THe Hero's journey

Background INFORMATION

Pacific  Rim  takes  place  in  2020,  when  giants  called  KAIJUS  emerged  from  a  rift  in  the  Pacific  Ocean.  They  destroyed  big  cities  and  killed  millions. To  combat  this,  humanity  created  JAEGERS.  Jaegers  are  giant  robots  controlled  by  two  people  who  share  a  strong  bond.  In  the  Jaeger  they  are  connected  by  THE  DRIFT,  a  process  that  requires  the  two  pilots  to  share  emotions  and  memories  so  they  can  control  the  Jaeger  together. The  stronger  the  bond  between  pilots  means  a  stronger  drift  and  a  better  performance  in  combat.

Call to adventurE

   What  makes  Mako  Mori's  life  unsatisfactory  is  that  her  guardian,  Stacker  Pentecost,  is  too protective  of  her.  She's  got  top  ranks  in  Jaeger  piloting  simulations  but  Pentecost  will  never  allow  her  to  pilot  a  real  one.  She  feels  useless   for  standing  idly  by  and  not  contributing  to  the  fight  for  humanity  and  not  being  able  to  avenge  her  family.  Her  call  to  adventure  occurs  when  Raleigh  arrives  and  will  be  the  designated  pilot,  he  sees  the potential  in  her  and  urges  her  to  pilot  the  Jaeger  with  him.  

Supernatural aid

 Raleigh  is  Mako's  aid  in  her  journey.  He  understands  her  unfair  treatment.  He  stands  up  to  Pentecost  when  Pentecost  doesn't allow  Mako  to  participate  in  the  drift  compatibility  test  and  by  doing  so,  Raleigh  gives  Mako  a  chance  to  prove  her  worth.  Raleigh  also  tells  her  about  his  experiences  piloting  a  Jaeger,  and  what  she  needs  to  know  when  it's  time  for  her  to  step  in  one.  

Refusal of the call

 After  the  drift  compatibility  test,  Mako  and  Raleigh  realize  they're  qualified  to  pilot  a  Jaeger  together;  however,  Pentecost  disapproves  and  won't  allow  it.  Mako  wants so  badly  to  pilot  the  Jaeger  and  avenge  her  family,  but  she  holds  back.  Raleigh  tells  her  she  doesn't  always  have  to  obey  him.  Mako  retorts,  "It's  not  obedience,  Mr.  Beckett.  It's  respect."  She  doesn't  want  to  anger  Pentecost,  for  it's  later  revealed  that  Mako  owes  him  her  life.  Because  of  this,  she  refuses  the  call.

Crossing the first threshold

 Mako  finally  crosses  the  threshold  when  Pentecost  realizes  his  mistakes  for  holding  back  Mako  and  allows  her  to  pilot  the  Jaeger  with  Raleigh.  This  is  the  first  time  she's  been  inside  of  a  Jaeger,   and  the  first  time  she's  performed  a  drift.  She  knows  how  dangerous  it  can  be  if  not  performed  correctly,  but  she  doesn't  know  what  it'll  be  like  or  if  she's  really  ready  for  it.

belly of the whale

 Mako   separates  from  her  known  world  when  the  drift  sequence  starts.  She  experiences  sharing  memories  and  emotion  with  Raleigh  for  the  first  time.  Mako  understands  the  risks  she  might  have  to  take  when  its  time  for  her  to  fight. Mako  willingly  goes  through  the  process,  because  she  wants  to  go  out  and  fight  the  kaijus.  She  wants  fighting  for  humanity  to  be  part  of  her  world.

Meeting with the goddess

 Even  after  Mako  failed  the  drift  sequence  and  almost  set  off  the  Jaeger's  plasma  cannon  inside  the  facility,  Raleigh  shows  unconditional  love  for  her  because,  despite  all  that,  he  still  wants  her  to  pilot  the  Jaeger  with  him.  He  even  risks  severe  punishment  when  he  punches  out  another  pilot  for  disrespecting  her.  Later,  Raleigh  shows  compassion  for  Mako.  He  says  "...To  let  someone  in,  to  really  connect,  you  have  to  trust   them.   And   today  the  drift  was  strong."  throughout  the  movie  Raleigh  constantly  roots  for  Mako.  He   reminds  her  of  her  abilities ,  that  they're  a  team  and  they'll  get  through  it  together.   When   Mako's  with  Raleigh  she  truly  feels  like  she's  found  family.

