Directed by Mamoru Oshii, Patlabor 2 confidently exhibits many attributes that would come to be seen as defining characteristics of his work with the release of Ghost in the Shell:
I considered putting down something about the strengths of the film's politically-oriented narrative up above—something about how it's "tightly written," or provocative, or thought-provoking, or thoughtful...
It's hard to decide which of these things it is and isn't. It's clear that Patlabor 2's themes and morals come from a place of sincerity and vulnerability for Oshii, and I'd like to judge the film solely based on their merit, but a number of things make this difficult. First among them is my opinion on the film as a Patlabor movie.
I'll keep it short because this part is my most biased, but I can't help but be disappointed in how this movie handles the rest of the franchise. The main cast is almost entirely absent, meaning the colorful character interactions which had previously been one of the main features of every past installment are also gone. The series' trademark tonal balancing act between moments of absurd humor and quiet, poignant periods of reflection is abandoned in favor of a more "focused," more "grounded," more "serious" approach.
Which, even as the "prejudiced fan" that I am, I wouldn't have a real problem with if it didn't feel like it was constantly taking itself too seriously. I wouldn't take issue with either of these changes if I felt they benefitted the movie, but they don't. Patlabor 2 shunts crucial and beloved characters out of the picture to make room for long-winded monologues that hurt both its pacing and storytelling. In a case like this, you would assume the intent is to cut out bloat, but so much feels like it's being told rather than shown that it makes me wonder if, maybe, the movie simply didn't have the right characters to act it all out.
__Bringing me to reason #2: I don't think Patlabor 2 is a great _movie.___
This movie falls into the same vein as Evangelion. I appreciate both for how sincerely and effectively they relate the views and feelings of their respective directors, but they do so at the expense of the narrative. Personally, I can't maintain interest in a film that insists on peddling philosophical rants at me without providing a compelling story to back them up. I'll give this movie credit in that it provides context for Oshii's "illusory peace" rhetoric, but it doesn't feel like the proper vehicle; a documentary would've been more appropriate, and much straighter to the point.
Obviously, I know this wasn't an option for Oshii and his team, and I know the goal was to frame troubling events and ideas within a fictional world that would make them easier to grasp and dissect, but I say this because it feels like it's trying to be one. It brings these topics up without taking advantage of the medium's potential to explore their effect on real people's lives, or at least not to a meaningful degree. Patlabor 2's characterization is shallow, and its plot is far less concerned with propelling the audience's interest forward than it is with being recognizably and painstakingly allegorical.
Patlabor 2 might be hailed by some as a cinematic masterpiece—I'm not sure I'd even call it “cinematic.” It’s primary achievement is not in communicating a particularly profound political viewpoint through an engaging story that contextualizes it well, but the fact that it made a political statement in a medium where, at the time, doing so to such an obvious degree was unheard of. It's an audacious move, but one that, even then, was better executed by the likes of Miyazaki with movies like Nausicaä.
What I'm missing: cultural perspective.
Maybe I can't relate to the characters or atmosphere of this movie because I'm not Japanese, and I haven't lived through whatever experiences would make this movie feel more familiar or impactful. Maybe my definition of what makes a movie interesting is too narrow. Maybe this movie isn't for Patlabor fans. I don't know. Ironically, I think the movie's ending puts it the best:
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