My Jaeger Can Beat Up Your Kaiju

So the latest ad pops up for the latest summer block buster to come hit us in the face with a force of a 1000 cans of soda.  The narrator explains it to us - "In a world gone mad only one man can stop an alien invasion.  He drives The Gipsy and he's not gonna take it anymore."  The latest offering from director Guillermo del Torro is called Pacific Rim and has been described as a fun throw back to happier times when Godzilla was scary and people could watch the screen, know that it was fake, and not care.  I can only describe it as a movie that has "everything".  And what I mean by that is a winning combination of everything a guy like me could ask for in a movie.  Great special effects. Check.  A hero who can rise above his past and show us what being human is all about. Check.  Possible romance but not so much that it complicates the story.  Check.  Great warriors who follow a consistent diet and uphold to honorable living.  Check.  A big, playful puppy dog in the form of a Brittish Bull dog.  Check.  Funny one liners that make you shart.  Well, almost but I'm gonna say "check" anyway.  Check.  The ability to tell a story from beginning to ending and actually introduce us to the story and tell us the beginning and ending.  Check.  Great script.  Check.  Great actors/actresses.  Check.  Great CGI that convinces us but also helps us to remember it's still CGI.  Check.  Only a couple of speeches but concise and to the point.  Check.  In fact (Spoiler alert! Attention!! Spoiler alert!!)  when the commanding officer gives the final speech before the final battle we hear words that motivate the characters in the movie and also remind us that we can be great too.  It reminded me a lot of the speech by the president in the movie Independence Day as he is going into battle alongside the other pilots and everyone is against him going but he's such a good man that he knows he must do his part also.  (End of spoiler alert. You may resume reading now.)  Perhaps what makes the movie so great is the characters themselves and how well they are played.  You really dislike the pompous hero who gives our main character a hard time but respect his abilities for what he's done.  Think of the Ice Man in TopGun.  You understand and feel bad for the main character who suffered such a tragic loss but finds something way down deep inside to continue on and return to where he belongs.  The trilogy effect of a commanding officer, a young and very capable warrior (who he happens to have a deep connection with, and of course the old warrior who has to be dragged back but ultimately totally becomes one with the plan.  You also have the experienced old warrior who still loves his country and continues on until he just can't anymore.  And he happens to be the father of the jerk who gives our hero a rough time.  There is the comic relief brought to us by two intellectuals who are brilliant but allow for some fun stupidity.  I rarely walk out of a movie theater thinking "this had everything I want in a movie".  But it happened last night.  The only thing that got in the way of the fun was the 3D.  But that's just my preference.  I don't think I'll ever like the glasses but I know there will eventually be 3D contacts that your obstetrician will be able to subscribe within a few years.  Pacific Rim gets a 5 out of 5 stars from me.  My name is Rueuhy and I approve this blog.