Atlantic Rim (film)
A 2013 mockbuster of Pacific Rim from The Asylum.
Atlantic Rim (released under the titles *Attack from Beneath*, *Attack from the Atlantic Rim*, and *From the Sea*) is a 2013 American science fiction monster movie from The Asylum, directed by Jared Cohn. Filmed in Pensacola, Florida, it features Graham Greene, David Chokachi, Treach, and Jackie Moore. The film came out direct-to-DVD in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2013, and in the United States on July 9. Like many Asylum productions, it serves as a mockbuster of *Pacific Rim*. Critics generally gave it negative reviews.
**Plot** After an oil rig and a mini-submarine vanish in the Gulf of Mexico, scientist Dr. Margaret Adams launches the Armada Program, building giant robots for deep-sea rescue. Pilots Red, Tracy, and Jim descend nearly 800 fathoms to the ocean floor, where they find the wrecked rig and the monster that destroyed it. Red chases the creature against Admiral Hadley’s orders, prompting Hadley to call in every East Coast naval fleet. Red surfaces on a beach, warns bystanders, and is attacked from behind by the monster; their battle damages the city. An F/A-18 Hornet pilot named Spitfire helps Red kill the monster, but Red is arrested for disobedience and placed in solitary confinement. He is briefly released by Hadley, given a medal, then returned to confinement. Hadley learns from Sheldon Geise about a secret sonar program that detected the monsters—creatures hundreds of millions of years old that lay eggs in a mix of crude oil and saltwater. Two eggs were found; one hatched into the monster Red and Spitfire killed. Hadley orders a search for the other egg, but it has already hatched. The second, larger monster feeds on the first’s corpse, destroys a naval fleet, and ravages the city. As it attacks the naval base, Tracy and Jim free Red from solitary, and Lieutenant Wexler picks them up. Geise tells Hadley the President authorized a nuclear strike, but Hadley refuses and orders an evacuation. The monster retreats after a B-2 Spirit bomber drops a payload on it. Hadley learns another egg has hatched off the Atlantic Coast. Adams gives the trio neural-link headbands that connect them directly to their robots, boosting reflexes but causing them to feel pain when the robots are damaged. After a crash course, they fly to New York City to fight the monster. Hadley repeatedly refuses a nuclear strike, so Geise orders the USS Virginia to laun
- Release year
- 2013
- Director
- Jared Cohn
- Production company
- The Asylum
- Genre
- Science fiction monster film
- Country
- United States
- Known for
- Mockbuster of Pacific Rim; featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 Season 12
Lore & Background
The plot follows the disappearance of an oil rig and a mini-submarine in the Gulf of Mexico, leading scientist Dr. Margaret Adams to initiate the Armada Program—giant robots for deep sea rescue. Pilots Red, Tracy, and Jim dive nearly 800 fathoms and encounter a monster. Red pursues it against orders, is arrested, but later released and given a medal before returning to confinement. A second, larger monster hatches and wreaks havoc; the trio use neural-link headbands to pilot their robots and ultimately defeat the monster by sending it into deep space with a nuclear warhead.
Production originally planned to shoot at Naval Air Station Pensacola, but The Asylum was denied permission after a high-ranking official disagreed with the portrayal of soldiers. The team relocated to a private helicopter airport that stood in for at least seven locations. The script underwent at least nine rewrites due to weather and the relocation.
Reception was mixed to negative. Dave Pace of Fangoria gave it two out of four stars, calling it enjoyable on a 'so bad it's good' level. Dread Central gave it three out of five stars, describing it as 'the ultimate monster movie about booze-hounding broskis in battle bots.' It is one of six films featured in Season 12 of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and the first 21st-century film riffed on the show.
Reader's Guide
Atlantic Rim is a notable entry in The Asylum's catalog as a direct mockbuster of Pacific Rim, capitalizing on the popularity of giant robot vs. monster films. Its production challenges—denied access to a naval base, multiple rewrites—highlight the low-budget, rapid-production model of The Asylum. The film's inclusion in Mystery Science Theater 3000 Season 12 gave it a second life as a cult object, with audiences appreciating its unintentional humor. The sequel Atlantic Rim: Resurrection (2018) continued the mockbuster tradition, and one of its Armada Suits appeared in the 2022 crossover film 2025 Armageddon, celebrating The Asylum's 25th anniversary. Despite negative critical reception, the film endures as a representative example of the mockbuster genre and the studio's output.
Did You Know?
- The film was originally planned to be shot at Naval Air Station Pensacola, but permission was denied after a high-ranking official disagreed with the portrayal of soldiers.
- The script underwent at least nine rewrites during production due to weather conditions and the last-minute relocation.
- It is one of six films featured in Season 12 of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and was the first film released in the 21st century to be riffed on the show.
- A sequel, Atlantic Rim: Resurrection, wrapped filming on October 5, 2017 and was released in March 2018 as a mockbuster of Pacific Rim Uprising.
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