So, it came out recently that the tracking numbers for Pacific Rim were rather low. Seventy percent of the marketing budget is still to be spent (over the next two weeks), and Del Toro himself posted on his forum that the numbers were improving, but this still bums me out a bit. The fact that Grown Ups 2 (a movie I didn’t even know existed until a week ago) will probably beat it is just an extra kick in the nuts. I really wanted Pacific Rim to be one of those massive new-IP hits, though I knew that was arguably a bit of a long shot.
I know what the films’ main obstacles to success are. On the surface, it looks like Transformers, Battleship, Battle: Los Angeles. Of course, all of the Transformers films were big hits, despite being terrible, while Battleship tanked, and frankly I’m not sure how to square those things in my head. I can accept a concept as ridiculous as Battleship tanking, but what saved Transformers? Is Michael Bay really that good at creating crowd-pleasing movies? You could argue the Transformers flicks had star power, but not the first one – the first one made Megan Fox and Shia LeBeouf’s careers. And the movie was based on a toyline, a fact which is at least as goofy as Pacific Rim‘s concept. (A great toyline, true, but a toyline nonetheless.)
I do think they’ve mismanaged the marketing on Pacific Rim thus far. All the ads are emphasizing the action, which is precisely what makes it seem too much like the aforementioned films. I have a hunch there’s a love story between Charlie Hunnam’s and Rinko Kikuchi’s characters, and they should definitely have at least one ad focusing on that. And GDT always puts plenty of humor in his films, so a few funny – but preferably not lame-funny – bits for the ads would be a good idea too.
In the end, I’ll just have to put my faith in Guillermo Del Toro as a director – I’ve enjoyed everything he’s made, even the underrated Mimic, which I saw in the theater – and hope that, however successful the film is at the box office, it’s a fun, entertaining, well-made film.
Action Figures
I didn't think this movie would go anywhere, but boy was I wrong! lol
Tribsaint
Ok I think they success of Pacific Rim lays with the late 20- early 30s crowd. I mean that is the power rangers generation. If Pacific Rim isn't the real world power rangers nothing is. I was a little old for Power rangers but my little bro's loved it I took them to all the movies. I can't wait.
Enigma_2099
Transformers was a trio of big dumb loud movies with robots. Before that, the Transformers franchise already had a large fanbase (of which I am a part of.) Of that fanbase, there are those who know the movies are bad, but support them anyway. (Turn off your brain and enjoy them my ass.) And the new fans coming in because of the movie don't know any better. They just want to watch a big, dumb, loud movie with robots. Add those two factors together, and you have a misguided group of individuals that keep making Michael Bay money. It's downright sickening.
GalvaTRION
I'm so far beyond being the target for this movie that I can't even imagine how others wouldn't be primed to see it. I can't be anywhere near objective about it. I've pretty much planned my month out to ensure seeing it in the best theater possible opening night.
My sincerest hope is that this ends up being a massive success- the first step towards a full-on American monster boom similar to the one that happened in Japan in the 60s. Pacific Rim stirs up the zeitgeist, Godzilla becomes a massive success which confirms it, and suddenly we're looking at possible big-budget American adaptations of Ultraman, Gamera, Voltron (which has been in development hell forever), Daimajin…
If Adam Sandler's Not Even Trying Anymore part II ends up overtaking Pacific Rim, I have yet one more reason to hate the man. Also, American filmgoing audiences.
Enigma_2099
… you DO KNOW Big Green is due for a reboot next year, right? And this time, Toho WILL BE INVOLVED.