The Biggest Screen Possible

That's what you'll need if you ever want to get the most enjoyment out of Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim, the "giant robots vs. giant monsters" inspired less by Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and more on Japanese monster films like Godzilla and the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. del Toro's stock might have taken a hit in recent years (he hasn't directed a film since 2008's well-reviewed but financially-disappointing Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and his production efforts have drawn little in the way of audiences), but this is still the same man who wowed us with bizarre and imaginative visuals in Pan's Labyrinth and the original Hellboy. He's gained a following as an artist who thrives on creativity and original ideas, and like a more talented Tim Burton he loves to drench his movies in his signature level of darkness and dark humor. This makes his movies instantly worth watching, as you never get the feeling that you're seeing the same old story just one more time.That said, "giant robots vs. giant monsters" isn't exactly going to appeal to anything outside a niche audience, and even with the full backing of Warner Bros. Pictures, it seems like an incredible risky project to make. So it's up to one director and his barely-famous cast to make the whole thing work.

Yeah, it was a bad day to live on the coast.

At the beginning of Pacific Rim, we're told the history of the unexpected Kaiju (translated: giant monster) attacks on major cities around the globe. A portal between dimensions has been opened deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, and it keeps spewing forth these destructive Kaiju with no end in sight. When our militaries can only do so much, countries around the world fund the Jaeger program; giant robots designed to go toe-to-toe with their gargantuan enemy, in which two pilots share the mental strain of melding their brains to a machine of war for greater effect. At first, they are successful, until more monstrous creatures begin to cross the breach. Now the Jaegers are all but decimated, the program shut down not only by lost comrades but by the dwindling hopes and funds of shell-shocked nations. With only a few of the colossi left, and one piloted by a washed-up operator (Charlie Hunnam) and an inexperienced rookie (Rinko Kinkuchi), the remnants of the force must pull together and finish the job before the Kaiju succeed and completely exterminate the planet.

Wait 'til you see them dance the Robot.

Let me reiterate: if you're going to see Pacific Rim (and putting aside genre bias, there's no reason you shouldn't), do yourself a favor and watch it on the BIGGEST SCREEN AVAILABLE. This isn't just a special effects bonanza; it's the KING of special effects bonanzas. Thanks to major studios shelling out big bucks for CGI, there have been some exceptionally beautiful movies this year, sporting names like Oblivion, Man of Steel and Star Trek Into Darkness. But Pacific Rim puts them all to shame with wholly immersing environmental effects, a 3D system that actually draws you into the action (remember when that was supposed to be a thing?), and computer generated creatures that actual feel seamless with the real world to which we are presented. del Toro has an amazing creative eye, and it comes out in every conceivable facet, from the vastly differing designs of the Jaegers to the varied monstrosities apparent in the Kaiju. He truly makes his little universe alive, and the battle scenes especially feel epic in scope; though they take up perhaps far too much of the movie as they should, they're never over-long or boring, as we've seen in many a summer blockbuster. Overall, it makes for a unique visual feat that filmmakers will be trying to emulate for decades.

I have GOT to get my beer goggles tuned...

But while the opulent visual artistry is there for all to see, it's a shame that the rest of Pacific Rim feels so... pedestrian. A distinct lack of character development is a major factor, a shame especially considering the talent involved. Charlie Hunnam might not have much leading man experience beyond his Sons of Anarchy role, but he proves to at least be serviceable here. Though his character is obviously a cheap knock-off of the best of John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, he at least puts everything he has into  Raleigh Beckett's typical American cowboy. Rinko Kikuchi, who was nominated for an Oscar back in 2006 for her deaf, traumatized teenager in Babel, is the same, playing the kind of self-deprecating, timid sort we're used to seeing Asians play in cinema. You can tell that she has talent; she's just never given a chance to really stand out. Rounding out the the trio of stars is Luther and The Wire star Idris Elba as the tough-as-nails chief of the Jaeger program, who really gets to have fun with the Bull-Pullman-esque speech to set up Rim's final act.

That's right: Elba stands above you because he's better.

