Pacific Rim is a divisive movie to say the least. Some love it (me), and some hate it, but most people have just never seen it. It’s an over-the-top, gratuitous action movie about giant robots piloted by the saviors of humanity to fend of gargantuan monsters invading from another world. Inspired by popular Saturday morning style cartoons from the likes of Voltron: Defenders of the Universe and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Our lead characters in this battle of behemoths are brothers Raleigh and Yancy Becket piloting the Jaeger mech “Gipsy Danger”. That is, until an accident leads to the death of Yancy and a replacement must be found before the monsters return. Enter Mako Mori the prodigal adopted daughter of the Defense Corps leader and an exceptional pilot to replace Yancy. She is a strong, respected leader capable of her place in the Corps and is able to manage relationships with the other pilots as well. However, this is just what the movie tells the viewer she is. Initially praised for its representation of a female lead in an action-driven, comic book inspired movie, when taking a deeper look, Pacific Rim falls short in creating a unique character who breaks free from the gendered molds of Hollywood movies.

Mako primarily goes through her development of training and success not because of her own drive or characterization, but as a replacement of the male Yancy in order to advance the plot and story of male Raleigh. She speaks the only three female lines in the first hour of the movie. That’s only three lines for a supposed female lead as well as no lines for other female characters for an entire hour. In the second hour, Mako earns her right to speak, but, she loses her credibility as a capable character when she needs to be saved two different times by male leads. The movie constantly tells you that Mako is a strong person, but keeps showing you otherwise. So basically, while Pacific Rim is one of my favorite movies, it doesn’t deserve to be praised for a good portrayal of Mako as a strong female lead. This is due to succumbing to the classic pitfalls of Hollywood females: a lack of interesting and substantial lines given to her character and a pandering to the fantasy of males heroically saving the endangered female, twice.