PACIFIC RIM

John Boyega     Scott Eastwood     Tian Jing     Cailee Spaeny    

Rinko Kikuchi     Burn Gorman     Adria Arjona     Charlie Day

     At first, I thought that the only reason to watch this film is for the special effects, which are spectacular, but I wished for more dramatic impact, which is so minimal.  Then later, I was intrigued with its treatment of the Amara Namani (Spaeny) character, a young sassy girl who had done amazing things on her own (such as assembling a Jaeger from scraps), failed at first at cadet school, then managed to become a central element in saving the earth.  That redeemed this film to some extent in terms of dramatic import and being more than the usual fight-game.

     Another interesting twist is one of the characters’ going rogue after some of his vital fluids got mixed with that of a Kaiju in the first Pacific Rim film, making him eventually a traitor to the Pan Pacific Defense Force.

     In Pacific Rim Uprising, several story lines play out.  There is the one about Jake (Boyega) trying to live up to his father’s heroic brilliance, his competitiveness with his fellow pilot, Nate (Eastwood), his argumentative relationship with Amara, and the competition among scientists (Gorman, Arjona, Day) to produce the most effective force, drones versus Jaegers.  If these stories had been fleshed out and the incessant, senseless robot fighting reduced, this would have been a lot better film.

     To complicate matters, the music and sound effects often drown out dialog, and some subtitles flash by so quickly they’re missed. 

     John Boyega, the recipient of a number of rising star awards for his work in Star Wars:  The Force Awakens and Attack the Block, is good in the starring role, which is very similar to his past roles, so it was not much of a stretch.  The new up-and-coming star here is Cailee Spaeny in her first feature film.  She is a natural in her range of expressions and her ability to capture the spotlight.  Tian Jing as head of the Chinese Shao Corporation’s drone project is icily attractive and clearly shows command of those under her purview.  Eastwood playing rival to Boyega’s character is very effective, although his resemblance to his father both in appearance and mannerism is a bit distracting.  (Not his fault, of course.)  I missed not seeing more of Rinko Kikuchi, who had a major role in the first Pacific Rim; her role here is minor.

     This is a film for special effects fans who are less interested in drama and more enthusiastic about seeing robots engaged in physical combat.

Meager in story; incessant in fighting.

Grade:  D                                    By Donna R. Copeland

KUMIKO: THE TREASURE HUNTER

Rinko Kikuchi     David Zellner     Nathan Zellner
 

 

 

Kumiko is strange and whimsical fare that delights, puzzles, and tears at your heart.  Kumiko is a young Japanese woman who is socially withdrawn, barely making it at her job as office assistant, and spends a good deal of her time with her animals in a kind of fantasy land.  The boundaries between reality and fantasy can get blurred for her, especially if she has a strong desire for something.  She is both child and woman.

 

The American film by the Coen brothers, Fargo, has caught her fancy, and she becomes convinced that if she could just get to Fargo, North Dakota, she could find the case full of money that was buried in the snow by a criminal.  Through underhanded means, she does indeed get to Minnesota, and instead of staying on a stalled bus some hundred miles from Fargo, she decides to walk out into the snowy weather and head there on foot.  She is picked up a couple of times, but when she finds the other person is not going to take her to Fargo, she bolts.  

Kumiko does reveal her plan to the second stranger, a policeman, who is generously buying her a warmer jacket and boots.  He also gets lunch for her, and she tells him about her plan.  Of course, he tries to help her distinguish between reality and movie fantasy, but as before, when someone questions her delusion, this time she quickly runs out and gets in a taxi.

She has encountered money problems and other difficulties along the way—and this taxi driver will get stiffed.  One of her problems, which was occurring before she left Tokyo, was with her mother’s phone calls.  It is probably not by coincidence that each time, just before she runs, she has had a conversation with her mom whose only interest seems to be for her to get married and have children.  When she evades the subject, her mother quickly becomes abusive, telling her how worthless she is.

The story of Kumiko is engaging and fascinating in the way many art films are that move at a thoughtful pace, usually relate to mythological themes, and artistically express the visual and aural elements.  I see Kumiko as going on the hero’s journey (Joseph Campbell)—usually undertaken by a male—in which he encounters many trials, and ultimately returns as a changed man who bestows boon on others.  This story ends much more ambiguously, and we never learn whether Kumiko served that final function or not.  

The brothers David and Nathan Zellner co-wrote and David directed this feature film that has a colorful, interesting and delightful tone to it, despite the trials Kumiko undergoes.   

Much of the strength and appeal of the film comes from the star, Rinko Kikuchi (Pacific Rim, The Brothers Bloom) who was nominated by numerous organizations for her role in Babel.  Sean Porter’s photography is outstanding, as, for example, in the beginning scene with the ocean, greenery, and a red-hooded figure walking along the beach, then later when Kumiko is in Minnesota walking in huge expanses of snow.  The music by The Octapus Project is modern, with dissonant chords and harsh sounds, which may not please everyone’s ears, but it’s effective in what it is meant to convey.

An entertaining journey that will surprise and delight.

Grade:  B                        By Donna R. Copeland