road of trials

 Mako  Mori 's  first  trial  is  more  emotional  than  physical,  she  has  to  go  through  the  challenge  of  performing  the  drift  and  experiencing  both  her  and  Raleigh's  painful   memories  and  emotions.  Unfortunately,  Mako  failed  this  trial,  but  from  her  recovery  she  gained  strength .  The  next  two  trials  are  more  physical.  Mako  and  Raleigh  has  to  protect  Hong  Kong  from  two  Kaijus  by  themselves.  Shortly  afterwards  they  have  to  deliver  a  bomb  directly  to  the  rift  and  have  to  fight  off  three  kaijus  underwater.

atonement with the father

 What  holds  power  in  Mako's  life  isnt  a  person,  it's  the  kaijus  in  general.  They  hold  a   burden  on  her  because  they  killed  her  family.  When  she  goes  out  to  fight  them,  it's  a  life  or  death  situation .  There's  no  other  Jaegers  available  to  assist  her  and  Raleigh.   As  they  finish  off  the  kaiju,  she  yells,  "For  my  family!"  Facing  the  kaijus  finally  let  her  destroy  her  tragic  past  and  avenge  her  family.  

the ultimate reward

Mako's  ultimate  reward  is  that  she  protected  the  city  and  got  vengeance  for  her  family.  She  proved  to  herself  and  Pentecost  that  she's  capable  of  fighting  in  a  Jaeger.  Another  reward  she  earns  is  the  safety  of  humanity, though  for  now  it's  temporary,  she  allows  herself  to  be  happy  with  her  accomplishment  because  her  training  and  her  first  time  drifting  helped  strengthen  her  and  prepare  her  for  this  moment.

Temptation

 The  next  mission  is  to  bring  a  bomb  to  the  Pacific  Rim  to  destroy  the  portal  between  Earth  and  the  kaiju's  nest.  With  a  shortage  of  pilots  Pentecost  must  step  up  and  enter  the Jaeger,  he's  got  radiation  poisoning  from  his  past  missions  years  ago.  Mako  knows  if  Pentecost  pilots  again  his  death  will  be  imminent .  She  doesn't  want  to  risk  his  life  though  he's  crucial  to  the success  to  the  mission.  Her  wish  to  keep  Pentecost  safe  makes  her  stray  from  her  quest.

magic flight

 As  stated  before,  the  safety  of  humanity  is  just  temporary.  In  order  for  Mako  to  make  it  permanent,   she  must  join  her  fellow  pilots   and  destroy  the  rift  under  the  Pacific  Ocean.  This  is  more  dangerous  than  her  fight  to  get  this  far  already.  Mako  has  to  fight  off  now   three  kaijus  and  also  protect  her  guardian,  Pentecost.  Unfortunately,  Pentecost  got  cornered  and  performed  a  kamikaze  attack  to  finish  off  the  rest  of  the  kaijus.  But  Mako  and  Raleigh   manage  to  destroy  the  rift  by  overloading  the  nuclear  reactor  in  their  Jaeger  and  dropping  it  into  the  portal.

rescue from without

 From  all  the  fighting  Mako's  oxygen  tank  got  punctured  and  she  was  too  weakened  to  fight  anymore.  Raleigh  brought  her  to  the  surface  and  continued  the  mission  without  her.  When  Mako  made  it  to  the  surface  without  him,  she  thought  she  lost  her  best  friend  and  was  distraught.  Raleigh  brought  Mako  back  into  everyday  life  when  his  escape  pod  appeared  and  Mako  was  reassured  that  he  was  safe

master of two worlds

 Mako  finally  found  inner  peace  after  discovering  Raleigh  is  safe  and  the  mission  was successful.  She  now  has  someone  to  call  family  and  the  kaijus  who  killed  hers  is  gone  forever.  Mako  has  gained  so  much  strength  from  her  adventure  both  physically  and  mentally.

freedom to live

 Mako  finally  avenges  her  family  and  doesn't  have  to  feel  the  pain  of  her  past  anymore.  She  doesn't  have  to  worry  about  future  kaiju  attacks  ever.

end