Patlabor: The Movie

This movie is widely considered a masterpiece. The story is set in an alternate history where by the late 90's Japan is using large robots called "laborers" in the Military, but also in municipal functions like construction, and especially, the Police.

Something is causing laborers in Japan to go berserk and reject human control, sending them on a rampage. It's up to the people of Special Vehicles Section 2 to discover the cause before it's too late! Some may be disappointed by the fact that the laborers for which the title gets it's name aren't featured in every single scene: this film is not about constant fighting and action, though the action scenes that do exist are very well done and fascinating. Because this is more of a crime/mystery movie instead of hardcore action, people with different tastes may not enjoy it as much.

This was the first anime movie I ever saw and it got me hooked with it's completely original story and lovable characters and robots! Certainly an animation masterpiece!

The main complaint from those who dislike Patlabor; the movie is that it's too slow and dull. Not to act like the brighter-than-thou intello snob here, but this never even remotely bothered me. Maybe it's because there are enough riveting action scenes to counterbalance the slower ones, or because a lot of the non-action scenes are spent on a believeable build-up to make the finale all the more poignant, while throwing in genuinely interesting issues and fleshing out the likeable characters in a very entertaining way. Or maybe it's because I saw Patlabor 2 first, which makes this first film seem lightning quick in comparison. All the same, I really don't see what there is to complain about. Patlabor takes the time needed to establish a coherent storyline, and the viewer is amply rewarded by a big and very thrilling dose of action in the end, made all the more involving by the intricate prior build-up that we've been following. Even after several viewings, I find myself fully satisfied at the film's end, and perhaps even intellectually stimulated, without this demanding excessive efforts on my behalf. True, this is at times a talky and rather philosophical film, but nothing that the average viewer should find impossible to sit through (that is, unless I'm being too optimistic in my views on general human intelligence and the world really is overrun by bovine straight jocks who's attention cannot last two minutes without massive explosions on-screen).

Mamoru Oshii's direction style has a reputation of being very slow and broody. From what I've seen of his work, this is quite true. So far, Patlabor is the movie where this style worked best for me, as everything fitted together very nicely, delivering an excellently balanced combo of entertainment and mental fodder (other films by him show his personal touch more clearly but are less 'easily accessible').

That is far from the only praiseworthy point in Patlabor, however. Animation and artwork are pleasingly solid overall, ascending to excellent levels when the intricately crafted scenes with the mecha come into play. Kudos to the music as well, which does it's thing very nicely. The fast pieces for the action scenes are especially good for the way they're so full of energy. It also does a very good job of establishing the Patlabor universe for the non-initiated viewer. This movie is but one gear in the works of a much larger franchise; Patlabor has spawned several TV and video series over the years, but the viewer is adequately told who is who and where they are to be able to follow the movie without prior experience.

The clever bit about the Patlabor universe is it's a down-to-earth, credible view of what the world might look like if there was such a thing as giant robots. The robots are not overly fanciful, nor are they even the defining factor in everyone's life. Despite Noah's attachment to her Labor which she named Alphonse, the robots serve as little more than bigger, stronger versions of everyday vehicles and machines, with not one infantile giant laser weapon in sight (that said, their design is very cool, including enough striking elements in their otherwise workmanlike and realistic appearance to be very noteworthy). It's still the little people that make the most difference and are the real stars in the Patlabor world. Top marks for originality, there.

The same thing goes for the film's plot: after the suicide of a certain Eiichiro Hoba, an increased number of incidents involving Labors gone berserk begins to spread over Japan. Our heroes are a somewhat whacky squad of anti Labor-crime officers (the 'mobile police', who operate with their Patrol Labors, or Patlabors) who gradually unravel the entire plot behind this wave of labor malfunctions, and the true disaster that this is building up to - a disaster of such magnitude that it may well signal doomsday if the one building that will trigger it off isn't destroyed by hand and by Labor in the little time that is left. There's far more to the story than just that - there are the likeable hi-jinks of the heroes along the way, as well as the more broody look at Hoba's motivations that get exposed by a private eye, packed with deep reflections and religious symbolism (a so-called 'Babylon Project' to build a new district for Tokyo over the water plays a large part in the film, to name but one example).

It probably -is- more of a thinking man's giant robot anime in the end. But this should be noted as great praise, rather than a complaint from those too stupid to appreciate it. Everything is well-crafted, involving and enjoyable enough to make for a very impressive film that can be recommended to everyone except complete numbskulls. I'd almost go so far as to claim that anyone who doesn't realise the great qualities of this film must be out of his mind, but that would be just petty personal vengeance on my behalf. You see, with the way this film is so excellent, stylish and highly likeable overall, I'm afraid I've rather fallen in love with it. Well worth checking out, at any rate.

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.

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.