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A divisive and controversial franchise sequel from the creator of the Starz series Spartacus is getting a new lease on life. Steven S. DeKnight's Pacific Rim: Uprising is climbing the HBO Max charts, suggesting that it might be gearing up for a reevaluation.
Pacific Rim: Uprising debuted on the domestic charts on HBO Max on July 20 in sixth place, per FlixPatrol. Despite being a controversial entry, it continued to attract attention and jumped to fourth place the following day.
The film is a sequel to the cult-classic mecha film Pacific Rim, directed by the legendary director Guillermo del Toro. Taking the reins from a director of that caliber would be hard enough, but DeKnight also had to make a whole new story in the universe, something that upset many fans of the first film. However, as streaming audiences currently see, that may have worked out in the long run.
Pacific Rim: Uprising Saw The Franchise's Iconic Jaegers and Kaijus Evolve
Pacific Rim: Uprising takes place ten years after the events of the first film, with the world mostly living in harmony thanks to the noble work of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps, or PPDC. In this time, the rebellious Jake (John Boyega) has gone from piloting Jaeger mechas to selling Jaeger parts on the black market. The son of the deceased Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) from the previous film, it's obvious that the scars from his noble sacrifice are apparent, even as his adopted sister Mako (Rinko Kikuchi) tries to convince him to come back to the PPDC for a perceived new threat.
That new threat involves the very Jaegers that helped save the world from the Kaijus in the first place. Rogue Jaegers have been going on rampages across cities, and nobody knows why. Not only that, but distrust is brewing among the fan-favorite doctors Hermann Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) and Newt Gieszler (Charlie Day) as the latter is starting to act really freaky suddenly. All of this culminates in an epic battle against elevated Kaiju threats with the fate of humanity in the balance.
Pacific Rim: Uprising Has a Complicated Fan Response
To say that fans of the first film largely did not like Uprising on release would be an understatement. At the time of release, hardcore fans tore it apart. From the perceived fridging of Mako to the ridiculous villainous turn of Newt to the decision to set the Jaeger and Kaiju fight battles in the daylight, and everything in between, every aspect of the film was put under the microscope to be ridiculed. It eventually grossed $290 million on a budget of between $150 and $176 million, making it a box office flop. Publications and critics weren't more generous in their evaluations, as they gave it a 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
What might end up being generous, as well, are the new evaluations of the film. Pacific Rim: Uprising is currently sitting in the Top 10 on HBO Max, despite the first film not being available on the platform, meaning that this film alone is clearly finding an audience. Many fans scoffed at the decision to largely ignore the first film, but theoretically, this allows audiences unfamiliar with the franchise to watch it on its own.
While the franchise has kept going thanks to Pacific Rim: The Black and the various comic series released, one does have to wonder what could have happened had Uprising had a better reception out the gate. It's great that it has received lots of streaming attention now, but perhaps the series could have been in a different place. DeKnight may have made a perfectly serviceable mecha movie, had it not been a sequel to a beloved cult classic. The instant popularity Uprising has gotten on HBO Max could be proof of that.
Pacific Rim: Uprising is streaming on HBO Max.
