Pacific Rim: Uprising

THE GIST: Ten years have passed since the last Kaijus were defeated and the world is still picking up the pieces. Few Jaegers are still in operation and a new type of drones, which don't require teams of pilots anymore, is slated to replace them. Behind the scene, however, the Precursors, the aliens responsible for the Kaiju attacks, have hatched a new nefarious plot.

If that summary has piqued your interest, don't get too excited, because Pacific Rim: Uprising is but a ghost of its predecessor, the mildly entertaining Pacific Rim.

I was most taken aback by John Boyega, one of the best new entries in the Star Wars universe and yet a boorish annoyance here. Scott Eastwood has little more to do than look gorgeous. Cailee Spaeny's character is a bit more interesting, but suffers from believability.

Burn Gorman, Charlie Day, and Tian Jing make up the brain trust driving the research, but their characters also feel like caricatures.

Honestly, the best character is Rinko Kikuchi's Mako Mori, so it's a pity she's got such a small part.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Phenomenal visual effects and action galore can't make up for a lackluster screenplay that leaves the actors treading water. Let's just hope they come up with something better next time.

Grade: 4