PATLABOR 3 – The Movie: Wasted 13

Well, Mamoru Oshii did not direct this one. But dark, melancholic overtones are still here. And it is raining all the time.

PATLABOR 3 could be classified as thriller/horror/drama with equal percentages of those three. With superb plot, and action flow in manner of classic detective films, it does not resemble conventional ‘anime type’ creation. Also, focus of the story is not on labor units, as in previous movies or manga, but on police investigation of unusual incidents happening in Tokyo Bay. Detectives Takeshi Kusumi (a veteran: calm, experienced, wise, doesn’t like CDs) and Shiniciro Hata (completely opposite, of course) both with their own methods unravel the mystery of the monster: thirteenth specimen in bio-engineering research of Toto Laboratory. Reaching the level of mastery at this point, story leads us through interlaced occurencies and events that fit perfectly into mosaic of government operations, corruption and death. At the centre of it all is a scientist and college professor Saeko Misaki, wonderfully created character, in all her quiet sadness and secrecy, walking towards the tragic end, which is somehow expected…

Mr. Masami Yuuki ’s story ends in a classic showdown between the monster and PATLABOR Units (finally appearing!) after ingeniously devised plan by detective Kusumi. And that is the weakest point of the film: the plan is really too genious, somehow doesn’t fit the profile of the old policeman. Or even Sherlock Holmes, for that matter. The strongest must be an ability of the writer to converge in the end two paralel stories: one, of the hunt for the Tokyo Bay creature; other, personal, story of faiths and losses, loneliness and betrayals. With the subplot about government planning and executing the forsaken project, we get dense hundred minutes backed by solid story and characteristic PATLABOR atmosphere.

There is no need to mention animation style, music and character design since they are standard PATLABOR series issue. At the end of the film, I felt like I hadn’t been watching an anime creation, but real human-acted movie. Not that the story is realistic, but characters truly are. And somehow, I was moved by Ms. Misaki’s motives for her actions.
Although PATLABOR 3 :Wasted Thirteen is very different than previous two editions, it is warmly recommended as being unusual, in it’s own way original, and certainly entertaining. In it’s own way.