In ‘Pacific Rim’, the new overly loud spectacle playing in cinemas now, we see humanity under assault by big nasty space invaders. The premise is by no means novel given the number of times Earth is annually attacked on the big-screen. However the unique selling point of this – and any other movie structured on the same lines – is that small bit of deviation that makes one want to shell out Rs. 450 (or more) for the ticket.

Throughout ‘Rim’, that deviation equals to gargantuan robotic monoliths splashing through oceanic currents – an image unambiguously photoshopped on the movie’s poster. But hold that thought for a second. Have a gander at the poster. Let it sink in. It more or less tells the exact story that ‘Rim’s’ trailer quite unabashedly tells. And yet, for all its cliché, the image sells.

Today, or in the future since that’s when ‘Rim’ is set in, the battle for survival is from oversized reptilian monsters out from Toho, the sometimes serious film distributors whose biggest international product is the Japanese nuke-born mega-lizard Godzilla.

Coincidentally, or deliberately, the monsters that spring from an interdimensional rift in the Pacific Ocean and tumble metropolitan bay areas of the world are called Kaiju. That’s Japanese for ‘giant creature’ (or to be precise, ‘strange creature’) – and it’s the least of the Japanese references that pop-up within the screenplay by director Guillermo del Toro and Travis Beacham.

The movie’s other stars are Jaegers, hulking robots about half the height of the New York Times building, straight out of 80’s Anime right down to shiny mono-colored paint-jobs and outlandish armaments. It kind of makes sense; Big robots versus big amphibian alien-monsters in big special effects.

Although often a dabbler in the fantastic and pop-horror, doing big isn’t really Mr. del Toro’s forte (his other ‘monster’ movies ‘Mimic’, ‘Hellboy’ and the prodigious ‘Pans Labyrinth’ are lower-key than ‘Pacific Rim’). But the gimmicky premise – and the scale of the onslaught – reimburses a hefty chunk of the movie’s inherent nonsensicality.

And of course, we have the usual sketched-up stereotypes as well: a pair of geeky scientists (Charlie Day and Burn Gorman) who fumble around for comedic relief and talk fake sci-fi mumbo-jumbo, a girl (Rinko Kikuchi) with a transparent backstory and kickass martial arts skillset, a mission commander with a constant cloud of gloom over his head (Idris Elba – now go-to guy for tent-pole flicks), and a battle-scarred hero, who’s an ace Jaeger pilot (Charlie Hunnam).

Mr. Hunnam though fine in looks and knock-down matches with other actors (namely Robert Kazinsky), is never as deep as his character wants us to believe. He plays Raleigh Becket, one-half of a brother-set who jointly pilot ‘Gipsy Danger’, the ‘Rim’s’ main Mecha – which a sort-of important dialogue reminds us, is ‘analog’.

This reveal is kind-of relevant, especially at the juncture when Mr. Hunnam says it out loud; at least as relevant as it should be within the drastic quantity of pricey visual effects sprucing-up the screen. For a change, all of the action – no matter how deafening – is applause worthy. Almost as if ‘Rim’ was structured around these not-so-frequent, yet classily choreographed brawl-em-up episodes between Jaegers and Kaijus (think any of the ‘Transformers’ movies, only more steadily shot).

At one point, ‘Gipsy Danger’ smashes the head of a mean-tempered monster with a cargo ship. The crowd goes wild. So do you for that matter, though don’t fret. Mr. del Toro is just playing to those childish impulses one left out years ago to step into the lucidity of this ‘real world’. Don’t hold it against him – or yourself for that matter.

‘Pacific Rim’ stars: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman, Rob Kazinsky, Max Martini, Clifton Collins and Ron Perlman.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro; Produced by Mr. del Toro, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and Mary Parent; Written by Mr. del Toro and Travis Beacham; Cinematography by Guillermo Navarro; Edited by Peter Amundson and John Gilroy; Music by Ramin Djawadi.

Released by Warner Brothers Pictures, Legendary Pictures and Footprint Entertainment, ‘Pacific Rim’ is rated PG-13: Think the usual tent-pole warnings: CGI-faked cities fall, digital-actors die off-screen, monsters oozing neon-blue blood spit, spasm and split open.