Like the lazily-designed characters, there's no trope from del Toro's "Jaeger vs. Kaiju" story that discerning fans haven't seen dozens if not hundreds of times before. Leading characters with a tragic past? Triple check. Requisite comedic relief in the form of two scientists (Charlie Day and Burn Gorman), not to mention a particularly flamboyant black market dealer (Ron Perlman)? Check. Field technician in a bow tie (Clifton Collins, Jr)? Rival Jaeger operators (Max Martini and Rob Kazinsky) with no real basis behind their beef? Scientists missing crucial details on subjects they're supposed to be experts on (and that the audience already understands to be truth)? Confusing, slightly lackluster ending? Really, let's just mark all of those down right now. As original as it might feel to an audience with no prior knowledge of the genre, there's way too much reliance on what came before and not enough unique aspects that have been a staple of the director's work. That's what's truly disappointing about Pacific Rim: for all the creator's supposed chutzpah, this is at its core standard action fare with few frills.

Yeah, this big ol' crowd walk has never been done before.

But as "standard" as it is, del Toro still manages to present to his audience a gorgeous, amazingly fun popcorn film that perfectly balances the over-the-top action with a sense of humor and heart that most career action directors are still trying to master. Is it perfect? Heck no, or at least in the case of a paint-by-numbers action flick cannot truly be perfected. It's still a direct product of its genre, and that's just not going to appeal to a large selection of theater-goers out there. To those people I would normally recommend a rental, but in this case I cannot. Pacific Rim is easily approachable and can be enjoyed by anyone, and its groundbreaking visual effects simply cannot be appreciated on anything smaller than a standard theatrical screen. I even recommend 3D, and anybody who knows me understands my general distaste for that particular overused technology. The fact is that this is an event movie, suitable for geeks and non-geeks alike, and deserves your patronage while it's still in the theaters. It's not one of Guillermo del Toro's best... but it sure is one of his most fun.

Dear Mama

If there's anybody in Hollywood whose career has taken a sharp upturn recently, it's Jessica Chastain. The actress has starred (not merely appeared in) eleven films in the past two years, and for each one the response to her performance in particular has been unanimously positive. She was nominated for her first Oscar in 2011 (for The Help) and will be the likely WINNER this year for her role in the excellent Zero Dark Thirty. But it's not by acting talent alone that she has managed to attract so many followers and supporters, but her willingness to transcend genres and adapt herself fully into any character. No matter what movie Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie find themselves in, you never quite get over the fact that they are themselves playing parts. Chastain's talents are much closer to those of Meryl Streep or even Daniel Day Lewis; she so completely folds herself into a role that you lose her in the transformation and are left only with the person she has become. Her first film of 2013 is the horror flick Mama, based on a Spanish-language short of the same name by Argentinian director Andres Muschietti, who also helmed the full-length edition. Apparently the short for Mama was so scary that it convinced filmmaker Guillermo del Toro to produce a big screen version for the rest of us.

Be honest, you didn't realize it was her at first.

Five years ago, amid the chaos of the financial crisis, one man breaks down, murders two of his business partners and his estranged wife, and kidnaps his two daughters, then disappears. In the time since then, his brother Luke (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) has been searching, hiring teams to canvass the area in which they disappeared. Just as the money funding the mission is running out, one team makes a discovery: young Victoria (Megan Charpentier) and Lilly (Isabelle Nelisse), Luke's nieces, have been found, feral but alive in a remote cabin in the woods. Though their father is nowhere to be found, Victoria and Lilly are brought back home for psychiatric treatment and a loving home with Luke and his girlfriend Annabel (Chastain), a rock-and-roll musician who doesn't think she's ready to take on a motherhood role. But something else has followed the girls to their new abode: something that spent the last five years caring for Victoria and Lilly, and isn't nearly ready to give up that role to a pair of young upstarts. The girls refer to her by one haunting word: "Mama."

There's something WRONG with that girl...

