Patlabor 2: La película

This movie grabs me in a visual sense more than many other movies, in a way only a few films can compare such as 2001. The melancholy yet realistic nature of the film is one of the highlights. With a deep story, this is a very interesting movie. Actually the theme of this film is probably reality, and if what an image is portraying is actually real.

"Japanese cartoons are for kids"...

This is yet another movie to show to people who wrongfully believe that!

A movie like "Ghost in The Shell" and the series "Neon Genesis Evangelion" have proven to contain more plot in the screenplay, and even afterthought in the mind of the audience, than most Hollywood-movies I know of. "Patlabor 2" is definitely another addition to my list of movies I would say disproves the first sentence in this comment.

As other commenters have noted, "Patlabor 2" resembles a Tom Clancy political thriller. The storytelling was so good that it got my heart racing in some scenes, and that is saying a lot from my point of view (Trust me on that one - I've seen "The Others" and similar movies, without moving a muscle when the rest of the theatre screamed).

If the story was tightened here, and the plot was elaborated there, "Patlabor 2" could be made into a Hollywood-movie as a frame-by-frame copy! I really mean that - There is always room for improvement, but in my opinion there are only very minor blemishes to the flow of the movie. I enjoyed every second, although some other commenters found the "slow parts" boring or irrelevant.

The music (or lack thereof) is also definitely worth a mention. It's hard to describe - I just couldn't imagine it being any different for this movie. The reason I write lack of music is because there are scenes where any Hollywood-producer would have slapped on some generic classical music, but in this case there is none. For example there is a scene after a climax where you just see different parts of the cityscape, with snow falling, and there is no sound at all. THAT's movie-magic. It's part of what draws me to this strange, exotic type of movies - it's so different than what most of us are used to.

Recreate the visuals using a film-camera, actors and a special-effects crew, copy+paste the music, label it "made in Hollywood" and you've got yourself a blockbuster-hit!

Japanese cartoons are for kids - not. If you have a brain, and an attention-span bigger than your average action-monkey, this movie is for you.

Patlabor 2 is a very good anime, both by the technical quality of Oshii's team's work, and by a very good and smart screenplay, using politic and terrorism as background.

This movie show us that anime is not only for kids (see Disney) and that japanese anime can have beautiful picture and good screenplay.

Mamoru Oshii's "Ghost in the Shell" got all the hype, but his earlier film, "Patlabor 2," is by far the more mature, artistically successful film. This is anime at its finest - sharply detailed artwork, superb animation, and a story that WILL hook you.

Disguised as a Tom Clancyesqe techno-thriller, Patlabor 2 is actually a knowing, often cynical examination of global politics. The film at times resembles a surreal CNN report...if it were scripted by Noam Chomsky and directed by Alfred Hitchcock! What does that mean? First, the symbolic visuals are beguiling and plentiful. I would suggest you first view either "Psycho" or the "The Birds" and then Watch the Birdie in "Patlabor 2".

Patlabor 2 is a beautiful film. There are many stunning, surreal cityscapes that recall "Blade Runner." These scenes are accompanied by Keiji Kawai's meditative, haunting score. But the film's greatest impact is its disturbing plausibility. There may be giant robot police patrolling the streets of Tokyo, but the patterns of infrastructure and the chaos that breaks out when it breaks down seem all too real.

I give this anime my highest recommendation and I would especially recommend it to those who are either unfamiliar with Japanese anime or perhaps think animation is not a "serious" artistic medium. (This film will set them straight). Due to it's highly dense dialogue, I would recommend the dubbed version (unless you're fluent in Japanese or just prefer subtitles). The dubbing job is superbly acted and well-timed, preserving the original script's dramatic pauses and moments of silence.

It's 2002, 3 years after the events in Patlabor 1. The collapse of the United Nations Labor team in South East Asia began the build-up to form a deadly terrorist plan that threatens to send shock waves throughout Japan's military. A fighter jet crashed into a bridge as a first sign of disaster. With evidence of an impending military takeover, the scattered members of the original Second Division must gather to defend Tokyo against any possible danger or an outbreaking war.

This is known to be the most political Patlabor anime ever made. The topics discussed in it make it feel like your watching a live action film. As well as long monologuing scenes that can be a snore. But the characters, story, and labor robots are all there.

Unlike the other Patlabor anime. This one focuses on Captain Goto, Shinobu, & Detective Matsui throughout the movie. And it's very meaningful in war, terrorism, and politics.