what he had to say about this film. Some of the art in the book might be considered to be a bit of a spoiler since all of the monsters and robots are not show in the trailers but I couldn’t care less, I loved every page of this book and now I just want to see the film more!

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