Pacific Rim parents guide

Pacific Rim Parent Guide

While two battling scientists (Burn Gorman and Charlie Day) provide the comic relief in this movie, this script still packs a punch -- literally.

Overall B

When big, bad aliens immerge from a crack under the Pacific Ocean, Human forces create robots equally large and engage in a fistfight with hopes of saving the world.

Release date July 12, 2013

Violence C-
Sexual Content B+
Profanity C
Substance Use A

Why is Pacific Rim rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Pacific Rim PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language

Run Time: 131 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Director Guillermo del Toro has constructed a film that should please international markets as well as the one at home. (It’s set up perfectly for a two-player video game as well.) His cast of characters includes a nod to almost every nationality that all have to work together to defend Earth against a formidable foe.

The Kaiju were unable to endure the oxygen rich atmosphere that existed during the time of the dinosaurs, so the alien invaders settled in the seabed until we humans sufficiently polluted the planet. Now, thanks to global warming and a depleted ozone layer, they can exist above ground.

But these aren’t your average space visitors. These humongous creatures rival Godzilla when it comes to size and destructive abilities. And their target appears to be the human populations living along the coastline. While San Francisco endures an attack, Hong Kong becomes the main focus of the enormous scaly beasts. That only makes sense since del Toro’s seaside adventure has a definite feel of a Japanese anime—with a shot of Jules Verne thrown in. And the water setting in the film makes for some impressive special effects as the aliens and the humans go head to head in a battle in the bay.

To combat the enemy, nations have combined their scientific and technological skills to create towering robotic soldiers known as Jaegers. These massive machines are controlled by two pilots who are strapped inside. However these officers are one step above your average airplane crew. In order to move the huge robots, the human controllers must “drift” into one another’s minds. (Think of if as a Spock-like mind meld.)

Raleigh and Yancy Becket (Charlie Hunnam and Diego Klattenhoff) are two of the agency’s top men. These brothers have a special ability to get into each other’s head. But this skill also proves to be a handicap when Yancy dies during a brutal attack. Raleigh not only watches his brother die, he feels every emotion his sibling experiences. As a result of the tragedy, Raleigh walks away from the pilot’s chair.

Five years later he is approached by Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba). The Jaeger agency commander is mounting one last strike on the monstrous invaders and he needs Raleigh to take the controls of the almost obsolete machine he and his brother once piloted. It’s obvious who his new partner will be as soon as we see the petite Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) strolling across a rain-drenched tarmac. But like any good romantic interlude it takes a little time for the pair to figure it out. And she, like the insolent Raleigh, has a few issues to confront before they can become of one of mind.

While two battling scientists (Burn Gorman and Charlie Day) provide the comic relief in this movie, this script still packs a punch—literally. Despite being outfitted with guns and missiles, the robots most often engage in hand-to-hand combat with their enemy. Thankfully that means there is little blood in this film other than some superficial human injuries. Still many scenes, especially one involving a young girl, may be frightening for children. Yet with limited profanities and cursing, this loud, explosive adventure may be a good summer pick for teens and adults who enjoy sci-fi action. Just don’t forget to pack the earplugs!

Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Starring Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day. Running time: 131 minutes. Theatrical release July 12, 2013. Updated

Pacific Rim
Rating & Content Info

Why is Pacific Rim rated PG-13? Pacific Rim is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language

Violence: Monsters attack a city crushing cars, buildings and bridges. Some limited scenes of blood include facial, arm and torso injuries and bloody noses caused by a medical condition. Characters use sticks to fight in a simulated combat. A lone child in a deserted city street is hunted by one of the aliens. A character sticks a knife blade up a man’s nose. Men engage in a fistfight. Characters are drowned, electrocuted and eaten without graphic detail. Robots and aliens engage in frequent combat, sometimes involving weapons. Depictions of fighting, beating and explosions are shown. A man is threatened with guns. A parent and son argue. Numerous scenes of city destruction are shown. A character falls from the sky after being dropped mid-air. Some gory and scary images are portrayed along with moments of peril.

Sexual Content: Brief veiled sexual innuendo is included along with some embracing.

Language: The script contains infrequent mild cursing, profanities and scatological slang along with some slurs and vulgar terms.

Alcohol / Drug Use: A character uses prescription drugs to deal with a medical condition.

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Pacific Rim Parents' Guide

Director del Toro includes an international crew in his movie. How can filmmakers appeal to a worldwide audience? Why are aliens a good choice when it comes to an enemy? How might a film be received in another country if they are portrayed as the “bad guy”?

How can a common enemy or cause bring people together? Why is that often difficult to do under normal circumstances?

What science does this film choose to ignore? Why is reality often suspended in sci-fi movies?

What elements of Japanese anime and Jules Verne stories are evident in this film?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Pacific Rim movie is October 15, 2013. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Pacific Rim

Release Date: 15 October 2013

Pacific Rim releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Copy or 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Copy) on October 15, 2013. Extras include:

- Audio Commentary by Guillermo del Toro

- Prologue by Guillermo Del Toro

- Five Focus Points

- Deleted Scenes

- Blooper Reel

Related home video titles:

Earthlings face off against unfriendly aliens in War of the Worlds (1953) and War of the Worlds (2005). The extra-terrestrials take a more subtle approach in The Invasion and The Arrival. Humans also take on a different bodily form in order to fight their enemies in Avatar.

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