'Pacific Rim: Uprising' Imax Trailer - "I Think We Pissed Him Off"

Even though the last trailer was listed as "final" it appears the marketing department doesn't know the meaning of the word. This new trailer is super action packed and maybe gives a little too much away. Check it out!

Potential Spoilers

Still here? Good! 

Well it looks like this trailer gave away the death of one of the Jaegers. I mean I think we were all kidding ourselves if we thought they would all survive but I feel like I really didn't want to know which one was going to be ripped to shreds.

This trailer is actually probably the first one to sell me on the movie. Maybe it's because the effects finally look close to being finished but this trailer sure made the movie look like a lot of fun!

What did you think of the IMAX trailer?

'Pacific Rim: Uprising' Final Trailer - So It's Treason Then?

Looks like we're are all in for a world of hurt. Someone on this side of the breach has betrayed us and it's up to Jake Pentecost to save us all from ruin. Check out the action packed final trailer for 'Pacific Rim: Uprising'!

Well that certainly looks like a blast! There certainly is a lot to digest in this trailer including the fact that I was right about the Kaiju-ized Jaegers. Crazy stuff! 

They also released a snazzy new poster to go along with the trailer.

What do you guys think of the new trailer? Did it up your hype levels to maximum?

Kaiju Incoming Contest!

Hello fellow Kaijuologists! It’s me, your favorite internet best friend, Rob.

I need to ask you all a favor. See, it looks like the Tokyo Lives office is practically overrun with Kaiju and I need your help identifying them all so we can deal with them.

Here’s how this is going to play out. Starting this October I’m going to post a silhouette of one of the rampaging Kaiju on our Twitter page every Monday. The following Friday we will remove the silhouette and find out which brave kaijuologists were correct.

To show our appreciation for the help, the kaijuologists who correctly identify these kaiju will get a private message on Twitter to vote on one of three films for us to review during our upcoming FAN MONTH!!! (And, of course, a personal thanks from me on the cast)

What's Fan Month you ask? Well, we will be letting you all decide one of the movies we will be covering coming up in January! The other film will be decided on by our beloved patrons over at Our Patreon!

Cameron's Top and Bottom 3 Godzilla Suits

So, Kyle said I couldn’t pick Gabara for every slot, but after three rewrites I’ve finally got an article we can all be proud of. These are in no particular order, just a freestyle listicle. Like Jazz! I know you’ve all been worrying about what I think about specific suits from the franchise since you first heard my completely unremarkable voice, so here we go.

The Worst!

1. Final Goji

 Look at him. Just a little hint of a goiter.

I actually don’t hate the design so much. He’s not my favorite, but he checks a lot of my boxes. He’s got ears, big exaggerated fins, he’s reasonably fearsome. But the movie was just not nearly as awesome as it should have been and it kinda put a bad taste in my mouth as far as the suit design. This Goji fought almost everyone (sorry Varan) and had the super cool curly-fry atomic beam, but every fight was so blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, and I don’t care about the suit because I’m petty and I want to hurt the directors feelings a little bit. So...take that, Kitamura!

2. Daisenso Goji

Oh dear...

What is that? What happened to him? He was in two films? Alongside the illustrious and legendary Ebirah? Who's responsible for this? Who did this? Why was I not consulted? Did you not get my letters, Toho? Did I not sent you every number with which you could reach me? I didn’t. But I would.

Not now Goji

3. 84 Goji

Old new goji

This, ladies and germs, is what they chose to reboot the franchise. I really like ‘84, it was one of the first Godzilla movies I ever saw, and I love the return to a scary Goji. But his eyes. His eyes! He looks so exasperated. He looks like someone showed him the script to Transformers 16: Back to School, where Optimus Prime has to go undercover as a 16-year-old and falls in love with his math teacher.

 

The Best!

1. RadoGoji

Yes yes YES!!!

Look at him! Massive! Powerful! Big Boy! He’s a big 80’s wrestler! With a winning smile!

He makes me feel like I can do anything.

2. KinGoji

A true classic. Like Casablanca, or Weekend at Bernies.

He’s got a pointy head and fingers that stick together, and he’s physically incapable of looking forward with his little eyes, but he’s such a charming boy!

He likes hugs!

And Friendship!

3. Sokogeki Goji

War-is-Hell Goji

Scariest Goji. He’s basically a Dark Souls boss. This Goji’s made of tormented souls and hatred because Toho wanted to make anti-Mothra, and if you don't love that I don't know how to make you happy. He also let Ghidorah play the hero! That’s important for all the three-headed kids out there.

Well...he tried.

Honorable Mention:

Love It? Hate It? Love me? Leave your number in the comments and I’ll be in touch.

