Pacific Rim: Uprising Parent Guide
Get attacked. Fight back. Repeat.
Parent Movie Review
A decade has passed since the events depicted in Pacific Rim (which released in theaters in 2013). Back then, the threat of the alien beings, called Precursors, was heroically eliminated by Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba). Although he closed the breach on the ocean floor that acted as a portal between their world and ours, the enormous remains of their bioengineered avatars, called Kaiju, still litter the landscape. So do some bits and pieces of Jaegers, the Earth’s gigantic robotic counter weapon to the attack.
While civilization is slowly rebuilding the wrecked cities of yesteryear, Jake Pentecost (John Boyega), son of Stacker, refuses to be part of the process – until he gets caught making shady deals with the criminal underground. Thanks to the intervening of his step-sister Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), Jake is sentenced to return to boot camp, where the military is training a new group of kids to pilot Jaegers – in the event of another encounter with the Kaiju.
And we all know that a battle is coming!
Reuniting characters from the first film, like Dr. Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Herman Gottlieb (Burn Gorman), with a new scientist (Liwen Shao), a rival for Jake (Scott Eastwood), a love interest (Adria Arjona) and a multi-cultural gaggle of rookies (Cailee Spaeny, Karan Brar, Wesley Wong, Ivanna Sakhno, plus a few more), the sequel creates an unnecessarily complicated story. This is especially true because the plot twists are pretty obvious, and the premise never breaks out of the classic monster movie formula.
The upside of this uprising is that sexual content is almost non-existent and alcohol consumption is depicted only twice. The down side is the frequent profanity, which includes sexual finger gestures, and plentiful violence. Chases, fights, explosions and extensive property damage are only the beginning. Bleeding injuries, implied deaths, and body parts from blue-blooded extra-terrestrials can be a bit disturbing. It is also unfortunate that the script takes itself so seriously – a little humor would have helped a lot.
If you are okay with an action flick that never questions why you would try to eliminate an enemy of enormous dinosaur-like creatures with massive mechanical men (wouldn’t dropping bombs on them, or poisoning them be more effective?), you may find enough punch in this smack-down to make it through the almost two hour runtime. But if you have ever wondered why the fate of the world always depends on the winner of a fist fight, you might be swimming in the wrong ocean.
Directed by Steven S. DeKnight. Starring John Bodega, Rinko Kikuchi, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Tian Jing, Adria Arjona . Running time: 111 minutes. Theatrical release March 23, 2018. Updated June 19, 2018
Pacific Rim: Uprising
Rating & Content Info
Why is Pacific Rim: Uprising rated PG-13? Pacific Rim: Uprising is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and some language.
Violence: Characters engage in battles throughout the film. Gun threats, airstrikes, sparring and chokeholds are seen. Most of the violence is non-graphic, but some cuts, bruises and bloody wounds are depicted. Aliens bleed a florescent blue liquid, and their dismembered body parts are shown. Brains are kept as specimens in jars. Frightening looking creatures are portrayed. Fighting between large dinosaur-like monsters and huge robotic men include fist-fights and weapons use. These showdowns include collateral damage such as people being stepped on, crushed, thrown, tripped and beaten. Explosions and extensive property damage occurs. Characters run from the danger, even though one scene tries to mitigate the destruction by telling the audience all of the people are safely in underground bunkers. Injured persons and corpses are briefly seen. Some gambling, stealing and black market dealings are portrayed. Political protestors become violent. Characters are in frequent peril. A motorcycle chase is depicted. A child witnesses the death of her parents (off camera), and many other deaths are implied.
Sexual Content: A scantily clad woman is briefly shown. Crude remarks and mild sexual references are made. Embracing and kissing is seen. A woman falls on top of a man during an explosion.
Profanity: Frequent use of scatological slang, mild and moderate profanity, name-calling and slang terms for body parts. Terms of deity and slurs are heard infrequently. Two sexual finger gestures are seen.
Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters drink alcohol at a party, and in a private setting.
Page last updated June 19, 2018
Pacific Rim: Uprising Parents' Guide
If you were to face an enemy like the monsters depicted here, what kind of weapons would you build? Why do you think the moviemakers chose large, avatar robots? How practical is this design? What are the drawbacks of having the machines take two pilots?
Jake Pentecost constantly reminds others that he is not his father. Why?How hard is it to live in the shadow of another person? Despite his assertions, what does Jake privately wish his life was like? What does he need to do to create his own identity? What could you learn from this example?
In what ways is this movie designed to be global money-maker? What races does it include in its portrayals. What cultural elements does it borrow to make it more universally accessible? Do you think the film benefits or suffers because of these marketing considerations?
Home Video
The most recent home video release of Pacific Rim: Uprising movie is June 19, 2018. Here are some details…
Home Video Notes: Pacific Rim: Uprising
Release Date: 19 June 2018
Pacific Rim: Uprising releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy or Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/Digital Copy) with the following supplements:
- Feature Audio Commentary with Director Steven S. DeKnight
- Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Director Steven S. DeKnight
- Bridge to Uprising - The cast and crew discuss how the world of Pacific Rim has changed in the ten years since the events of the original film.
- Hall of Heroes - John Boyega takes us through the awesome weaponry and cutting-edge enhancements of the latest generation of Jaegers featured in the film.
- Becoming Cadets - Step into the Shatterdome, and learn the grueling physical and mental preparation required of the young actors who portrayed the PPDC cadets.
- The Underworld of Uprising - Humanity won the Kaiju War, but every war has casualties. John Boyega and Steven S. DeKnight give a tour of the coastal “Relief Zones.”
- Unexpected Villain - Learn the secret reason that turned one of the most beloved heroes of the original film into a villain obsessed with humanity’s destruction.
- Next Level Jaegers - The cast and crew discuss the amazing technological advances of the Jaeger program in the years since the events of the original film.
- I Am Scrapper - Actress Cailee Spaeny shares the backstory of Scrapper, Amara’s incredible self-built Jaeger and its many unique abilities.
- Going Mega - Filmmakers take us through the technical and creative challenges of creating the most deadly threat the Pan Pacific Defense Corp has ever faced: the Mega Kaiju!
- Secrets of Shao - Meet the woman behind Shao Industries. Actress Tian Jing shares her insights on the enigmatic tech tycoon Liwen Shao.
- Mako Returns - Actress Rinko Kikuchi and director Steven S. DeKnight explain the significance of Mako Mori’s return and her importance to the events of Pacific Rim Uprising.