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Pacific Rim and the Bechdel Test

It has been noted by many (including myself) that Pacific Rim fails the Bechdel Test rather spectacularly. It has only two female characters of any note (Mako and half of the Russian Jaeger team, Lt. A Kaidonovsky) and they never have a conversation.

Thinking back on it, I desperately wish that had happened. That would have been amazing, maybe a conversation after Mako almost had her drift-induced disaster.

But I was thinking about it this morning, and the movie has something very few others have: two male characters talking about a woman and neither of them wants to fuck her. And it happens several times. And they talk about how competent she is, with the problem being Stacker is protective, not that she doesn’t have the chops.

That is refreshing. Even if I would have preferred a no bullshit female Jaeger pilot conversation and a little less Stacker and Raleigh butting heads.

I could go on about this movie forever. I need to see it again.

And a few more thoughts: [slight spoilers here]