Pacific Rim: Special Effects

Do you know about Pacific Rim, probably the hypest and greatest film this summer? I just really want to talk about the special effects for this film because I have waited so long for a modern day mecha-film to animate robots with CGI and actually do it right! Because for the longest time we've had to endure the horrendously over-the-top CGI robots from Michael Bay's Transformers, and any other film that decided to emulate that technique of animating giant robots. Now, granted I am the type of guy that appreciates a film that goes over-the-top with its action sequences, but robots, let alone giant ones, don't move that swiftly! I don't care if the robots in Transformers are alien robots, as long as they are big and metal they will follow Earth's physical limitations! This is one disbelief I will not suspend, especially considering they got those physics right in the far lower budgeted and incredibly dumb mecha-show Power Rangers. So you can imagine my relief when I finally saw the film Pacific Rim. The robots not only moved realistically, but they also moved in sync with the actors as they were connected to all that tech. And yes, the set for the shots inside the jaegars were all filled with real honest-to-god tech. I wouldn't be surprised if they were what took up most of the film's budget, but it was because Del Toro wanted the actors themselves, and by default the characters, to really feel like they were controlling giant robots and really feel the aches and bruises from it. This is how you animate giant robots, people!