Wasn't sure whether to check out 'Pacific Rim'. Reviews were mixed, and those who disliked it (some of vehement) were particularly vocal.

This said, being someone who has found much to like about some of Guillermo Del Toro's previous films, especially the brilliant 'Pan's Labyrinth' and who cannot go wrong with actors like Idris Elba and Ron Perlman in the cast, I watched it anyway. Admittedly there are flaws here and they are quite large, but at the same time 'Pacific Rim' also does a good deal right.

Starting with what 'Pacific Rim' excelled with, it is an incredible-looking film. The cinematography is immaculate, the editing slick, the set/production design audacious and with a suitable amount of grit, but the star visually is the special effects on the robots, which are mind-blowing and some of the best in recent memory. The action and spectacle is exhilarating stuff and keeps one glued to the edge of their seat, they're big and over-the-top but that was what the film was going for and it succeeds wonderfully. The music score fits very well and has several energetic and haunting moments, though occasionally some intrusive ones.

Del Toro does a fine job directing in the action and succeeds in maintaining the silly fun that the film was aiming for (being apparently a homage to the old Godzillas). The film does know what it's trying to be, often has some efficient pacing and target audience is never questioned, which puts it above a fair few similar blockbusters. Not all the acting is great, but there are good performances from a commanding and coolly macho Idris Elba, a expressively understated Rinko Kikuchi and an always reliable if underused Ron Perlman.

Charlie Hunnam is rather bland though in the lead, while of the failure that is the comedy double act of Charlie Day and Burn Gorman Charlie Day in particular is incredibly irritating and there are some very off Australian accents (especially from Robert Kazinsky, which keeps coming and going, often speaking in his own accent). 'Pacific Rim' also has some cringe-worthy and vomit-inducingly inane dialogue and paper thin stereotypical characterisation where not much is done to develop the characters and make one properly care for them. Unfortunately, while this reviewer is not afraid to admit that she had a fun time watching the film the story does get bogged down in the non-action scenes in derivative macho drama and over-silliness, the main culprit as aforementioned being the unfunny comedy double act, and the pacing sometimes loses tightness.

All in all, kind of a mixed view on this one. Fun and very well made, but not immune to flaws. 6/10 Bethany Cox All in all,

PACIFIC RIM is Guillermo del Toro's tribute to the kaiju and Japanese sci-fi movies of his youth; you know, the ones involving giant monsters trashing cities and huge robots sent out to protect mankind. I had an inkling he wanted to make this movie after the giant plant creature in HELLBOY 2; well, now he has.

And this is a lot of fun, a decent popcorn flick for a change and a film that's well made enough to erase memories of the disappointing TRANSFORMERS movies. It's a great Hollywood tribute to Japanese cinema, filled with all of the wonderful effects and super-sized action that you'd hope for. Del Toro is one of those directors who hasn't made a bad film yet; you can always rely on him for entertainment.

Sure, the stuff with the human characters isn't as interesting as the giant stuff. But at least we get plenty of British actors in the cast (Burn Gorman, Idris Elba, Rob Kazinsky, Charlie Hunnam) which keeps it fresh and interesting. The CGI effects are excellent, as you'd expect, and while the storyline is very predictable, that's not the point. The point is to deliver huge bouts of destructive action, and that's what del Toro does. And it's a lot of fun.

I usually don't watch action films. They just aren't my sort of thing. However, my daughter insisted that I watch "Pacific Rim" and I was feeling absolutely horrible when I watched the film, as I had just gone through some painful surgery that morning. So, to take my mind off my aches, I gave it a try. And, thankfully, it turned out to be exactly the sort of tonic I needed--entertaining and crazy fun. While I didn't see it in the theater (the best way to see this type of movie),I did see it on a very large screen at home and watching it on a small screen is practically a waste of time. For once, I loved that a film has eye- popping visuals, explosions and action--and it manages to deliver an entertaining experience without leaving you feeling dumb for having enjoyed it--a problem too often associated with movie of this style. Well worth your time.