The middle film in a trio of standalone motion pictures in the Patlabor franchise, which also includes a TV series and direct-to-video releases, Mamoru Oshii's Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993) is a complicated political thriller set in Tokyo—where Labors, i.e. robots, are used in construction and crime fighting—that mines a rich vein with its conspiratorial tale touching on Japan's constitutionally-backed absence of a standing army and U.S. fears regarding Asian rim countries with nuclear capabilities. The story kicks off with a terrorist attack on a bridge that leads to an investigation pairing two police commandeers in the Special Vehicles Section of the Tokyo PD—one male, one female, neither seeing eye-to-eye—as they track a shadowy figure named Tsuge, a renegade officer with the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Tensions between the Tokyo PD and the JSDF escalate as more acts of terrorism occur, leading to a martial law crackdown and a high-powered finale involving gas-laden dirigibles in the Tokyo skies as Labors are sent into battle to stop what appears to be an attempt to trigger all-out war. Boasting a fine digitally remastered picture and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound on both the original Japanese and English-dubbed versions, Patlabor 2: The Movie—rated 10-up—is also available in a two-disc “limited collector's edition” boxed set, priced at $89.99, which features 42 minutes worth of interviews (circa 1993-94)—on character design, CG work, shooting, etc.—as well as the complete storyboards in a handsome paperback and a 144-page glossy “archive” book full of background history and images. Although Patlabor 2 shows its age a bit in the animation, it remains a key work from pivotal director Oshii (Ghost in the Shell). Definitely recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)
Patlabor 2: The Movie
(1993) 104 min. DVD: $29.99. Bandai Visual/Image Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 21, Issue 5
Patlabor 2: The Movie
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