Netflix just got Guillermo del Toro's sci-fi monster movie ‘Pacific Rim' — and it's my all-time favorite summer blockbuster

Tom's Guide

20 hours ago

When flipping through Netflix's lineup for July 2025, I spotted an old favorite I hadn't seen in ages: "Pacific Rim."
I'm not the biggest sci-fi fan, and as objectively rad as I think its pitch of "giant mechs vs. kaiju" is, neither one is my usual cup of tea (case in point: I saw "Godzilla Minus One" last year, and it was my first Godzilla movie ever).
With all that in mind, I didn't have high hopes when I saw "Pacific Rim" in theaters over a decade ago. But I'm a huge fan of Guillermo del Toro's work, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm happy to say it absolutely won me over, and ended up becoming one of my favorite summer blockbusters to date.
Now, I'll be the first to admit "Pacific Rim" isn't a 'smart' movie by any means; it won't move you to tears or make you start questioning your life choices. Rather, it's exactly what a summer blockbuster should be: pure, unapologetic spectacle. It's like someone handed a 14-year-old a camera, a blank check, and free rein to bring their wildest ideas to life, and trust me, I mean that as the highest praise.
As much as del Toro's love for anime comes through loud and clear, you don't need to share that passion to enjoy "Pacific Rim." It's "Independence Day" meets "Godzilla," an underdog story packed with larger-than-life battles and thrilling action that's a blast to watch unfold. Just don't think about it too hard.
Now that "Pacific Rim" has found a new streaming home, I'd recommend anyone who hasn't seen it yet to add it to their watchlist. It's giant robots punching skyscraper-size monsters in the face. What more could you ask for?
Here's everything you need to know about "Pacific Rim" and why you need to check out Charlie Hunnam's monster-fighting epic now that it's streaming on Netflix.
"Pacific Rim" imagines an alternate reality where an interdimensional rift at the bottom of the Pacific, ominously dubbed "The Breach," has appeared, unleashing colossal monsters known as Kaiju. In response, humanity built their own towering weapons: mechanized giant robots called Jaegers.
All the extra robotic firepower comes at a cost, though, and each mech needs two pilots to operate it through a neural connection known as the Drift, which lets them both shoulder the immense mental strain of piloting.
Nearly a decade after the Breach opened, humanity is on the back foot against a seemingly endless stream of new monsters. With hope fading, Marshal Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) makes the unconventional call to bring in washed-up Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket (Hunnam), whose brother/co-pilot was killed in a Kaiju attack several years ago, to help.
Meanwhile, after securing a Kaiju brain from black market dealer Hannibal Chau (Ron Perlman), scientists Newt Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Hermann Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) make a critical discovery: The Kaiju are not just mindless beasts, but bio-engineered weapons, sent by a powerful alien race bent on conquering Earth. Armed with this knowledge, they devise a plan to shut down the Breach for good.
The fate of humanity falls to Becket and his new co-pilot, the determined but inexperienced Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), who has spent her life training for this moment. Together, they climb into the cockpit of Becket's refurbished Jaeger for one final stand that takes them to the heart of the threat to stop the apocalypse once and for all.
If the idea of giant robots clobbering Godzilla-like monsters doesn't entice you whatsoever, I'm not confident "Pacific Rim" will convert you. But if you enjoy anime fight scenes, sci-fi world-building, or are just a sucker for over-the-top spectacle, I encourage you to give "Pacific Rim" a watch.
Del Toro directs with a level of precision that'll suck you in, where every shot feels intentional, and nothing is wasted. The visuals are layered and vibrant, from the weathered, industrial Jaeger base to the shattered remains of Tokyo. Even the ocean scenes are packed with texture and movement; there's no such thing as a throwaway background here. But even with all that detail and the movie's rapid-fire pace, the action remains surprisingly easy to follow outside of a few occasional moments of chaos.
"Pacific Rim" also delivers plenty of gloriously over-the-top moments that are so outrageous and fun, you can't help but smile. Del Toro and co. clearly had a blast bringing his vision to life, and that shines through, helping to smooth over the few points where things get muddled or go off the rails.
"Pacific Rim's" side characters also easily steal the show, building out the world in interesting ways without sacrificing too much screen time. The bickering between Day's Newt and Gorman's Gottlieb, a self-described "kaiju fanboy" vs. a by-the-book scientist, is sharp and caustic. There's something so inherently fun about two co-workers who can't stand each other forced to team up to stop the apocalypse.
Elba's Stacker and Kikuchi's Mako butt heads as pseudo-father and daughter brought together by chance in an impossible situation that demands sacrifice, similar to Ellie and Joel in "The Last of Us." And del Toro regular Ron Perlman is iconic as a sleazy black market dealer with swag levels off the chart. I could have sworn he was in the movie for more than 2 seconds, that's how much of an impression he makes.
I'm far from the only one enraptured by the original "Pacific Rim. It earned over $411 million at the box office on a $190 million budget, and its success spawned a sequel, "Pacific Rim: Uprising (which is fun enough if a bit of a mess), as well as Netflix's anime series "Pacific Rim: The Black." A "Pacific Rim" live-action series is also in the works at Prime Video.
"Pacific Rim" has a solid 72% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences rated it even higher, earning it a 77% on the Popcornmeter. The critics' consensus reads: "It may sport more style than substance, but 'Pacific Rim' is a solid modern creature feature bolstered by fantastical imagery and an irresistible sense of fun."
I'm inclined to agree. "Pacific Rim" is a proudly unapologetic action film, driven by sheer spectacle and a sense of epic scale you can easily lose yourself in. The story does its job well enough, and the cast brings enough energy and charm to keep things engaging between the jaw-dropping set pieces.
If you're looking for deep character arcs or profound themes, this isn't that kind of movie. That being said, if you go in with the right expectations, you might just discover one of the most entertaining popcorn blockbusters of the summer.
Stream "Pacific Rim" on Netflix now.