Patlabor: The Movie

I have a small collection of anime which is growing exponentially now, thanks in part to my renewed interest in the genre after viewing this film. What separates this from many anime is its unique use of the Mecha or "Labors" in its plot, instead of just the same robot battle fair that we've all seen. The movie does not center around action but around the actual story and the characters as they work together (and sometimes against each other) to solve the big mystery in time to stop a terrible threat to Tokyo and possibly the entire world. Great film. I am going to buy the second one this week; I hear it is even better.

I was fortunate enough to come across this video early in my exploration of Japanese animation. It was also the first video where I began to take notice of the greatly different pacing that the Japanese have in terms of plot & character developement. This is a story about a scientist that commits suicide after creating a virus that will eventually cause giant robots known as Labors to malfunction and lay waste about them. (Labors are manned, humanoid machines used in heavy lifting, construction and peacekeeping (domestic & military) tasks.) The action is split between the policemen who struggle to contain the destruction as the first infected Labors begin to malfunction and a pair of detectives who painstakingly retrace the dead doctors last steps before his suicide. If you're looking for something to cut your anime teeth on that's not too outlandish.. I highly recommend this video!

It's for an adult audience. A younger audience may appreciate the few 'labor' fighting sequences, but the Patlabor movies generally do not center on the robots, but on the detective work of its crew.

Truthfully, I'm a little disappointed because I rented these movies hoping that they would focus more on the robots. I was looking for action and fast paced animation with cool angles and a good back-story. Instead I found a movie that focuses on the crew members instead. The robots ARE the back-story. For the most part, I can live with that.

I did enjoy the first Patlabor movie more than the second one. The 'labors' played a bigger role in this movie and thusly there was a good balance between them and the crew members. In Patlabor 2 the robots were showcased very briefly.

All I can think of is one thing: If the creators are not going to focus on the robots, then why mention them in the title? Why mention them at all? One could re-write the second movie to completely eliminate the 'labor' robots and the story would still hold with barely a scratch.

If you are planning to watch any of the Patlabor movies then remember that it is not an action/anime movie about 'labor' robots and their crew. Rather, it can best be described as a futuristic detective story that happen to be in a time where 'labor' robots are around and in use. It will involve your attention.

It's not an ideal movie for those interested in getting into Anime films. I'd only recommend Patlabor to an older, anime-experienced, audience.

Interesting Note: On the DVD, read the subtitles and then watch the English version (or visa-versa). In many cases you will find scenes where the characters are talking about a completely different topic. It's quite fascinating.

It's the year 1999, the world we live in has Labors(human operated robot carriers) used for construction and giving mankind an easier living style. After The suicide of a mysterious man from the massive constructing Babylon Project a computer virus was created to infect the Labors. And make them cause havoc on their own free will. Which leads to Section 2 of the Patlabor team in investigating this incident. Before the Tokyo district faces it's destruction.

I first saw this movie back in 2005, and it imminently got me into the franchise. Which I had no idea it existed before. Compared to the popular TV series. This movie has all the characters we all recognized and know. Only the theme to this movie is more serious than the theme of the TV show. In other words more seriousness and less comedy.

But that didn't change the plot a bit. As the movie does have some great and believable moments in it, that make you forget it's animated. Plus it's directed by Masumo Oshii who was one of the dudes who made this franchise possible. And really knows how to make it the way it should.

If you like a unique Sci-Fi anime or interested in seeing something new. Patlabor the Movie has been highly recommended by various websites. It's enjoyable even if you don't know the series.

It's worth noting before I begin that this was my first encounter with the Patlabor series - I went in knowing nothing of the characters or overall plot of the series. I mention it because, though it posed absolutely no problems for my understanding of the piece, it does relate to the one criticism I have.

Positive things first, though, of which there are many. Most impressive, as with much of Ishii's work, is the scenery. From the highly industrialised city streets to the run-down shacks mastermind Hoba made his homes, each location is fantastically rendered and informs the mood of the piece easily as much as any of the characters. Not that Patlabor - The Movie is really lacking there, though; Both Asuma and Gotoh make for brilliantly likable protagonists, while aforementioned and never-seen villain Hoba is a more than worthy foil. The plot moves along at the right kind of pace - brisk enough to keep the viewer interested, but relaxed enough to allow one to savour the rich atmosphere of the world Ishii creates.

If there's a problem, then, it stems simply from the fact that this is what it is; a spin-off movie which is only part of an ongoing series. As such, and great as the characters may be, there is very little in terms of development - next to none, in fact. Yes, this is an expected and necessary result of the movie's very nature (it can't do anything that's really going to significantly affect the plot line of the series); still, it dulls the impact of an otherwise excellent film. Of course, there may be (and I expect there are) many nuances of dialogue, story etc. that are lost on a viewer with no prior knowledge of the series and perhaps viewing the film in context would provide a more rounded experience. Regardless, as a stand-alone film, it's less involving than it could be.

Despite this minor quibble, though, Patlabor - The Movie is a great introduction to a series I plan to familiarise myself with further in the future.