Patlabor 3 WXIII - der film

In the year 2000, one year after the Babylon incident. A mysterious creature has been spotted in the Tokyo Bay destroying fishing ships and patrol boats. Two detectives are on the case, and try to gather up clues on the mystery. As it later turns out, they're dealing with a biochemical monster that can only exist by being made by a human. And their yet to find out who's responsible for it's existence before it destroys Tokyo.

Unlike the previous Patlabor anime. This one revolves on 2 characters who aren't part of Special Vechiles Division 2. But it does take place in the same universe. Only we don't see too many Labors at all. And every one we know from Patlabor are only in 1/4 of the movie. With the exception of Captain Gota being the only original character having the most screen time. While everyone else is a minor character in this movie.

Making it not look like a Patlabor movie at all. Despite it directed by someone other than Mastu Ohjii and newer animation. This is consider to be the weakest in the Patlabor series. Not saying it's bad at all. Just the director failed in giving it the same spirit as the other movies and TV shows.

It's more of a Monster anime flick than a Mecha anime flick.

If it was directed by Ohjii, then we'd see it as the same level as the previous movies. That and it's more of an in-between movie than a sequel cause it takes place between the first 2.

Overrall Patlabor WXIII does succeed in having believable characters, actions, drama, and locations. If your a fan of the franchise, you might not find this one to be satisfying.

I've been an anime fan since i was 11, and now, in the year 2002 over 10 years later, i'm delighted to say that i still find such remarkable titles such as this. As a standard mark....my favourite anime movies include.....Akira, Jin-Roh, Princess Mononoke, Cowboy Bebop, Grave Of The Fireflies, Wings Of Honneamise, and so on.

The first Patlabor movie was one of the first anime i ever saw, and whilst it is now finally starting to show its age, it's follow up remains a benchmark in both the standards of animation and story-telling that animated features have managed to achieve. And being directed by the now legendary Mamoru Oshii who would expect anything less. But for the third film the Patlabor usual suspects disperse and let a new team handle it with the only consistant contributor being the finest composer in animated or live action films in the east... Kenji Kawai.

Importing the japenese dvd i was salivating at the chance to watch this highly anticipated sequel and a day after i've finally managed to qualm my excitement to review it.

I have to say that i was blown away by this flick. The animation is continuously gorgeous and at times just ridiculously beautiful with an attention to detail that i have never seen before. The characters aren't going to be easy to get to know if you've never seen any of the other Patlabor films or series, but center here around the detectives rather than the Labor operatives themselves. Its a wonderful touch to see the regulars of the series wander about in the background in certain scenes following their perspective of the film that would usually be what we got to see. The story is quite remarkable. Not because it's not slightly familiar to this sort of anime (especially the sub-dued, dreamlike government conspiracy plots that tend to regularly be used on the Patlabor flicks) but because it's pulled off with an elegant ease and makes far more sense than most people would probably give it credit for.

Not wanting to give any of the deliscious surprises away....this film plays out like a cross between Patlabor 2, a Tom Clancy novel, and a hefty slice of Godzilla. That's right. I really don't want to say anymore about the plot though. The animation style is the very best of both worlds comprising of Jin-Roh style realism set to Ghost In The Shell detail and elegance. And of course - the music is absolutely superb.

If i have any flaws with this film it's that the outcome is rather predictable, but it doesn't really seem to be the directors intentions to keep you guessing anyway. So if you are the type of person who wants twists and turns and action packed anime look elsewhere. There's pretty much no humor, barely any action(although when there is its all the more punctuated for its absence elsewhere) and only features the Patlabors themselves in the last 15 minutes or so. However if you find that they aren't enough gentle, genuinely interesting, sumptuous and mature anime out there then this will probably end up as one of your favourite films of all time....animated or otherwise.....just like me.

09/10

I was completely jazzed to track down the third Patlabor movie; the first two are among my favorites.

The third lacked that certain something...namely the main characters from the first two, reduced to minor supporting roles at best. We don't see the progression of the characters like we did between 1 and 2, which, to be honest, was part of what I was looking forward to seeing in the third. They showed up, a little; I found it funny when Captain Goto, in a meeting, asked why he was there. I had to laugh, because I was asking the same question, as he seemed to me to be in the scene just so people knew it was Patlabour 3. If Section 2 didn't show up in some form, even a few scenes, people would not have been able to tell. So they did. In a few scenes.

I was disappointed.

Anyone who comes to this anime expecting cliché Japanese robot/monster fights is in for deep, deep disappointment. But if you are interested in one of the finest Japanese procedural films since Kurosawa's High & Low, watch this film.

I have no idea what inspired the creators of the otherwise pedestrian Patlabor series to create this almost noirish meditation on the grey, atomized life of modern Japanese. But by combining the deliberate pace of Kurosawa's masterwork with portraits of weathered bureaucrats and alienated beauties lost in in Tokyo's concrete jungle, this work envelopes one in Japanese life at the millennium. It's an extraordinary piece of immersion into a culture that is superficially like ours but in reality vastly different.

The plot i subside the point--it is the day to day details of the two lead detectives that are the true subject of this astonishing film.

I just rented the North American DVD and was surprised to see a US movie trailer in the package. This trailer says the movie was in theaters in January of 2003. I don't remember seeing anything like that in the local newspaper. Maybe it was a limited run in selected cities. Anyway I must warn you that like most movies based on existing series there is no reintroduction of the characters. That means if you don't know who does what the movie won't tell you. Also the Special Vehicles Unit takes a supporting role because the story revolves around the captain's detective friend. That means your favourite characters will hardly get any screen time or lines to say. I will give the movie a "B" rating.