It’s better than a Transformers film, but that’s hardly praise…

I’m not sure even fans will find this industrial-strength head-banger entertaining. The best thing is that Pacific Rim: Uprising is under two hours though I have to warn you – it feels much longer.

Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pacific Rim’ was an elaborately constructed love letter to giant monster/mecha anime and movies of the past. Built on an extremely silly premise of monsters being sent out from a hole in the bottom of the ocean, the film delivered a spectacle worth beholding on nothing but the biggest possible screen money could afford.

It might drift out of the memory just as easily as it drifted in, but there’s a goofy likeability to Pacific Rim: Uprising, a primal thrill to be had, and a confident slickness behind it that means, despite a nearly two-hour running time, it doesn’t outstay its welcome. DeKnight has already hinted that a cinematic universe could be on the way and given the wafer-thin structure of the plot, that seems like a mistake, so before the waters get muddied once again, switch off and enjoy.

Guillermo del Toro, still enjoying his Oscar, has to take some blame for this metal-on-metal havoc, which he helmed the first time around as director (Pacific Rim, 2013) and now shepherds as producer.

A brighter, louder and more dumbed down sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s original. At the very least, it’s better than the last couple of Transformers movies.

Devoid of the heart and soul of its predecessor, ‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’ aims to please hardcore fans of massive monster versus robot fights. Those seeking any depth in their action films, better look elsewhere.