Pacific Rim (2013) - Guillermo Del Toro

By Lara Culcu.

Some people expect action movies to be much more than they are intended to be. 

They complain about the lack of character depth, characters with similar personalities, plot holes - but, in my opinion, these people are barking up the wrong tree. 

What do we expect from action movies? A fast-paced script. Explosions. 'Tough guys'. Ideally, robots. 

Pacific Rim provides all of this, and more. 

Let's set the scene. We're in the future, and humans are at war with the Kaiju, an alien race that emerged from a portal at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. To fight back, humans built enormous robots, Jaegers, who are co-piloted by two people who share a mental link.

A nice detail is that the name of the aliens comes from the Japanese word Kaijū, which means 'monster/strange creature', while the name of the robots comes from the German Jäger; Hunter. Not very subtle, but it doesn't need to be.

Our protagonist, Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), is a coastal wall-builder who gave up piloting his Jaeger after the death of his brother while they were fighting a Kaiju. 

Aside from the pain of losing a beloved sibling, the film shows us the pain of losing a co-pilot. During the process of 'Drifting', pilots experience all of each other's memories, their traumas, theirs fears - it is a deeply intimate process, and a concept that is explored in depth. Cutting off the connection is like losing a part of your own soul, which is exactly why Raleigh is so reluctant to return to the Jaegers.

But he does. Naturally. 

We soon meet Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), one of the prodigies of the Jaeger Academy and the adopted daughter of Marshal Pentecost (Idris Elba). 

Mako Mori is well-known as one of the strongest female characters of all time, but it isn't because of her physical strength - though she has plenty of it. She is not an accessory to a man's story; she has her own motivations, complex emotions, and she is never forced into the role of a supporting character. 

When she was younger, Mako lost both her parents in a Kaiju attack, and it is this trauma that prevents anyone from forming a mental connection with her. The intense pain she harbors over this memory overloads the mind of anyone who tries to Drift with her. 

We never forget that she is a woman, but it never becomes a defining factor of her personality. She isn't objectified, and her weaknesses aren't related to her gender. She is capable of beating men in fights, but she isn't overpowered enough that where the viewer wonders if the director had another agenda. Mako is not perfect, but that is what gives her character so much strength. She is Raleigh's equal. 

The action itself is brilliant. The choreography of the fight scenes is fantastic. The monsters and robots fight with a beautiful fluidity, and though some fights extend a little long, they are never static. They are never repetitive, with always a new twist or a new strategy that keeps them interesting. 

The visuals themselves are, needless to say, awesome. Giant robots fighting alien monsters in the stormy Pacific ocean with glorious cinematography - what more can we ask for? 

There is also a cast of charming characters, if archetypal at times. The two scientists, Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Hermann Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) provide comedic relief, and Gottlieb has one of the most striking quotes of the film - "Numbers are as close as we get to the handwriting of God." 

What does it mean? Probably not much to anyone who isn't as dedicated to math as Gottlieb is. But years after first watching this film, with multiple re-watchings, this quote has imprinted itself strongly in my mind. A strangely profound quote, especially considering that it is played off for laughs.

Pacific Rim may be an action movie - and one of the finest action movies of the decade at that - but at its core, it is an emotional story about the nature of humanity, relationships, and connection. It is about coming to terms with the past, and seeing another person's deepest traumas yet choosing to stick with them anyway. 

A quote by the film's director Guillermo Del Toro is especially fitting to this film. "I feel that monsters are here in our world to help us understand it. They are an essential part of a fable." 

The kaiju serve an essential purpose in this film beyond providing cool fight scenes and driving the plot. They are a vessel through which we can analyze what it means to be human. 

Is that too much analysis for an action movie? Perhaps. Perhaps not. 

But there is something in this film for everyone. However you should choose to perceive it, you will not be disappointed.