'Pacific Rim 2' Release Date Announced, Scott Eastwood Possibly Attached

Ever since Legendary was bought by the Chinese mega-company Dailan Wanda Group, 'Pacific Rim 2' has had a breath of fresh air blown into it's sails. China loved the first film, and was a substantial chunk of its three-hundred million dollar international take. Recently, we saw proof of its resurrection in both the hiring of Stephen S. DeKnight and Derek Connolly to get a script together with DeKnight directing. Not long after it was announced that 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' star John Boyega would jump on board as one of the film's leads, playing Pentecost's son in the sequel. These are not the signs of a film in development, but in full-on pre-production. Now, we have another star potentially about to sign on and a studio-announced release date. Check out both below.

Legendary has finally revealed a release date for 'Pacific Rim 2,' slating it for February 23, 2018. This is surprising for a few reasons; one of them being that the December 25, 2017 mystery film announced by Legendary everyone thought was going to end up being 'PR 2' is actually a completely unknown movie yet to be revealed. It also shocked fans that the sequel to 'Pacific Rim' is officially moving forward at all. A release date shows that the studio is committed to the film and will most likely see it produced in the near future.

Cologne model and actor Scott Eastwood is also apparently in talks to star alongside John Boyega in 'Pacific Rim 2.' Whether he plays an original role or the child of one of the previous film's protagonists is yet to be released. This is after news of Eastwood potentially starring in 'Fast 8' as well, so he's definitely on the rise when it comes to tentpole blockbuster sequels. He previously served alongside Brad Pitt and Shia Labeuf in the critically and commercially successful 'Fury' back in 2014.

This is all great news to fans waiting patiently for the sequel and hoping that in a different director's hands, the franchise will reconcile some of the missteps of the first film. Time will tell if DeKnight and Connolly will take the amazing concept and swing for the fences like del Toro did, but either way I'm incredibly excited to sit down in a dark theater and see what happens next in this incredibly unique universe. 

'Pacific Rim 2' - Can The Apocalypse Be Uncanceled?

Ah, you've gotta love 2013's 'Pacific Rim.' Guillermo del Toro created a wonderful new kaiju universe to play around in as a love letter to giant monster fans everywhere, and the film was generally well received by them around the world. Now that we officially can squint and see a sequel on the horizon, I thought it might be fun to do some speculating on the plot of Steven S. DeKnight's follow-up and also dive into some additions that I would like to see in the future film. Keep in mind that some of these speculations are based on rumors floating around when the sequel was known as 'Pacific Rim: Maelstrom,' and was still going to be directed by del Toro. Also keep in mind that this article will contain SPOILERS for 'Pacific rim.' 
 

THE PLOT: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE DUST SETTLES?

In an interview with the website Collider way back in 2014, Guillermo del Toro stated that the sequel would not be a direct follow-up and would take place several years after the end of the the first film. The rift is no longer spitting out Kaiju, and every single usable Jaeger has been destroyed. How would the world rebuild after this war of attrition finished? Would the government even restart the Jaeger program completely?  These questions definitely seem like they would at the core of the opening info dump to explain what has happened in the last few years (narrated by Charlie Hunnam again).  I think it would be really cool if the governments of the world went back to their normal petty squabbles and started creating more and more deadly Jaegers to keep each other at bay. The world would not be united (or prepared for the second onslaught of Kaiju) and we could see some pretty cool Jaeger v.s. Jaeger battles in the opening section of the film leading up to the title crawl.

Having the countries not be a united front whenever the new rift(s?) start popping out Kaiju would really help all the pilots start from square one, as well as, give some interesting opportunities for character interaction and development. Yes, you did read that right, I said that I would like multiple rifts to appear in this film. I want to see a full on invasion of Kaiju from the aliens this time around. In the last film, most of the monsters shown were just scouts, and when Gypsy Danger entered the alien world you could see millions of Kaiju waiting to be sent through the Rift. Now, I'm not saying that I want to see that many, but I think you get the general idea. The world must be forced to reunite and stand together against the insurmountable horde of Kaiju that would be able to appear.
 

THE CHARACTERS: OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

Obviously, I would like to see most of the surviving members of the cast from the original 'Pacific Rim' return in some form or another, but that does not mean the main characters, Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) and Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), should be the protagonists of this film. I would love to see a new set of Jaeger pilots that look up to Raleigh and Mako as legendary heroes and who would unite behind a rebuilt Gypsy Danger in the third act. Give me a new group that all have personal motivations and interesting dynamics that make me care when some of them eventually bite the dust. The biggest failing of the first film is that you barely get any time devoted to the other Jaeger teams, and thus, in the big battle with the Kaiju Otachi and Leatherback, most viewers have a hard time caring when two of the four last remaining Jaegers are destroyed in an instant.

