There are a few simple truths in life:life is short, change is inevitable, and everybody loves a good mech movie. It’s hard to go wrong with giant robots fighting giant monsters or other giant robots. Whether it’s the fact that they’re a huge power fantasy, have insanely well-thought-out designs or just the simple answer that, well, they’re just really cool, mecha movies are fan-favorites.
Regardless of their quality, mech andmonster movies always bring a sense of epic spectacleto the movie screen, something you may only experience through visual mediums like film and television. Exploding in popularity in the 70s,mech, AKA mecha, films have been gracing viewers' screens for decades, delivering some incredible stories that expertly combine action and science fiction. While the general popularity of mecha films isn’t what it once was in the 70s and 80s,the love for giant robots is still very real.These are the best mecha movies in cinema, thanks to their vibrant action, ambitious concepts, and awe-inspiring visuals.
10’Pacific Rim: Uprising' (2018)
Director: Steven S. DeKnight
After what can only be described as a nuclear explosion of popularity for thePacific Rimfranchise, fans were clamoring for a follow-up of some sort immediately. Set 10 years after the first film,Pacific Rim: Uprisingopts forthe subversive sequel routeand abandons most of the first film’s characters to instead focus on Jake Pentecost, the son ofIdris Elba’s character. The film follows Jake as he is brought into the fold to teach the next generation of Jaeger pilots.
Unfortunately for fans of the first film,Guillermo del Torochose not to come back to direct the sequel, already causing fans to have trepidations about the film. When audiences sat down in theaters on August 23, 2025, they were treated with what many described as mindless fun at best and franchise assassination at worst.The mech action inPacific Rim: Uprisingis still great, but the film itself is guilty of abandoning everything that worked about its predecessor.
Pacific Rim: Uprising
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9’Robot Jox' (1989)
Director: Stuart Gordon
In the year of 1989,Stuart Gordondreamed of a world where global wars were fought with mechas. With the planet divided in two, the Market and Confederation, after a nuclear apocalypse, they set aside their differences to agree that they will no longer incite any kind of conventional war. With a lack of orthodox war, they opt to settle all differences by training “Champions” to face each other in mechs.
At the time of release,Robot Joxdid not find much praise from criticsfor its inability to balance tone. Its release date didn’t help either, as the world was ready to move from the Cold War. Still, in the years since its release,Robot Joxhas gained a lot of popularity as aniconic so-bad-it’s-good movie. Now enjoying cult classic status,Robot Joxis widely considered the perfect example of a very 80s movie released far too late.
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8’Mazinger Z: Infinity' (2017)
Director: Junji Shimizu
Mazinger Z: Infinityserves as a sequel to the popular seriesMazinger ZandGreat Mazinger. Taking place 10 years later, it sees the world’s longest era of tranquility disrupted when Mazinger Z’s former pilot, Koji Kabuto, discovers a young girl and a giant mech buried under Mt. Fuji. The discovery incites an attack from Dr. Hell, who plans to use the mech, nicknamed Infinity, to replace their universe with a new one, a power they call the Goragon.
The reception ofMazinger Z: Infinitywas to be expected of a film revisiting a beloved franchise around 43 years later: mixed. There were fans with huge nostalgia for the series who adored seeing their favorite characters return in HD. But with positives, there must come negatives. On the other side of the coin,many fans feltInfinitywas a completely unnecessary revisit to the franchise. Its reputation remains somewhat mixed, although many have now forgotten it.
7’Power Rangers' (2017)
Director: Dean Israelite
To sayPower Rangersis a global phenomenon is a titanic understatement, as it stands among the most popular global franchises since its debut in 1993. Come 2017, Lionsgate decided it was time to bring the teenagers with attitude to modern-day cinema. The film features one ofthe most powerful villains in thePower Rangersfranchiseand revitalizes their origin in the modern-day.
Power Rangersis another great example of a film that received praise many years after its release. While the film didn’t achieve everything it wanted to, what they did well, they did exceptionally. Factors that were initially criticized, like the Rangers not gaining their iconic armor until the third act, were eventually seen as great storytelling by many and made the armor feel earned and more rewarding. The film is also great at depicting the characters' adolescent instincts, andElizabeth Banksis truly scene-stealing as Rita Repulsa, keeping the original series' camp value.
Power Rangers
6’Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone' (2007)
Director: Hiroshi Haraguchi, Masayuki and Kazuya Tsurumaki
Shinji Ikari, the fourteen-year-old son of the Commander of NERV, is called by his father and practically forced into piloting a giant mech called Evangelion Unit 1 to face a mysterious monster they call an Angel. Shinji soon discovers he must team up with another Evangelion pilot, Rei Ayanami, to keep the Angels from reaching a giant Angel named Lilith, who is being kept under NERV.
