Patlabor 2

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic--an animation masterpiece
Review: A suspenseful, thought-provoking, techno-thriller that just happens to be animated. Is that possible? Of course--Patlabor 2 is the proof. It is a giant-robot movie in appearance only--it scraps the machines and confronts bigger issues--Japan's security, the end of the Cold War, and the true nature of war and peace. Not much action, but that factor is no turn-off. The animation is nothing short of incredible, and the music and writing are brilliant. The whole package is way above average. Not for the short attention span crowd or the T&A crowd--this is a "thinking man's" animated film. Excellent job from Oshii-san and the Production IG crew. See it.

Rating:
Summary: Patlabor 2 Started my anime habit
Review: Combining beautiful images with suspense similar to that of Seven Days in May, it is not to be missed. The image of the Japanese Self-Defense Force deploying into Tokyo while snow falls softly is what first grabbed my attention - and it is both preceded and followed by fascinating and beautiful scenes. The plot isn't bad, either, with the Police trying to unravel a plot before a military coup becomes irreversible.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing animation, but where are the Labors?
Review: Finally I saw this one , and I liked it, but I have to say that I don't think it's superior to the first movie (see review), as it is generally believed. The good things first: I am really jealous of the reviewer that could see Patlabor 2 in a theatre, because it really begs for the big screen: the animation is actually some of the best I ever saw ! The animation team, aided by Oshi's ever-original directorial choices, has really done visual wonders, with the most detailed drawings you're likely to find: both the backgrounds (city streets, landscapes etc.) and the "machines" (planes , helicopters, weapons and so on) are flawless. All this is wrapped in gorgeous colors and incredibly life-like animation. Really, some scenes left me wordless: the bombing of the Bay Bridge and the final helicopter attack on the city are the ones that more readily come to mind. The problems come with the plot. In the first Patlabor movie, the writer (Headgear, which wrote this one , too) actually conceiveda nicely balanced plot, where an ambitious, sometimes philosophical story had a steady pace and a good amount of action scenes. This one is a very complex multi-plot that involves terrorism, US-Japan troubled relationships, and the concept of urban collapse, but the whole thing remains very murky for most of the movie, only to find a resolution (of sorts) in the last 5 minutes. Anyway, this is not intended to be a mind-numbing shoot&kill feast, so it could be okay, if not exactly exciting, except for the fact that in a movie called "Patlabor 2" you expect the Labors to be onscreen, sometimes. Here, basically, they're seen 3 times: in a good initial action scene, in a scene where some of them are destroyed by an helicopter in a hangar (they don't move) , and in the final fight (a pretty lame one, if you ask me). A delight for the eyes , so , but Patlabor 1, while not visually inferior, was much more satisfying.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing animation, but where are the Labors?
Review: Finally I saw this one , and I liked it, but I have to say thatI don't think it's superior to the first movie (see review), as it is generally believed. The good things first: I am really jealous of the reviewer that could see Patlabor 2 in a theatre, because it really begs for the big screen: the animation is actually some of the best I ever saw ! The animation team, aided by Oshi's ever-original directorial choices, has really done visual wonders, with the most detailed drawings you'relikely to find: both the backgrounds (city streets, landscapes etc.) and the "machines" (planes , helicopters, weapons and so on) are flawless. All this is wrapped in gorgeous colors and incredibly life-like animation. Really, some scenes left me wordless: the bombing of the Bay Bridgeand the final helicopter attack on the city are the ones that more readily come to mind. The problems come with the plot. In the first Patlabor movie, the writer (Headgear, which wrote this one , too) actually conceiveda nicely balanced plot, where an ambitious, sometimes philosophical story had a steady pace and a good amount of action scenes. This one is a very complex multi-plot that involves terrorism, US-Japan troubled relationships, and the concept of urbancollapse, but the whole thing remains very murky for most of the movie, only to find a resolution (of sorts) in the last 5 minutes. Anyway, this is not intended to be a mind-numbing shoot&kill feast, so it could be okay, if not exactly exciting, except for the fact that in a movie called "Patlabor 2" you expect the Labors to be onscreen, sometimes. Here, basically, they're seen 3 times: in a good initial action scene, in a scene where some of them are destroyed by an helicopter in a hangar (they don't move) , and in the final fight (a pretty lame one, if you ask me). A delight for the eyes , so , but Patlabor 1, while not visually inferior, was much more satisfying.