When it comes to a man like del Toro, you know Mama is going to be at least one thing: CREEPY. I don't know how much of the dark imagery in this film can be attributed to Muschietti (it's his first feature film and I've never seen his shorts), but while he might crib more than a few visuals from del Toro, Muschietti succeeds in establishing a style very much his own. While his creature effects are certainly good enough, where he astounds is in his ability to fool the audience. As a director, he succeeds in hiding things in plain sight, or just off screen, where a simple tilt of our perspective opens up floodgates of tension and terror. On more than one occasion, the audience will witness what they think is a perfectly normal instance, only for the next moment to reveal that everything they thought they knew was a lie, often putting them in a state of panic as they struggle to discover the truth. That is Muschietti's greatest strength, and it's thankfully brought to the forefront often.

Big twist: she's his sister! (Obligatory Games of Thrones reference)

The acting is also top notch, most notably because of the peerless Chastain. I know I seem to say this every review, but she is one of the new greats; not only does she wow us by sinking completely into this role of newly-minted mother figure, but Mama goes all out in focusing on her trials and tribulations as a parental figure to the two children. While Abigail is gleefully rough around the edges (and unafraid to cuss out loud in front of her charges), it's both fun and funny watching her grow as a character and an unexpected mother. She brings a life to the role that most actresses can only dream of, and is solely responsible for keeping this film from becoming boring or one-noted. The rest of the cast is talented but not "Chastain-like". This is the first film I've seen Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in outside of his starring role on HBO's Game of Thrones, and when he was actually given something to do I was impressed. Unfortunately, his character was greatly scaled back (likely to showcase Chastain) and I can't help but feel that there was a whole other storyline for him cut from the final product. Daniel Kash has a nice, small role, but similarly doesn't get as much exploration. The closest in quality to Chastain must be the two children, played by Charpentier and Nelisse. While Charpentier competently leads more than a few scenes and is the more vocal of the two young actresses, I was most impressed by Nelisse's ability to create an almost animalistic, emotionally-stunted child through her body movement and limited vocabulary. She doesn't just look like a child acting out motions, but one wholly natural in her actions. Together, the pair add a layer of authenticity crucial to making Mama work on the most basic levels.

They just wanted to go on a hike!

Sadly, while the unique premise and great acting carry so far, it's Mama's script that ultimately lets it down. Illogical character motivations, plot holes, contrived plot devices and more overflow from the screenplay, especially in the film's final act. While very little of it is on the wrong side of cheese, what does manages to subvert all the good that Muschietti and company achieve. The ending, while certainly not pat or typical for this style of horror, still carries a veneer of schlock, reflecting the director's inexperience. You can't help but wonder what would have been if the more experienced del Toro had been behind the camera instead of the amateur Argentinian.

Creepy kids, decent flick.

Fortunately, what errors there are do little to detract from the overall atmosphere of Mama, which is by far the best movie of early 2013, easily coming in at #1. Muschietti succeeds in his first major outing, and I can't wait to see what he adds to his resume in the coming years. Of course, it helps to have such an artistic savant as Jessica Chastain atop your cast, but even without her this would have been a great old-school creep fest. If you're not into supernatural, clever psychological thrillers, then nothing I can say will convince you to see Mama. But even if you aren't the biggest fan of the genre, this scary movie is well worth a look. Scouting at the coming film release schedule, this might just be the best movie you see until Summer rolls around.

To Mimic a Copycat

I'm not touching Cars 2. Transformers Dark of the Moon is out, but I haven't had the chance to see it yet. I've viewed just about everything else in theaters worth watching (and a few that aren't). All that adds up to today heralding a Mr. Anderson Retro Review, this one for the 1997 sci-fi horror film Mimic. I didn't see this title when it was first released. Mimic's origins come from a proposed trio of short films, two of which were turned instead into full-blown motion pictures. Impostor, the other full-length title, was a box office dud that isn't remotely remembered today. Mimic, however, got enough of a push that its mention doesn't draw blank stares, even if its box office numbers might not have impressed by any means. It even spawned two direct-to-DVD sequels, unlikely though to have made their way to any home-owned shelves. Discovering Mimic on Netflix Streaming turned out to be a pleasant surprise, almost as much as learning that acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro was behind the creation of it. These days del Toro has become something of a film legend, with his unique style of directing and ability to capture beautiful dark images making a legacy out of his career, including such titles as Hellboy, The Devil's Backbone and the widely-praised Pan's Labyrinth. Even when he's involved in films that he's not directing, he carries an obvious influence that adopts his touch into something recognizable as his work. Back then, Mimic was only his second feature film, and his first heavily promoted one. This of course caused me even greater anticipation for the film, as even if I wasn't destined to like it, there would surely be much to admire and respect.

