Pacific Rim 3D

In Pacific Rim, legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, have started rising from the sea, beginning a war that takes millions of lives and consumes humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse. (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary by Guillermo del Toro; four featurettes: The Directors Notebook, Drift Space, The Digital Artistry Of Pacific Rim, and The Shatterdome; focus points; deleted scenes; a blooper reel; and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 1.78:1 1080p MVC 3D picture was converted by Stereo Visual Effects and Stereoscopic Producer Christopher Raimo. Director Guillermo del Toro sums up the end result stating, "For action, adventure, and genre cinema, I'm now a converted fan of 3D. I asked [Legendary Pictures] for the complete control of the 3D. I asked them for forty weeks or so to get the 3D conversion—it usually takes just eight to twelve weeks—and they agreed. As I'm a complete control freak, we achieved a 3D conversion that I think people will be very happy with. It's now my favorite format for the vision of this movie, but I don't think 3D is for every film. If you can watch Pacific Rim in 3D, make sure to watch it that way." Conversion is not what its connotation was previously; this is a reference-quality 3D presentation. Depth, dimension, and perspective are fantastic, from the debris-sprawled cityscapes to the larger-than-life Kaiju and Jaeger warriors. The imagery projects an aggressive negative parallax that extends the action out from the screen, while the positive parallax enhances the sense of dimension, The result is eye-popping excitement, as apocalyptic battles ensue with destruction, and mayhem the result. Unbelievably, the imagery is palpably realistic and not gimmicky. Crosstalk ghosting is not evident, and the overall presentation is pristine. Contrast is well balanced with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation, and the color palette is naturally hued with accurate fleshtones and vibrant primaries, even when the imagery is more stylized. Night scenes are dramatically gorgeous. Resolution, with respect to both the natural and computer-generated effects, is terrific throughout. Fine textures are nicely defined amongst the massive sets that bring to life the imaginative production design. This is a 3D picture gushing with brilliance, contrast, and exceptional depth and dimension that won't disappoint. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1-channel is a monster holosonic® experience that will challenge a home theatre system. Action sequences are intense as battles rage, gears groan and grind, explosions erupt, and the screeching sounds of the Kaiju engage. Soundscapes are effectively sized sonically and project nuance dimension, creating an immersive soundfield aggressively active with directional sounds and pans. While the action is intense, dialogue manages to occupy the foreground and during more quiet and nuances scenes sounds effectively integrated spatially. Deep bass is fully energized to sub-25 Hz frequencies in the .1 LFE channel, which substantially enhances the dynamic impact. The music score is complementary and supports a wide and deep soundstage that aggressively extends to surrounds. The added two channels conform to the theatrical Dolby 7.1 Surround format and are positioned to the back of the soundfield. The whole surround field is aggressively utilized to create an intense "you-are-there" immersion during action sequences and a sense scale during the more quieter sequences. This is an impressively absorbing sonic experience with an aggressive directionalized soundfield design that is exemplary of how sound makes visuals come alive. (Gary Reber)