Rating:
Summary: A great anime with an intense storyline
Review: For once, a serious anime for mature adults. Political intrigue and conspiracy issues comes across expertly as an incredible intelligent and thought provoking film. This anime movie is what anime is supposed to be. Don't believe the myth that anime on the whole is sophisticated. Just cause it's respected in Japan doesn't mean they'd produce more mature entertainment in animated form. Patlabor 2 is different from the norm in anime. Patlabor 2 is about human nature and how predictable people can be when their fears are exploited in the right way. Nice small character bits and their relationships are done well also. Pacing so well done, you'll be at the edge of your seat the whole way. Patlabor 2 is a great movie.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Chapter in the Continuing Saga of "Patlabor"
Review: Having been introduced to and exceedingly impressed by "Patlabor" through the series' first feature release, I was eager to procure for myself its second: "Patlabor the Movie 2". Directed by Mamoru Oshii (infamous for his work with "Ghost in the Shell"), the second "Patlabor" film manages to be even more outstanding than the first, with greater detail of animation and fluidity of character, and outfitted with a gorgeous--albeit somewhat "functional"--soundtrack. Presuming that the viewers are already familiar with the colorful, vaguely-misfit characters of the Special Vehicles Division 2, admittedly there is not much interaction between them to flesh out their personalities and their relationships with one another; yet that is almost unimportant. "Patlabor 2" is a techno-thriller of the highest caliber, a "What if?" that scrutinizes honestly the possibilities that rocky political circumstances could unravel today: it is a frightening film in its realism. However, being "Patlabor", there are moments of lightheartedness and humor as well, and a few very profound scenes that wrap up loose ends from the +300-episode TV series nicely. While the film focuses primarily on Captain Nagumo and her relationship with her former teacher (who was also her lover), who now has become SVD's most wanted terrorist, Noah, Azuma Shinohara, and all the others of the Mobile Police appear to help resolve the conflict in the end. While it is true that there is less action in this anime than some others, much of the beauty of this film comes from its languid, dreamy screen shots that so gracefully meld into exquisite, edgy cityscapes and artistic environmental punctuations. (I daresay people who find this movie "boring" simply from its pacing are unwilling or unable to exercise their minds to comprehend anything beyond the rapid-fire scene sequences they are accustomed to.) "Patlabor 2" is a beautiful, intelligent film, precisely written and driven by universal motivation of character; and unlike many anime films nowadays, there is very little content to it that parents might find objectionable for their children, aside from some language and more mature political themes. In my opinion--and judging from what the majority of reviewers have written here--it's an instant anime classic.

Rating:
Summary: Patlabor 2 is TERRIBLE
Review: I have seen good anime, and this is not one of them. I agree that pointless violence is not a good thing in a movie, but this movie doesn't even move. It might as well be a series of still frames with talking dubbed over it. There's a scene near the end where the captain is talking with an ex-terrorist, and he has his back to the camera the whole time so they didn't even have to animate that. I'm not saying that I expect destruction and gore, but they could at least move around a little. They could at least go for a walk or something while they talk, instead of just showing one frame of animation for ten minutes while two people talk about war. This was one of the most boring movies I've ever seen. I must admit that it had more of a point than the first one though.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most intelligent films, or anime, I've ever seen.
Review: I rented Patlabor 2 at first because I was looking for Japanese anime with cool looking robots and lots of action. But this was not a typical robot flick. Something totally different. To put it simply, it's more of a Drama with Robots than anything else.

In the story, which is set couple of years from now, the robots, or "labors", are very much everyday tools. They are just like cars or helicopters that we see everyday. And the way people casually treat these labors in the film, further stresses the idea that they are just everyday tools, not super robots that transform and shoot laser beams. Because of such setting, I found myself following the storyline, as oppose to waiting for robot fight sequences.

And as the film went on, I was so memerized with the storyline that I wasn't even thinking about robots. The story felt like classic detective thriller in many ways. It even felt somewhat philosophical at times. What also helps this film create such experience is the music and cinematography.

The original score is very subtle yet quite hypnotic. I thought its melodramatic feeling goes well together with such intelligent story.

The cinematography (the way film was shot, or drawn in this case) is so much like a real film that it is amazing. There are few-minute sequences where they just show the scenery of streets of Japan with subtle music playing in the background, those are just breathtaking.

Because of these qualities, I think this is a movie that a more mature audience can appreciate, rather than younger kids. But if anyone wants to experience totally different film, especially an anime, this is it. I've constantly refered to this movie as "film" rather than cartoon or anime because that's what it felt like to me. A very intelligent film.

One more thing, Patlabor2 is directed by Mamoru Oshii and music by Kenji Kawai, who contributed same efforts on the film "Ghost in the Shell", another great Japanese anime known to many people.

Rating:
Summary: Better Than the First
Review: I thought that the first installment was the pinnacle of anime, then I saw Patlabor 2. The animation is as crisp, and the music is as stirring. The story takes place a few years after the first film, and finds the members of the team farmed out to new police units. However, a war is brewing, and it's up to the Labor team to avert it and save the day! If you enjoyed the first movie, you're sure to enjoy Patlabor 2.

Rating:
Summary: The rare sequel that's superior to the original.
Review: I was fortunate enough to first see this movie on the big screen (in an indie house in Los Angeles), and having seen it as such can safely say that this really a movie that is best enjoyed in a theater. This is certainly NOT to say that the home video versions don't do the film justice---they definitely do. Even the English-language dubbing is first-rate, which is something that unfortunately can be said of few English versions of anime. But the grand scope of the giant-robot dominated universe of Japanese animation can only be truly appreciated on the movie screen...because as the American "Godzilla" (of all films) said, "Size DOES Matter"...just ask anyone who's seen "Akira" or "Ghost In The Shell" in the theater. Big or small screen, see or get this flick, and "Patlabor 1" while you're at it.