One of the best sci-fi action movies ever made is finally returning to streaming next month after only being available to rent or purchase for a short time. While the 2010s were filled with a number of great sci-fi thrillers that featured lots of action, such as Dredd, Blade Runner 2049, and Edge of Tomorrow, perhaps no other movie was as fun to watch as this one. It was the perfect blend of world building, action, heart, and nostalgia, which all worked together to create what is arguably one of director Guillermo del Toro’s most ambitious films.
We’re, of course, talking about Pacific Rim, del Toro’s sci-fi action masterpiece that features glorious, over-the-top battles between menacing kaiju and giant mechs powered by humans thanks to a mental link called the Drift. Released on July 12, 2013, Pacific Rim managed to make a big splash at the box office, earning $411 million against a budget of $190 million. Regarded as a nostalgic throwback that pays homage to anime and the giant monster films that came before it, Pacific Rim was a big crowd-pleaser thanks to its plethora of action and excellent score by Ramin Djawadi.
Featuring a stacked cast that includes the likes of Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Robert Kazinsky, Max Martini, and Ron Perlman, Pacific Rim is making its way back to Peacock on December 1, 2025, giving fans a chance to relive all the fun on its new streaming home. Holding a 72% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 77% from fans, the movie has been called everything from a “masterpiece,” to “an action-packed visual feast with a great concept” that’s the “cinematic equivalent of smashing action figures together.” Check out the synopsis below:
“Long ago, legions of monstrous creatures called Kaiju arose from the sea, bringing with them all-consuming war. To fight the Kaiju, mankind developed giant robots called Jaegers, designed to be piloted by two humans locked together in a neural bridge. However, even the Jaegers are not enough to defeat the Kaiju, and humanity is on the verge of defeat. Mankind’s last hope now lies with a washed-up ex-pilot, an untested trainee and an old, obsolete Jaeger.”
Fans Were Not Impressed With ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’
With a movie as fun and profitable as Pacific Rim was, it was inevitable that it would eventually get a sequel. Sadly, neither del Toro nor the core cast were able to return for Pacific Rim Uprising, which was released in 2018 and didn’t have nearly the impact the first movie did. As such, it was panned by fans, who called it “abysmal,” a “waste of time,” and “the worst movie ever made featuring robots fighting monsters.” Ouch!
Earning just a 37% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Pacific Rim Uprising lacked a lot of the things that made the first one so great. Aside from the absence of del Toro and company, it didn’t have the same emotional sincerity as the original, which in turn made its story feel much weaker. While it had a great cast that included John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Jing Tian, Adria Arjona and Zhang Jin, there was just too much going on in Uprising for it to feel coherent. It was as if they were worried about setting up a third movie rather than focusing on entertaining the audience.
Still, even with a far inferior sequel, the original is still an amazing watch even now, 12 years later. Be sure to add it to your watch list, and look for Pacific Rim to hit Peacock on Dec. 1, 2025.
- Release Date
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July 12, 2013
- Runtime
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131 minutes
- Producers
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Jon Jashni, Mary Parent