Pacific Rim is a future-fantasy perspective on how the apocalypse will destroy Earth. Although very overdone at times, Pacific Rim is more enjoyable than expected, but still not anything noteworthy.

In the year 2017, Kaiju are invading the Earth. Coming from the depths of the Pacific Ocean between the tectonic plates, these large alien creatures destroy cities up and down the Pacific, one by one. As the attacks become more frequent and more dangerous, the world bands together to fight these creatures. Mega-robots called Jaegers are invented, with two people piloting each one with their minds bridged together.

When the attacks become more serious as time goes on, and the fate of humankind is at stake, two unlikely pilots – Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) and Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) team up to try and save the world.

Pacific Rim is filled with much more action and CGI than content or character development. That being said, I went in with low expectations and came out with slightly-higher satisfaction than originally anticipated. While character development and content clearly weren’t the film’s strong suit, it was better developed than I had imagined. The first third of the film was the longest, feeling like it took awhile to launch the story forward, but once it was rolling, it kept going.

Guillermo del Toro both directed and wrote the script. Known for mainly well-crafted action movies, Pacific Rim fits nicely into his repertoire, but won’t be one that people will remember down the line. It’s a perfect rainy-Saturday-afternoon-at-the-movies if you have a thirst for intense and close-up action, but nothing more than that.

Prepare yourself for very loud effects, as well as the over-done low and long bass sound, that became popular in films after Christopher Nolan used it in Inception.

Just as most films these days, the CGI is well done and believable. I saw Pacific Rim in IMAX 3D, and while not normally a huge 3D fan, I was impressed with the element of realness the 3D created – despite how unrealistic the actual storyline truly is. If you’re a sucker for ridiculous action movies, and want to see monsters and robots fight each other, then the extra $5 for a ticket is probably worth it for you.

Overall, Pacific Rim is a better-than-expected action movie, but still not anything that will be memorable years from now. Comparatively to The Lone Ranger and After Earth which recently hit theaters, it’ll do well in the box office. If you see it in theaters, just take some ear plugs.

Grade: C+

Rated: PG-13 (for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language)

Pacific Rim opens in theaters on July 12.