It’s one of the sequels that fans have been waiting for since it ended, about five years now. That kind of time being allowed to pass from one movie to the next isn’t uncommon but it can wreak havoc with the story line for a number of reasons. Pacific Rim wasn’t quite the epic that everyone thought it would be but it wasn’t the stinker that it could have been. It did a lot better in the international market than it did in America, but this could have a lot to do with the fact that Americans feel a bit over-saturated when it comes to giant robots and giant monsters.
Ever since Robot Jox, Godzilla, King Kong, even the Power Rangers and their various monsters came along the American public has always wanted something bigger and better. The Kaiju in Pacific Rim were bigger and a lot nastier, but the one thing that kind of ruined them is the fact that they were quite literally nothing more than manufactured killing machines.
Pacific Rim had its share of faults despite being a good movie. Pacific Rim 2 on the other hand has one heck of a mountain to climb to come even close to its predecessor. Here’s why we think it’s going to take a miracle for this thing to be successful:
Sequels have a tough time overcoming their predecessor
Most sequels are seen as inferior simply because they are the second in line and therefore are not the original and innovative film that their predecessor was. Films such as The Matrix and Superman and even Pirates of the Caribbean are good examples. The first film is always the groundbreaking attempt that seeks to wow the audience and show them something that they haven’t seen before. While Pacific Rim certainly did that they did not quite have the same wow as other films might. The audience has seen this type of movie before but not quite the same premise. It’s almost like an adult version of the Power Rangers to be honest, but the monsters are already giants and the robots are seriously hacked up with new, futuristic weapons that are still more physical than energy-based.
It’s going to have to depend on a very thin and very controversial plot line.
Granted the engineers of the Kaiju could possibly find another way into the world, but the chances are also good that with the updated technology and knowledge of what the things really are that the Jaegers would be far more advanced and there would actually be safety measures in place to prevent or halt such an opening as was done in the first film. In other words, if the protagonists would learn from the past then there wouldn’t be much of a need for a second movie. But then there were those two bumbling scientists that decided to drift with a Kaiju brain. That could open up some possibilities. It’s still thin though.
The main point is that the second movie probably won’t be on par for a few very crucial reasons.
1. It’s missing its star power, as Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba won’t be coming back. Elba’s character is dead and Hunnam will not be returning at any rate due to scheduling conflicts. There’s no word as to whether Rinko Kikuchi will show up again so that’s nothing to bank on.
2. The plot will need to be completely original. Given Hollywood’s track record lately that’s not much of a possibility.
3. It’s coming out in March instead of February as planned, and will have to contend with a few heavy hitters that might just cause its numbers to stall at the box office.
Here’s hoping, but don’t hold your breath.
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