Happy Birthday! Awww... you're DEAD!

After introducing a genetically-bred strain of insect into the sewers under New York City to help combat cockroaches spreading Strickler's Disease, a plague that is targeting small children, Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) is hailed as a hero to the people, with only a small minority taking umbrage with her "playing God" by creating a new life form. Still, it produces results, and years later the disease has been eradicated. However, a new plague stalks the city's underbelly. Tyler's bugs, thought to have been infertile and died out, have evolved, mimicking their prey to eradicate them, with humans next on the food chain. Confronted with this, Tyler and her husband Dr. Peter Mann (Jeremy Northam) venture into the sewers to discover just how far the creatures have come and to stop them from escaping the sewers of New York and eradicating the human race in the long run.

Ewwwww....

The first thing you might notice about Mimic is that it feels like something you've seen before. As a typical monster/slasher flick, you could easily draw comparisons to a number of similar films, most notably the Alien series with its insect-like horrific creatures. Mimic similarly spends a lot of time in dark, claustrophobic places, mostly in the sewer and subway tunnels under New York, a labyrinth that includes everything from Mole People habitats to abandoned rail tunnels. The creature effects are also strikingly similar, not surprising considering the easy comparisons drawn between Mimic's shape-changing bugs and Alien's environment-blending death-dealers. They even secrete the same sticky resin that - while hardly unique to either race - lets the audience know that they're nearby when a characters steps in it.

When you get out of this, I recommend investing a little money in some shampoo.

The similarities to other films extend even to Mimic's lead role. Dr. Susan Tyler is a smart, resourceful woman who battles her own demons and issues of motherhood. Ellen Ripley, anyone? Sarah Connor? Though not physically as strong as either of those characters eventually became, Susan still shares many of their themes, and more represents their early weaknesses and damsel in distress situations here. If Mimic had become a legitimate franchise, the character might have adopted their stronger traits and become more of a heroine, but alas that was not meant to be. Regardless, Sorvino is good enough to match talents with Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton as she offers a great performance, one that netted her a Saturn Award nomination for best actress that year. It's scary to think that she could easily have had Jennifer Aniston's career, as watching her in this film is like seeing Friends turned into a blood-soaked horror-fest, with monsters cast instead of Davis Schwimmer, with nobody noticing the difference.

Yes, Mira, the New York sewers will probably be dirty.

You can't have a heroine in distress without a manly hero who actually saves the day, and Jeremy Northam fills this role fairly easily. Despite looking like an MIT nerd and with a job to match, Northam does a decent job for a character with preciously little time developed. Josh Brolin and Giancarlo Giannini play a police officer and a father who's son has been taken by the monsters, respectively. Neither plays a large role in the story, with their side parts only leading to their eventual demises. Another throwback to the Alien series is the casting of Charles S. Dutton, who had starred in Alien3 five years earlier. Dutton plays a disgruntled T cop, one who for good reason doesn't want to be stuck down in the sewers with these things. F. Murray Abraham makes an appearance as well in a small role as a doctor condemning Tyler's methods for eradicating the Strickler's Disease. Most of these supporting roles come off as hollow caricatures, even if they are well-acted caricatures. It's a shame that Dr. Tyler is the only one with a developed persona, but unfortunately, that's the way it panned out.

I don't look THAT much like Rachel!

The effect del Toro brings to the table is difficult to ignore, and even at a relatively young age he possessed the talents to create perfect camera angles. His darker elements are also readily present, and you can see where the elements to many of his future projects began to take shape. While Mimic is not a perfect movie (or even one the director was happy with), I certainly enjoyed it for what it was. A somewhat derivative throwback horror film with a truly scary monster, Mimic is good enough to wish it had performed better, though it is far from one that I'd consider re-watching, unless del Toro ever releases a director's cut a la David Fincher's Alien3. If you haven't seen this film but you like the genre, I definitely give Mimic my seal of approval.