Back in 2013, Pacific Rim blew me away with the action of the Jaeger and the Kaiju kicking each other’s butts on the big screen in 3D, now 5 years later, the latest in the franchise, Pacific Rim Uprising brings us forward ten years after the events of the first film.

The Kaiju return with a new deadly threat that reignites the conflict between these otherworldly monsters of mass destruction and Jaegers, the human-piloted super-machines that were built to vanquish them.

The thing that really grabbed my attention in the first film was the Jaegers and in Pacific Rim Uprising the Jaegers have had an upgrade, but it’s not just them, the Kaiju have also advanced in order to create even more onscreen battles that certainly grab the attention.

Pacific Rim Uprising looks and sounds great on Blu-ray, the visuals are crisp and clear, the sound is amazing with it’s Dolby Atmos recording, the battle scenes certainly have you in the middle of the action as the sound is produced flawlessly on my 5.1 surround sound, but it’s not just the sound and look of a movie that makes it, it’s the film itself.

Although Pacific Rim Uprising doesn’t have the feel of the first movie from Guillermo del Toro, the film has a rather bonkers script and does make use of throwing in some nice plot twists to keep your attention, this is a movie that if you loved the Jaegers and Kaiju of the first movie then you may be slightly disappointed, as the Kaiju have developed to the next stage and become more Jaeger, but a small price to pay for a movie that doesn’t really let up on the action and fight scenes, with so much destruction happening during the battle scenes.

I do have to say that I was really surprised by John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as Jake, the son of Idris Elba’s character from the previous film, all the time I was watching him on the screen I had that rallying speech from the first movie. But after the death of his father, it’s now up to Jake to step up to the plate after abandoning his training to become caught up in the criminal underworld.

Now that the Kaiju are back and tearing through the cities in an attempt to take over the world, Jake has one more chance to prove himself and live up to his father’s legacy, along for the action-packed ride is his rival pilot Lambert (Scott Eastwood) and a 15-year-old Jaeger hacker, Amara (Cailee Spaeny). So it’s now down to them to save the Earth.

It’s great to see Charlie Day, Rinko Kikuchi and Burn Gorman returning for this sequel and it certainly helps to pass the torch as it were to the new generation of Jaeger pilots, Pacific Rim Uprising is a fun movie, personally I don’t think it’s as good as the first, but with great special effects, sound, cast and of course those massive Jaegers and Kaijus, the movie is a fun movie to watch on a rainy day.

One thing that does stand out with the home release is the number of special features that are available, so many in fact that it takes a while to watch them all.

BONUS FEATURES ON 4K ULTRA HD, 3D BLU-RAY™, BLU-RAY™, DVD & DIGITAL:

• Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Director Steven S. DeKnight
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.”
• Becoming Cadets – Step into the Shatterdome, and learn the grueling physical and mental preparation required of the young actors who portrayed the PPDC cadets.
• 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.
• Feature Commentary with Director Steven S. DeKnight

The 4K Ultra HD disc includes the same bonus features as the Blu-ray™ version, all in stunning 4K resolution.

Pacific Rim Uprising is out now on 4K Ultra HD, 3D Blu-ray™, Blu-ray™, DVD, Steelbook and On Demand from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Karen Woodham

Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.

blazingminds.co.uk