# Pacific Rim - anyone else strangely psyched? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137 "2013-07-10T14:45:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/21 "2013-07-10T21:47:12Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > I hope the movie does well. It looks good, and seems to be one of the few original movies this summer, one that’s not a sequel, prequel, remake, or based on a comic book. I also like a lot of the actors in it. +1, if I may. Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/22 "2013-07-10T21:48:15Z")
The Killjoy Critics on Rotten Tomatoes are bringing its rating down (currently 77%, but it was something like 85%+ over the weekend), but it’s still going gangbusters amongst viewers. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/23 "2013-07-10T21:54:53Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > But it does seem to be derived from [this.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqzHdKqZAmo) > Or inspired. > Or ripped off. 😉 Heh, I’ll grant you it’s not a totally original idea. But it seems to be a new original movie in the giant monster genre. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/24 "2013-07-10T22:04:59Z")
Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba looking fine in a movie AND I get to see it in 3D? Oh my yes. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/25 "2013-07-10T22:10:47Z")
There are a lot of worse things to rip off than “Get away from her, you bitch”. I have a friend who’s really psyched about _Pacific Rim_: He’s a big fan of kaiju movies, done right (hint: The American Godzilla wasn’t). Myself, I’m not psyched, but optimistic, mostly because it’s Del Toro directing (though GLaDoS doesn’t hurt, either). ---
**Author:** ![catnoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@catnoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catnoe)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/26 "2013-07-11T00:03:26Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m pretty psyched. Fun concept. And I would watch Idris Elba read the telephone book. Ditto. And as mentioned it is from Guillermo del Toro. Pan’s Labyrinth was amazing. And it’s a big ass action movie with giant robots and Cthulhu looking sea monsters! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/27 "2013-07-11T00:18:23Z")
This is not my usual kind of movie, but for some reason I AM psyched for it. I doubt I’m in the target demographic(I’m a middle aged female) but I think I’m going to go see this movie. It looks like fun, and since my life is in the pits right now I need some fun. What character is doing that speech about “cancelling the Apocalypse” in the trailer? Sounds like the typical rousing, before battle speech. “Today is called the feast of Crispian…” “Today we celebrate out Independence Day!” “Today we are cancelling the Apocalypse!” ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/28 "2013-07-11T00:36:28Z")
Don’t forget Théoden’s speech “Forth! Down fear of darkness! Arise! Arise, Riders of Théoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day… a red day… and the sun rises! Ride now… Ride now… Ride! Ride for ruin and the world’s ending! Death!” Brian ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/29 "2013-07-11T01:21:38Z")
I’m not strangely psyched, in fact not even a little bit psyched. I didn’t grow up watching giant monster movies (all the nerds call them Kaiju, a word I’d never heard before this film), and have no particular interest in robots. The scale of everything leaves me cold, it just seems _too_ big to me. I think I’d be more interested if it was ten foot robots vs dinosaurs. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/30 "2013-07-11T03:17:32Z")
Is it just me, or does it seem at least somewhat bizarre that mankind, faced with annihilation by a gigantic monster, would decide that the best possible solution would be to build a gigantic robot to battle the monster in hand-to-hand combat? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/31 "2013-07-11T03:26:59Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Is it just me, or does it seem at least somewhat bizarre that mankind, faced with annihilation by a gigantic monster, would decide that the best possible solution would be to build a gigantic robot to battle the monster in hand-to-hand combat? Japan invented the concept, and for them it probably makes a lot of sense. So I say No. I also expect that is addressed in the plot. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/32 "2013-07-11T04:54:14Z")
I’ll trust in Guillermo del Toro enough to watch it. But it looks awfully stupid from the trailers (but then I’ve never really enjoyed the genre, Voltron when I was 8 being the most engaged I ever was with it). ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/33 "2013-07-11T05:14:11Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Japan invented the concept, and for them it probably makes a lot of sense. So I say No. I also expect that is addressed in the plot. From the trailers, the rationale is: Monsters are big. Bombs and rockets and bullets are small. Big is stronger than small. Big wins. Therefore, we need a really big fist, so, build big robot. But then again, real world biology could not support monsters so big and powerful on Earth. And then again, if you buy into the idea that a big robot punch is more powerful than a tactical nuke, why don’t you make a robot that’s twice the size of the monsters? My take is this: If you want a fantasy world where the only countermeasure to giant monsters is a giant robot, go for it. Just please don’t pretend in any way that this is even remotely possible in _the real world_. Not only are the monsters from an alternate dimension, but this must be an alternate dimension Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/34 "2013-07-11T07:44:34Z")
Saw the trailer a couple weeks ago, and immediately turned to my husband and said, “Giant mechs battling giant aliens, directed by del Toro? WE MUST SEE THIS!” He agreed, to say the least. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/35 "2013-07-11T11:51:25Z")
Maybe, with Del Torro directing I’m a little intrigued, at least beyond my initial “What the hell? They’re rebooting the Transformers?” phase. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/36 "2013-07-11T13:05:24Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > My take is this: If you want a fantasy world where the only countermeasure to giant monsters is a giant robot, go for it. Just please don’t pretend in any way that this is even remotely possible in _the real world_. Not only are the monsters from an alternate dimension, but this must be an alternate dimension Earth. Dude, all movie worlds are alternate dimensions. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/37 "2013-07-11T13:22:24Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Dude, all movie worlds are alternate dimensions. Quoted for Truth. How often do you hear background music that matches your mood in this dimension? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/38 "2013-07-11T13:25:16Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I was surprised to read so many positive reviews of it. Unfortunately I think the lack of a big name star is gonna be a fatal flaw in it drawing in audiences. > > I say I was surprised because I simply cannot take ‘gundams’ (or whatever those giant battle-bot things are called) seriously. It’s just patently ridiculous to make a huge weapon in the shape of a giant person, with arms, legs etc. It’s cartoon logic at its most obvious. You’ve got a super advanced technology that can build massively huge, massively strong mechanisms like this and their primary means of offensive weaponry is, to punch each other?!? Sorry, I just can’t suspend that much disbelief. > > It is what it is, a classically Japanese ‘fetish-y’ fiction genre, like anime (which to me is just crappy animation of disturbingly young & sexy girls with huge eyes and big tits!) 😃 > [@DCnDC](#): > > Is it just me, or does it seem at least somewhat bizarre that mankind, faced with annihilation by a gigantic monster, would decide that the best possible solution would be to build a gigantic robot to battle the monster in hand-to-hand combat? See, this is why I’m psyched Charlie Day is the scientist who designs the robots. Because I can’t see him as anyone but Charlie Kelly from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, and sending giant robots to fight giant monsters is _exactly_ the kind of solution Charlie would come up with. Here’s what I’m talking about: [Charlie Builds a Robot](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSUkno01juU). ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/39 "2013-07-11T14:11:54Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > From the trailers, the rationale is: Monsters are big. Bombs and rockets and bullets are small. Big is stronger than small. Big wins. Therefore, we need a really big fist, so, build big robot. This logic is sound, as proven in the AT&T ads with the guy talking to kids. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137/40 "2013-07-11T14:22:20Z")
In the comic strip _Brewster Rocket_ this week, giant monsters attack Earth, so the mad scientist Dr. Mel makes giant robots to fight them. Then the robots make friends with the monsters, and destroy the cities together. Whoops. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacific-rim-anyone-else-strangely-psyched/663137.md?page=3)