# Today, we are cancelling the Apocalypse! (Pacific Rim) SPOILERS! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355 "2013-07-12T20:22:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/181 "2013-07-29T06:43:30Z")
The wall that Marshal found Raleigh building… what city was that supposed to be protecting? ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/182 "2013-07-29T10:35:08Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Just got back from seeing it again. It was only “drift”, and mostly as a noun. I only remember “when you’re in the drift”, not “when you’re drifting”. Yeah, I just find it interesting how some people remember by sound, and some by meaning. I thought Hannibal said “you drifted with a kaiju”, though. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/183 "2013-07-29T11:05:27Z")
> [@simster](#): > > shocka, the walls fell. _golf clap_ ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/184 "2013-07-29T12:48:36Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > The wall that Marshal found Raleigh building… what city was that supposed to be protecting? He was up near Anchorage still. However, the sign announcing the Kaiju Wall indicates that it is supposed to stretch from Alaska to California. … I do wonder about Hawai’i, though. With only ~30 Jaegers they probably never had any defenses, and even if they built a Wall there we know they don’t work. They’re probably just screwed. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/185 "2013-07-29T13:43:55Z")
Yeah, island nations in the Pacific would be royally screwed. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/186 "2013-07-29T15:08:14Z")
I liked the action scenes. During Man of Steel I kept looking at my watch, but the action scenes in Pacific Rim were totally gripping. But the dialogue was AWFUL. I spent most of my time cringing during the people scenes. I get that it’s supposed to be a fun anime movie, but I’ve seen plenty of anime movies with better dialogue and character development than Pacific Rim. If someone could combine the complexity of Evangelion with the live action scenes from Pacific Rim, that would be awesome. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/187 "2013-07-30T01:32:00Z")
Saw it today and loved it. Just a big dumb Summer blockbuster that delivered everything I expected from it. Anyone notice how some characters talked as if they were Anime characters? I’m thinking specifically of the weird “controller” guy with the red suspenders, he sounded just like English dubbed anime. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/188 "2013-07-30T15:05:16Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > The black market dealer made a big deal of the fact that the slide goes two ways. When he said that, I assumed this meant the Kaiju would have learned as much about us as we learned about them. That’s why the last few were so devastating versus the Jaegers, because they learned what they were from that connection. (Hey, we learned you’re weak to electric, so, take this!) I was expecting that as well. Which other movies also used the two-way mind-reading thing? Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings? Independence Day (nah, that was one-way)? I get the feeling a recent movie used it as well, but can’t put my finger on it. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/189 "2013-07-30T19:39:36Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > I was expecting that as well. Which other movies also used the two-way mind-reading thing? Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings? Independence Day (nah, that was one-way)? I get the feeling a recent movie used it as well, but can’t put my finger on it. Definitely Potter had that between Harry and Voldemort and LOTRs had the Palantirs which worked both ways. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/190 "2013-07-30T21:09:55Z")
Were the palantirs telepathic? I’ve always pictured them as more of a magic videophone. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/191 "2013-07-31T04:14:50Z")
We just got back from seeing it, and I’d have to agree with most of you - it was a big, dumb fun summer blockbuster action movie. I also had a little trouble with the sword showing up - “We have a sword, and you tell me _now_?!? We could have ended this fight 30 minutes ago!” The two-way communication plot with the Kaiju seemed like it was set up and then dropped to me, too. I also didn’t understand that building a wall around the entire Pacific Rim was the world government plan - the wall that the Kaiju walked through like it wasn’t there. That was a nice touch, though - very bureaucratic. My complaint is the same as with all action movies - the fight scenes just go on so looooooooong. I feel like I want to bring a book with me, and start reading until the fight scenes are over and we’re back to the movie again. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/192 "2013-07-31T08:53:03Z")
Not only was it a 5,000 mile long wall. A 5,000 mile long wall. But wasn’t it just as tall as the Kaiju? We’re they hoping they couldn’t lift themselves over a ledge they could reach? Or so low in intelligence that they wouldn’t pile up rocks? And if they were on the other side of the wall, couldn’t they just tactical nuke them on the other side and not worry about Kaiju blue? And what about Naomi? ---
