Saw a pre-screener of Pacific Rim last night. There are plenty of other reviews to tell you whether it was good or not as a movie (I thought it was really great), but what you really want to know is: how much of it felt like Battletech?
No surprise given the shared mecha background--a lot of it did.
I'll try to avoid specific spoilers ("It was totally Jade Falcon when they did X or Y,") and stick to thematic stuff, but if you really want to go in knowing nothing--and I'd encourage you to do so--stop reading already.
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Though the specific scale of PacRim was larger, the scope felt very much like everyone's favorite board game. Shot after shot of giant robots rampaging through a city reminded me strongly of artwork from across the BTU.
I thought the way the Jagers moved was more or less how I pictured 'Mechs operating--humanoid ones, anyway--and the depiction of the pilot interface at times seemed a lot like a neurohelmet. There was even a quick mention of a "gyroscope." The way the pilots moved the Jaegers also made more sense than the BT-style seated cockpit, throttle-up/throttle-down setup, which I could never figure out--how would a 'Mech be able to take a step up, or kick?
The sheer scale of keeping the Jaegers in service also made me think of the BT 'techs. Some shots of techs swarming over a damaged Jaeger or reloading ammunition were exactly how I'd pictured 'Mechs getting worked on.
Finally, for the Clan fans, some elements of the pilot training and selection felt similar to Clan sibkos and Trials. Though in PacRim we only see the Jaeger program and not the wider world, it wasn't hard to picture the Jaeger pilots as a kind of ruling warrior caste, supported by legions of scientists, techs, and laborers.
Bottom line: as others have said, this is probably the closest we'll ever get to a live-action, major Battletech movie. If you like BT, then like me you've probably been eagerly anticipating Pacific Rim, and it doesn't disappoint.
