New images have been released for Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim.  The story is kicked off by the rise of monsters (known as Kaiju) from the sea who start a war that devastates humanity.  To fight back, the humans build giant robots (known as Jaegers) that are controlled by two pilots.  I've noted on more than one occasion how this movie is one my most-anticipated of the year, and these new images do nothing to change that opinion.

The film recently had a test screening, and the reactions will make fans even more excited to see what Del Toro has unleashed.  Among those who loved what they saw was Looper writer-director Rian Johnson.  Hit the jump for more.  The film stars Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, and Ron PerlmanPacific Rim opens in 3D on July 12th.

Pacific Rim is now in its test-screening phase, and the first reactions have started to leak online (does an NDA mean nothing to you people?!), most notably from recent DGA winner Rian Johnson.  Here's what he tweeted this past weekend:

Warner Bros. Marketing: Please put, "'You'll pee your pants with joy' – Rian Johnson" on all Pacific Rim posters. PacificRimMovie.net also posted these reactions:

 

 

 

pacific-rim-poster

But a Pacific Rim fansite is probably cherry-picking, right?  Let's see what IMDb user OriginsOfRuin had to say:

I just got back from the screening (though I'm not this guy's friend, haha), and I freaking loved it. That's all I can really say, but the FX are flat out incredible (the ones that were done) and the story is solid. I didn't know Charlie Day was in it, and being a big fan of It's Always Sunny, that was a pleasant surprise (he fits his role perfectly).

Overall, it's probably the best summer monster movie I've seen, and out of summer movies in general, falls behind the new Batman series, but that's about it. I wrote on their response form that they should be proud of the movie and that I'm glad it's not another Transformers clone (re: Battleship). They killed it!

I'm sure there will be more test screenings, and it will be interesting to hear more reactions as Del Toro continues to craft his picture.

Here are the images via USA Today:

Here’s the official synopsis for Pacific Rim:

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end.  To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge.  But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju.  On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past.  Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

pacific-rim-poster