Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
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Ten years after the first conflict, a former pilot must return to the defense corps to face a renewed Kaiju threat.
The story
In 2035, ten years after the events of the previous film, the Jaeger Program has been reinstated under the leadership of Senator Mako Mori, who runs the Pan Pacific Defense Corps (PPDC). Former Jaeger pilot Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, survives by selling Jaeger parts on the black market in Santa Monica, California. After a confrontation involving a teenage Jaeger enthusiast, Amara Namani, Jake is persuaded by Mako to return to the PPDC as an instructor. He joins forces with his estranged former co-pilot, Nathan "Nate" Lambert, to train a new generation of cadets while facing a growing threat from both rogue technology and emerging Kaiju forces.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2035, the Jaeger Program is reinstated by Senator Mako Mori. Jake Pentecost, a black-market Jaeger parts dealer, is recruited as an instructor alongside his former co-pilot, Nate Lambert. They train cadets while facing competition from Shao Industries' drones. After the rogue Jaeger Obsidian Fury attacks and kills Mako, the PPDC authorizes drone deployment. However, the drones are secretly controlled by Kaiju brains. Dr. Hermann Gottlieb discovers that Dr. Newt Geiszler, influenced by the Precursors, is responsible. Newt causes the drones to become Kaiju-Jaeger hybrids, which attack the Shatterdomes. Newt then opens multiple breaches across the Pacific Rim. To counter this, the team repairs several Jaegers and uses Kaiju-blood-powered rockets to reach Tokyo. They face a 'Mega-Kaiju' created by Newt. Jake and Amara eventually defeat the Mega-Kaiju, while Newt is captured. The film ends with Jake and Newt acknowledging the ongoing threat of the Precursors.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 111
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven S. DeKnight
- Writers
- Steven S. DeKnight · writer; Emily Carmichael · writer; Kira Snyder · writer; T. S. Nowlin · writer
- Cast and characters
- John Boyega · Jake; Scott Eastwood · Nathan "Nate" Lambert; Jing Tian · Liwen Shao; Cailee Spaeny · Amara Namani; Rinko Kikuchi · Mako Mori; Burn Gorman · Hermann Gottlieb; Adria Arjona · Jules Reyes; Max Zhang · Marshal Quan Chenglei; Charlie Day · Dr. Newton "Newt" Geiszler
- Genres
- mecha; monster; action
- Themes
- Legacy; Humanity vs. Technology; Survival
- Tone and mood
- Action-packed; High-stakes
- Setting
- A futuristic 2035 Earth, including locations such as Santa Monica, California; the China Shatterdome; Sydney; and Tokyo.
- Premise and plot tags
- Sci-fi; Mecha; Monster; Sequel
- Franchise connections
- Pacific Rim
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who often noted it was inferior to the original. It was also considered a box-office disappointment relative to its budget.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 45 · scale: 100 · review count: 44; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 76% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Trailer Awards · Best Music · 2018 · Nomination; Golden Trailer Awards · Best Sound Editing · 2018 · Nomination; Teen Choice Awards · Choice Action Movie · 2018 · Nomination; Teen Choice Awards · Choice Action Movie Actor (Boyega) · 2018 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was preceded by a six-issue comic book series titled Pacific Rim: Aftermath.; A prequel novel titled Pacific Rim Uprising: Ascension was released in 2018.; The film was followed by an animated television series in 2021.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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