•
Versione 1
Rating:
That this new mecha and kaiju film would be terrible was evident from the first few seconds of the trailer. Surprisingly, the initial part is almost decent, before giving way to one of the worst and most gratuitous drivel ever seen in the history of spectacular and destructive science fiction cinema. A toy game with giant robots as tall as buildings hopping like frogs and tearing down skyscrapers as if they were papier-mâché boxes. A series of insignificant teenagers, and just as many jaegers that do not contribute even slightly to the fascination of del Toro's vision, instead, they impoverish and “profane” it.
Because, let's not deny it, the crucial issue is in the passing of the reins from a talented, very talented director like Guillermo to a newcomer like DeKnight. All efforts to insert fresh ideas (so to speak) and fun plot twists (there is something good) crash against a direction and staging that at the decisive moment fall to pieces, succumb to easy, cheap orgasms, often crudely cut. Yet some shots seem convincing, initially. But it's a deceptive sensation. All the more, one vividly remembers the beauty of the setup of the first film: towering metal giants as powerful as they are slow and clumsy, difficult to move and guide, always in adverse conditions, in the night, in the ocean, with the storm. Every step was a feat, for the pilots and the spectators. Here we see a team of teenagers thrown into battle who are constantly running inside the heads of robots that now do splits over buildings. It descends into the ridiculous, and the protagonists always seem to be on a treadmill.
In certain moments, I thought of some elements of Neon Genesis Evangelion (berserk mode), but that plotline soon faded away, returning to the classical setup, burdened by the lack of pathos and atmosphere, as well as by much cruder strategies than those already not so fresh from the first installment. The issue of the jaeger-drones is barely sketched and does not produce a reflection worthy of the name. But the most serious mistake is changing all the protagonists and thus having to repeat several dynamics already seen: the neural handshake, father-son relationships, reluctance to fight, training. All already seen and here poorly repeated. Only the villain is somewhat salvaged, though he has little space and leaves a bunch of unclear elements on the field that are better left unexplored.
The Chinese influence on the film should not be underestimated: Legendary has had slanted eyes for a few years, and the presence of several Asian protagonists is certainly not a coincidence. The Western man here is a supporting character, someone who arrives late. Besides these details that might only affect the commercial side of the operation, I believe del Toro’s strength was mainly in his ability to blend Eastern elements with a noir and apocalyptic sensibility that was very Western. Robots, monsters, and battles are fine, but one must be cautious not to descend into a big comic strip, with all due respect for comics. Instead, here the message is heard loud and clear: “The civilians are safe,” as if to say: “Okay, destroy everything.” But what fun is that?
4/10
Loading comments slowly