**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 31, 2013, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/193 "2013-07-31T11:26:42Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > Not only was it a 5,000 mile long wall. A 5,000 mile long wall. But wasn’t it just as tall as the Kaiju? We’re they hoping they couldn’t lift themselves over a ledge they could reach? Or so low in intelligence that they wouldn’t pile up rocks? And if they were on the other side of the wall, couldn’t they just tactical nuke them on the other side and not worry about Kaiju blue? > > And what about Naomi? I don’t recall anything about chairs in the film. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/194 "2013-07-31T12:46:08Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > My complaint is the same as with all action movies - the fight scenes just go on so looooooooong. I feel like I want to bring a book with me, and start reading until the fight scenes are over and we’re back to the movie again. 😕 If you cut down the fight scenes in this movie, it’d be less than a half-hour long. The fight scenes were the _point_ of the movie. Even most of the character development occurs in the fight scenes. The rest – backstory scenes, character intro scenes – only exist to put the fight scenes into context. It’s like seeing _Schindler’s List_ and complaining that it spends too much time on the sad scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/195 "2013-07-31T14:47:02Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > Not only was it a 5,000 mile long wall. A 5,000 mile long wall. But wasn’t it just as tall as the Kaiju? We’re they hoping they couldn’t lift themselves over a ledge they could reach? Or so low in intelligence that they wouldn’t pile up rocks? And if they were on the other side of the wall, couldn’t they just tactical nuke them on the other side and not worry about Kaiju blue? > > And what about Naomi? I keep waiting for you to realize that you’re doing the equivalent of criticizing **Camelot** for historical inaccuracy, or criticizing **Snow White** for inaccurate depictions of human proportions, or criticizing **Bambi** for inaccurately suggesting that animals can talk. Yes, technically all these things you’re bringing up might not be the best depictions of a strictly realistic world, but within the film’s genre and within the film’s world, they’re absurd quibbles. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/196 "2013-07-31T14:58:45Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I keep waiting for you to realize that you’re doing the equivalent of criticizing **Camelot** for historical inaccuracy, or criticizing **Snow White** for inaccurate depictions of human proportions, or criticizing **Bambi** for inaccurately suggesting that animals can talk. Yes, technically all these things you’re bringing up might not be the best depictions of a strictly realistic world, but within the film’s genre and within the film’s world, they’re absurd quibbles. But, but, but, why is it that the big robot was completely submerged at the start before popping up behind the fishing boat, but then was able to stand up and walk about with the water only up to its knees? Gee, I hope somebody got fired for that one. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/197 "2013-07-31T15:13:05Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > But, but, but, why is it that the big robot was completely submerged at the start before popping up behind the fishing boat, but then was able to stand up and walk about with the water only up to its knees? Gee, I hope somebody got fired for that one. Actually, there’s a scene that was cut for length, where Yancy and Raleigh have Gipsy Danger put on its high stiletto heels before heading out for a night of kaiju fun. It’s hard to walk in water with those things! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/198 "2013-07-31T15:35:25Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > 😕 If you cut down the fight scenes in this movie, it’d be less than a half-hour long. The fight scenes were the _point_ of the movie. Even most of the character development occurs in the fight scenes. The rest – backstory scenes, character intro scenes – only exist to put the fight scenes into context. > > It’s like seeing _Schindler’s List_ and complaining that it spends too much time on the sad scenes. It isn’t my criticism of just this action movie; it’s my ongoing criticism of all action movies. I like to see action movies and watch exciting chase scenes and watch shit blowing up, but there comes a point when enough is enough for me - these movies are all icing and no cake. What makes cake and icing special is the balance between the two. 🙂 ETA: The cake is supposed to be plot and character development in my analogy. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/199 "2013-07-31T15:45:11Z")
Sometimes you just want to eat the icing out of the bowl. Pac Rim is _that_ kind of movie. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355/200 "2013-07-31T19:19:46Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Thank you for telling me how to watch a movie. :rolleyes: > > Did you even READ the rest of my post? Yes, of course I did, why do you think I didn’t? If the thing is a kids’ cartoon, then it doesn’t make any sense to criticize the movie on the point you criticized it on. The two scientists’ demeanor is exactly in keeping with the conceit. So, no, I’m not telling you “how to watch a movie,” but I am reminding you of something you yourself seemed to have some intimation of in much of the rest of your post, and pointing out that the line from you I quoted is in tension with this fact. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-we-are-cancelling-the-apocalypse-pacific-rim-spoilers/663355.md?page=11)