WithEvangelionbeing such a huge franchise, known and beloved all over the world,fans rushed to the theaters to seethe supposed reboot of their favorite anime.This resulted in a great box office reception and positive critical reviews, with fans enjoying the return and revitalization of the show’s events, remarking thatthe changes made to the story were for the better.Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Aloneis a great example of a reboot done right, and while its changes are significant, they strengthen the plot.
5’Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance' (2009)
Director: Kazuya Tsurumaki, Masayuki and Hideaki Anno
With there being a rise in more puzzling Angel attacks, NERV decides to bring on two new Evangelion unit pilots, Mari Makinami and fan-favorite Asuka Shikinami, to aid Shinji and Rei. Shinji’s trust is betrayed when Asuka’s Evangelion unit is possessed by an Angel, and as Shinji refuses to attack it in hopes of not harming her, his father activates a protocol for his unit to act on its own and ferociously destroy Asuka’s unit with her inside. Shinji leaves NERV but is quickly forced to make a decision when the Tenth Angel attacks soon after.
WhereYou Are (Not) Alonestayed closer to the story of the show, taking a larger departure and going as far as to introduce a whole new character in Mari Makinami.Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advancemajorly strays away from the show’s plot while keeping the feeling, heart and themes.Fans praised this film far more than the firstfor the changes made to the original series.
4’Promare' (2019)
Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi & Masahiko Ôtsuka
When a mass outbreak of spontaneous human combustion hits the planet, called the Great World Blaze, the world responds with a mech-piloted firefighting group called Burning Rescue. The film follows Galo Thymos and his team as they face off against the Mad Burnish, a terror group of humans with flame abilities while facing adversity from the police force known as Freeze Force.
Promarewas a project made by Studio Trigger four years before their most recent hit,Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Studio Trigger has always been known for its incredible animation and projects, andPromareis no different from the rest. It was received very well, especially becauseit brought about a fresh taste to the genrewith its mechs used for firefighting rather than typical mech uses, like fighting aliens. While the mechs in this film are used mostly for fighting, the context in which they do is pretty unique for the genre, keeping the film feeling fresh.
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3’Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon A Time' (2021)
Director: Mahiro Maeda, Kazuya Tsurumaki and Katsuichi Nakayama
The fourth and final film in theEvangelionRebuilds series brings everything to a head when the secrets of the Evangelion units and Rei Ayanami come to light. Shinji must face his father, Gendo and learn to understand how the loss of Shinji’s mother impacted him. The events that follow bringan end to theEvangelionseries for good. The ending of the franchise was praised for its astounding visual quality and for bringing a genuine feeling of nostalgia for the original series and its final film.
Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon A Timealso crafts a finale that gives theEvangelionworld and characters a very deserved happy ending. While the reviews were mixed among the fanbase, a lot of fans and critics found a ton of love for it, bringing the rating to a great8.0/10 on IMDb. The finale also had an incredible box office response. Safe to say,Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon A Timewas a success.
2’Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion' (1997)
Director: Hideaki Anno & Kazuya Tsurumaki
It’s hard to compete with the classics, andit doesn’t get much more classic thanNeon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion. Serving asthe official finale for the originalNeon Genesis Evangelionseries,Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangeliontakes place at the same time as the final two episodes of the series that take place within Shinji’s head. The film showcases the events in the world outside of Shinji’s head.
It’s a spectacular deconstruction of the mech genre as a whole with stellar, unforgettable visuals that hold up to this day. The reviews for the finale film were and still are overwhelmingly positive. Most reviews have nothing but good things to say about the film, aside from it being quite hard to understand at times, but that’s to be expected from theNeon Genesis Evangelionseries. The film continues to be held in high regard by fans, and the visuals within it will always be visual trademarks of the series.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
In Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion, NERV faces a direct assault by Seele, who seeks to prevent Gendo Ikari from initiating Third Impact and his version of Instrumentality. As the conflict intensifies, the emotional and psychological trials of the protagonists culminate, dramatically challenging the fate of humanity and individual identity.
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1’Pacific Rim' (2013)
Director: Guillermo del Toro
In a world ravaged by monsters born from the sea, former pilot Raleigh Becket and new trainee Mako Mori must come together to pilot the iconic Gipsy Danger and cancel the apocalypse.Pacific Rim’s release to positive reviews arguably reignited the popularity of the mech genre in film for general audiences.
Guillermo del Toro is widely considered a master and visionary, with this film’s release added another genre triumph to his resumé.What it lacks in story,Pacific Rimrefills tenfold through its performances, effects, mech and monster designs, scale and stakes. The cherry on top of it all is the magnificent inspirational speech from Idris Elba’s character in the third act of the film, considered one of the best pre-final battle speeches of all time.