I definitely think that the two scientists, Geiszler (Charile Day) and Gottlieb (Burn Gorman), should be given as much screen time as possible. The interplay between these two characters were some of the best parts of the original film and it would be great to see their friendship grow. There was a rumor for 'Pacific Rim: Maelstrom' that a half Jaeger/half Kaiju was going to appear, and I believe that these two characters would be a great team to pilot the monstrosity. We know they are drift compatible, and I can already imagine the jokes passing between the two, as they attempt to fight a Kaiju.
 

THE KAIJU: ALL THE REFERENCES!

 Most of the Kaiju in the original film use design elements from popular movie monsters of the past (Knifehead looks straight out of a Gamera film). I would hope that they keep this trend going in the sequel and even create a few Kaiju that are even closer to their heritage in design and abilities. Wouldn't it be mind-blowing if we ran into two "Category 5" Kaiju that look kind of similar to Godzilla and Gamera? Speaking of the category system from the first film, I would like to see an escalation of powerful Kaiju that eventually leads to a, previously unheard of, "Category 6" Kaiju that is basically a planet destroyer. When the aliens realize that they cannot take over the planet, they simply send a "Category 6" Kaiju to destroy it (if we cannot have it, then no one can). This could be brought into the plot naturally through Geiszler and Gottlieb drifting with the Kaiju-Jaeger hybrid to help destroy it alongside the newly rebuilt Gypsy Danger. A modern 'Destroy All Monsters,' if you will.
 

THE JAEGERS: ADAPTING TO THE NEW WORLD

Continuing my original idea that the Jaegers are now being built as deterrents instead of used to fight Kaiju, I would like to see it reflected in the design elements of the new Jaegers. Bring back Gypsy Danger, but give it some new abilities like a larger sword and/or some sort of propulsion system to make it able to move faster. Also, I feel like a four-legged artillery Jaeger could lead to some pretty intense sequences where Jaegers are defending a coastline against more and more incoming enemies. I think, just like the Kaiju, you should simply look at the history of giant robots for a lot of the design elements. Del Toro pulled design elements from things like 'Mobile Suit Gundam' and 'Evangelion' for the Jaeger designs in the first film, and those two series alone have so many details they could borrow for revamped mechs. Maybe a Metal Gear Rex like design with a huge rail gun? Just my personal wishful thinking.
 

FINAL THOUGHTS: DIRECTION AND STYLE ARE KEY

Steven S. DeKnight has not really worked on anything of this scale in his career as of yet, and it would be nice to see him make a name for himself with this movie. Obviously, he has a hard road ahead of him, since he is taking over the reigns from one of the most visionary filmmakers of our time and it will be tough to match Del Toro's unique style. I think DeKnight really should try to add his own flair to the film visually, and definitely set a different tone for the film from what's already been done. I'm not saying they should get rid of the campiness (since that is basically what sets this series apart from Legendary's Godzillaverse), but maybe tone it down a bit for the sequel and try to keep everything fresh. Interesting characters also need to step into the spotlight and we need to care about them this time around. All of them.

Overall, I think a sequel in the Pacific Rim universe has plenty to pull from, since Del Toro really created a unique and interesting world with the first film. Do not shy away from what made the original a fun time, but definitely try avoiding some issues the first film had (again, weak characters and lengthy exposition dumps).

Are you excited to see the apocalypse happen again? What do you want to see in the new film? 

New 'Ghostbusters' Trailer Includes Callback To The Original Iconic Giant Monster

Looks like the most recent 'Ghostbusters' trailer just showed off the third act villain and it looks to be a somewhat familiar face. As you can see below, it looks like we may have a similar type of Stay Puft Marshmallow Man-esque monster in the 2016 film. Now I'm not saying that Gozer the Gozerian is back to manifest giant-sized terror in this reboot of the popular franchise, but it looks like the new film may be borrowing a similar final fight for the climax of the movie. Check out the new trailer that was released over Twitter earlier today: 

Watch the new #Ghostbusters trailer now, and see it in theaters July 15. https://t.co/Y2HjHrBMET

— Ghostbusters (@Ghostbusters) May 18, 2016

And here's a closer look at Paul Feig's new monstrosity:

There actually are three Kaiju-sized ghosts that appear in the new trailer: one being a really tall humanoid ghost with stripped pants (he has appeared in the other trailers), then there are the parade balloon ghosts, and finally we have the aforementioned giant marshmallow man-ish ghost. This monster appears to have somehow taken the form of the ghost on the actual Ghostbusters logo. Fans of the original 1984 'Ghostbusters' will remember that the original Stay Puft was actually just the Sumerian god Gozer using Ray's memories from his childhood ("WHAT DID YOU DO RAY!") to create a physical form in our world. Maybe the movie is doing something similar with whatever villainous specter causing all the trouble this time.

