The basic thing to understand about PACIFIC RIM and the sequel PACIFIC RIM UPRISING is that everything is a pretext to see people in giant robot suits fight giant monsters and destruction ensues. PACIFIC RIM UPRISING is an enjoyable experience as PACIFIC RIM if you were a fan of the first movie. The sequel takes place ten years after the end of PACIFIC RIM. The war is over, but the training for pilots to pilot the robot Jaegers continues. Jake, the son of Stacker Pentecost (Jon Boyega who is better used in this movie than the latest STAR WARS film), is forced back into the pilot training program to train the next generation of pilots. He had been making his living in the cities that haven&'t yet recovered from the destruction caused by the monstrous Kaiju. One of the new trainees is a teenage girl who built her own Jaeger. Meanwhile, a Chinese corporation is pushing for drone controlled Jaegers, but it is all put into question when a rogue Jaeger causes destruction in Sydney, Australia. Also a secret is revealed about how the drone program works.

PACIFIC RIM is at its best with world building and the battle sequences. Maybe the character development isn't as good as the first film (and it might have benefited from developing Pentecost's son's journey at the beginning more), but the action scenes and the world building makes up for it (and thankfully there are no annoying characters in the bunch). It could have focused more on the destruction and recovery of the world, but it focuses on the bonding of new and old pilots and a changing landscape where pilots could become obsolete. PACIFIC RIM UPRISING is a popcorn movie that is more satisfying than the POWER RANGERS ever could be. There is stinger at the beginning of the title credits which hints a second sequel.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Eight deleted scenes with optional audio commentary with director Steven DeKnight

HALL OF HEROES- Jon Boyega is in character as Jake Stacker in this brief promo featurette on the new pilots of the sequel
BRIDGE TO UPRISING- promo featurette on the sequel
THE UNDERWORLD OF UPRISING- all about the underworld you see in the opening minutes of the movie
BECOMING CADETS- a behind-the-scenes look at the training the actors had to go through and what they had to endure when filming the Jaeger cockpit scenes
UNEXPECTED VILLAIN- this is a spoilerish featurette that reveals the villain of the movie
NEXT LEVEL JAEGERS- a look at the new Jaeger robots of PACIFIC RIM UPRISING
I AM SCRAPPER- a fetaurette on the small Jaeger named Scrapper
GOING MEGA- a featurette that focuses on the climatic scene with the Kaijus in the movie
SECRETS OF SHAO- focus on the new character of Shao who is ahead of a company that is making and testing drone piloted Jaegers
MAKO RETURNS- the featurette on the return of one of the main hcaracters form the first PACIFIC RIM

Audio commentary for the movie with director Steven DeKnight as he talks about the making of PACIFIC RIM UPRISING and his love for Japanese monster and robot movies

A code to download/ stream PACIFIC RIM UPRISING and the movie in standard definition on DVD

FINAL ANALYSIS: PACIFIFC RIM: UPRSING is a passable and entertaining sequel that doesn't rise to the heights of the first movie. The featurettes are more fluff than substance as I wish the blu-ray had a more in-depth making-of on all aspects of the movie and the development of the sequel which came about because the first PACIFIC RIM was a huge hit in China.

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