I started watching this not expecting too much. I was very pleased when the story turned out to be very tense and the characters quite believable. It was at all time a very entertaining movie, the score consisting of various types of acoustical underlay blended in harmonically with the visual art. Even though the animations look a little aged, they still did not disappoint me. I liked the high degree of details that was put into almost everything. I was surprised several times of the awesomeness, for instance when the rescue-team reaches the arc that lays in the dark. The atmosphere of that particular scene reminded me strongly of "Alien" which is also a very good movie I might add). There were some humorous parts as well that nicely rounded the mood of an otherwise sinister animemovie which I have to consider one of the best ones I've seen. I recommend it to everyone who in the slightest likes anime 9/10

It's the year 1999, the world we live in has Labors(human operated robot carriers) used for construction and giving mankind an easier living style. After The suicide of a mysterious man from the massive constructing Babylon Project a computer virus was created to infect the Labors. And make them cause havoc on their own free will. Which leads to Section 2 of the Patlabor team in investigating this incident. Before the Tokyo district faces it's destruction.I first saw this movie back in 2005, and it imminently got me into the franchise. Which I had no idea it existed before. Compared to the popular TV series. This movie has all the characters we all recognized and know. Only the theme to this movie is more serious than the theme of the TV show. In other words more seriousness and less comedy.But that didn't change the plot a bit. As the movie does have some great and believable moments in it, that make you forget it's animated. Plus it's directed by Masumo Oshii who was one of the dudes who made this franchise possible. And really knows how to make it the way it should.If you like a unique Sci-Fi anime or interested in seeing something new. Patlabor the Movie has been highly recommended by various websites. It's enjoyable even if you don't know the series.

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!

Isaac Asimov meets Akira in this detective-oriented science-fiction Japanese Manga film. Set in the near-future, Tokyo is undergoing a huge re-development program: old suburbs are being demolished and man-made islands are being constructed in Tokyo Bay. Most of the work is being done by giant man-operated robots called Labors. Labors are prone to go out of control and cause chaos, so units of the Police force have been set up to deal with them. These units, divided into squadrons, also use giant robots to tackle the out-of-control Labors. Asuma Shinohara is a sergeant in Second Squadron, who discovers that the crazy behaviour of the Labors is due to a bug in their operating system which was deliberately put in by Eiichi Hoba, the OS programmer. Hoba has since committed suicide confidant that his plan to destroy Tokyo will take effect...Patlabor is typical Manga with plenty of action and violence, but also a good deal of appeal and characters. These range from Asuma, quick-tempered and insubordinate, but a good detective; Captain Goto, the quietly manipulative commanding officer; and Officer Noa Izumi, Asuma's long-suffering, child-like colleague-cum-girlfriend, who ultimately saves the day.