Eventually, this article series will get into the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise and my complicated feelings upon it. The ambiance and small moments of Eva are tremendously compelling, however, I’ve always felt the story is childishly creepy. The sexuality of a young character can be explored without garish and exploitative poses for the female characters. Still, the world of Eva is undeniably compelling and that’s exactly where my interest in Patlabor comes in. In his book, “Kaiju for Hipsters: 101 Alternative Giant Monster Movies,” Kevin Derendorf recommends today’s movie WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3 (2002). His description of the series and the film had elements of Evangelion but tackled from a more adult-oriented worldview. Derendorf’s book is essential reading as he has delivered an amazing recommendation.
WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3 is a film that takes place within the Patlabor franchise….that barely takes features any of the series titular characters. Patlabor is a Mecha franchise that features mechanized police robots that deal with crime in a futuristic city. The series follows one specific division of Patlabor and they are brought in for the final act of the movie in question. Everything else you can pick up through watching the film itself. The film is essentially a standalone side story. This is the first time I’ve experienced the world of Patlabor and I will definitely be exploring it more.
The film’s plot involves a duo of detectives who are investigating a series of graphic murders happening near Tokyo bay. We learn that a giant tadpole-like Kaiju is behind the murders and it has mysterious origins. This is where the Patlabors come in: they are tasked with assisting the military in taking out this strange beast. The real meat of the story comes from the way that it intricately deals with the creature’s origins and the real emotional heft the story carries. There are elements reminiscent of Godzilla vs. Biollante with a pharmaceutical company combining mysterious cells with those of a deceased human being. However, unlike the more spiritual elements of Biollante, WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3 uses harsh dispassionate science. The cells used to create the monster are cancerous. the same cancer that killed the daughter of the scientist who created it. Unlike the kind heart and soul of Biollante, the beast created from the cancerous cells retains no traces of the deceased daughter. This creates a supreme sense of melancholy that resonates throughout the film. The idea of grief morphing you forever and how it can destroy all aspects of your life.
The film takes itself incredibly seriously. The story is not without moments of comedy, but those elements are not the focus. The storytelling is done in some very unique ways and opts to show you rather than deliver immense bouts of exposition. The best implementation of this occurs during the detective’s investigation. Instead of listening to an interrogation you are delivered multiple sequences without dialog. You have an outstanding musical score by Kenji Kawai that accompanies these scenes. The moments of anime that always hit me the hardest are the static sequences that capture the environment. The aforementioned Neon Genesis Evangelion does this exceedingly well and Patlabor manages to get that same level of ambiance combined with a more adult storyline. These moments help to capture the frustration of a stunted investigation and slyly set up venues that will appear later in the film. The attention to detail is what makes this such a worthwhile film.
The titular Patlabors are not brought into the fray until very late in the film and their inclusion feels very natural. At its heart, this is a police procedural and the Patlabors act as the Swat team that appears during the finale. The kaiju of the film resembles the first form Godzilla takes in Shin Godzilla. It is tadpole-like but it features a sadistic hunger. The sequences where the creature wreaks havoc brings to mind Attack on Titan as the humans are eaten in terrifying sequences. Whenever it appears you are on the edge of your seat in some truly exquisite moments of tension. WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3 is a fantastic monster movie. It features a fascinating plot, layered characters, and great monster action. Even if you have no familiarity with the Patlabor series this is a must-see.