Now the 2016 film and the 1984 film definitely do not fit into the category of giant monster films (more like a movie with giant monster scenes in them) so neither movie really qualifies for full coverage on our site. However, the iconography of Stay Puft marching down the New York city streets is one of the more famous giant monster moments in cinema history. I'm really not super excited for this reboot, but the effects work do look top notch and I am pumped to see some major destruction of the city from the new ghosts. Hopefully, the movie as a whole doesn't fall apart under the weight of the super passionate 'Ghostbusters' fans and their issues with director Paul Feig's very different approach to the universe.

Are you excited for the new movie? What are your theories about the new Stay Puft-ish ghost?

The Kaiju Film You Probably Missed: 'Big Man Japan'

'Big Man Japan' is a comedic mockumentary film about the life of Dai Saito, a Kaiju fighter in present day Japan; well, present day Japan back when this movie was released in 2009, almost a decade ago. In the movie he has agreed to be the subject of a documentary style "day in the life" TV show in hopes of improving his standing with the population of Japan.

Saito is a middle aged salary man in Tokyo with a less than ideal home life. He and his wife are separated and facing divorce. Saito only gets to see his daughter once a month and his grandfather is in declining health and living in a nursing home. The only thing he really has going for him is his job and even that is on a downward slope. What is that job you ask? Dai Saito grows to a monstrous size to fight the various kaiju that torment Tokyo.

He isn't the first Big Man either. In fact, he is a fifth generation Big Man and before him his family was treated like heroes for defending Japan. He blames the changing times and the lack of interest the new generation has in kaiju fighting for his fall from grace. However, as the movie progresses, it becomes apparent that Saito is unpopular because he's just not good at his job. He is actually hilariously bad at it.

The movie stars, and is written and directed by Hitoshi Matsumoto, a professional comedian in Japan for over thirty years. He is most famous for being a founding member of the longest running comedy variety show in Japan called "Downtown: Gaki No Tsukai." Trust me, if you find Japanese humor... well, humorous, then "Downtown" is worth a look (particularly the KiKi series and the Batsu Games.)

'Big Man Japan,' possibly the quirkiest kaiju film ever made, is definitely not for everyone. The kaiju design isn't so much uninspired, as it is increasingly odd as the movie progresses. Matsumoto seems to take a light hearted approach to the world of kaiju by going with super simplistic designs for all of his monsters. Most of them have very humanoid features, which is definitely not what most imagine with they think of giant monsters attacking Japan. 

The interactions between the characters in the film give it an eccentric, almost Wes Anderson vibe, particularly at the end. I won't give it away because I'm not a monster, but it involves some ridiculous Ultraman knockoffs. It's weird and honestly one of the funniest moments in the movie, but sadly is lack luster and feels out of place. I actually challenge you to watch the entire movie and not once ask "What the hell am I watching?!" I've watched it several times and I asked this every time.

 'Big Man Japan' is a giant monster movie I feel like every kaiju fan worth his salt should see at least once. Even just to be able to say they've experienced it. I can't promise it will resonate with everyone the way Godzilla, Gamera, or the mighty Kong does, but I can guarantee that this movie will make an impact on you. Whether that's good or bad, in the end, is up to you.

'Pacific Rim 2' Drifts With 'Jurassic World' And 'Kong: Skull Island' Screenwriter Derek Connolly

After the departure of Guillermo del Toro as director and the hiring of Stephen DeKnight to take his place, fans have been hanging on every new piece of news regarding the upcoming sequel to 2013's cult favorite monster mash. Now, The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively announcing that 'Pacific Rim 2' has found a new screenwriter.

Derek Connolly has been hired to take over the reigns from previous draft's writers del Toro himself, Zak Penn, and John Spaihts. He is mostly known for his work as a co-writer on 'Jurassic World' along with director Colin Treverrow and has apparently impressed Legendary with his work on 'Kong: Skull Island' as well. He got his break in the industry co-writing Treverrow's first film 'Safety Not Guarenteed,' and has recently worked on 'Jurassic World 2' and a sci-fi drama for Dreamworks titled 'Intelligent Life.'

Plot details for the 'Pacific Rim' follow-up are scarce, but rumor is that it will take place years after the original with the giant pilot-controlled mechs called Jaegers being much more commonplace. Similar to the flashback scenes in the first film when they first started successfully pushing back the Kaiju threat. It is unclear whether this newly hired scribe is being brought in for revisions or a page one rewrite.

Connolly is definitely making a name for himself in the giant monster genre, and I'm personally looking forward to pretty much every film he's been a part of at this point. Hopefully the studio's confidence in him is proof that he's knocking it out of the park.