In Patlabor 3: WXIII, the Police Vehicles Division 2 are no longer in the spotlight, but rather play the role of supporting characters to two detectives investigating mysterious and unexplained accidents and deaths around Tokyo Bay. Kusumi, a veteran detective, and Hata, his young partner, were having difficulty with the case, until they came into contact with the culprit: a man-made creature known as Wasted 13, or WXIII. During the investigation, Hata meets, and pays visits to Saeko, a mysterious woman who might have some information regarding the case.
Disposing of the beast proves to be extremely difficult, and the Police Second Vehiclesl Division are called in.
Presentation:
4 - A well done professional look, and the DVD title screen with the biohazard symbol looks great. The only thing lacking was the chapter selection page, which wasn't there to begin with. The Patlabor WXIII I bought came with 2 disks. The first contained the movie, along with a comedic explination of little tid-bits found in Patlabor. The second disk, which I could do without, thus saving $13, were just interviews.
Animation:
5 - Excellent animtion. Some character movements are a bit choppy, but it's no big deal, really. The use of shadow, dark scenes and colours go well with the atmosphere..
Sound/Music:
5 - Kawai Kenji did a good job with this movie; the songs suite the atmoshphere and the mood. He was also responsible for the other two Patlabor movies, as well as the first Ghost in the Shell movie. Regarding the sound, there wasn't anything off during the movie's first viewing. WXIII's screech didn't sound too akward, nor unrealistic; the beast's scream was simply loud and high pitched
Plot:
5 - All Patlabor fans, being deprived of anything new for 10 years, would flock to the scene of this movie. What's disappointing is that Patlabor 3: WXIII had an interesting story going for it, however, it proved to be nothing better than average, due to the lack of detective work from Kusumi and Hata. The first Patlabor movie had a simple and easy to grasp premise, but Azuma's ongoing research kept me glued to the screen. In Patlabor 3: WXIII, Kusumi and Hata didn't get frustrated, nor had to do some arduous detective work; the chain of events, and easily found clues brought the entire movie down..
Lasting Appeal:
3 - Mysteries are good if you like the detective work and feelings of anticipation. However, it is difficult to keep the feelings of anticipation in a viewer who has already seen the film, since they already know what is to happen. Taking that into consideration, Patlabor 3: WXIII would have little lasting appeal since the detectives in this movie do not do much detective work. The comedic bonus: MiniPato saves this DVD..
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Last Comments:
The first impressions of the movie were generally content. Seeing Azuma, Noa, and Captain Goto appear briefly for a few scenes gave me a few smirks (especially considering they don't make many appearances in this movie), but in retrospect, I started to feel more and more disappointed. I found the English Dub for the first Patlabor movie to be perfect. However, being that it's difficult to find the same voice actors over a decade later, I'd expect the voices to change, and I could be open to disappointment. It's just that, Captain Goto usually participates in meetings and off duty conversations with people to discuss plans, motifs, investigative reports, and so on, but the appearances Goto makes in these movie aren't quite that important in advancing the plot, and cringing at the noticably different voice doesn't help.
It's difficult to decide whether or not this anime is worth the buy. For real Patlabor fans, you'll be disappointed the movie makes use of the Patlabor world rather than the Patlabor crew to tell its story. For those who like the pace of Patlabor, you might find the movie entertaining. Like previous Patlabor movies, WXIII lacks in action, but is rich in plot. The scenese to make note of are the two encounters with the monster, while the second encounter is the only time a biggish robot is present. As such, mecha fans who have stayed far away from Patlabor should find a safe radius from WXIII. If you like a nice mystery film, give Patlabor WXIII a shot. Even though there are many mystery animes out there, WXIII isn't that bad, and if you like Patlabor, all the better.
If you do decide to make the purchase, make sure it comes with the bonus MiniPato, which is a hilarious CG 3D 3-episode patlabor short where members from the Special Vehicles Division 2 try to explain concepts and the like. It's a definate must for big Patlabor Fans, and those who are just venturing into the Patlabor World, they talk about the Patrol Labor's weapon of choice: The Revolver Cannon; Patlabor as a mecha anime; and the Goby. .
