AD Police Files [OVA Review]

 AD Police Files; or, Stop! An officer will shoot

     At least she died as a woman.
The weather outside is as beautiful as ever this time of the year, so it makes me all the more surprised that I found myself in the mood for some gloomy cyberpunk feels. Needless to say, I decided not to look for the most popular instances of the genre recommended on the internet, but instead I went for something more obscure. As a result, I ended up watching AD Police OVA from the year 1990.

Release Info

Directed by: Akira Nishimori Voice actors: Toshio Furukawa, Youko Matsuoka

Language: Japanese Original Title: ADポリス No. of eps: 3

Synopsis
It’s the year 2027. The advancements in the field of cybernetics allow people to replace their organs with artificial substitutes. There are also fully automated androids known as Boomers. If Boomer goes haywire and commits a crime, they are chased by the special mad criminal investigation unit known as AD Police.

Blade Running
It should be noted that AD Police is a spin-off series of the Bubblegum Crisis franchise. Actually, the title card at the beginning of each of the three OVA episodes says directly “Another Story of Bubblegum Crisis”. The events of the OVA take place before the first series of Bubblegum Crisis and indirectly focus on the cop character of Leon McNichol and his partner Gina Marceau.

With regard to AD Police,I have to say that I really like the traditional animation style because it’s really evocative of its late 80s/early 90s era. In terms of the visuals themselves and storyline themes, however, you can’t help but notice the overwhelming influence of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. AD Police grows out of the world crafted by Phillip K. Dick in which the uniqueness of human life is constantly questioned amidst hordes of androids who also have their fair share of desires, fears, and personal introspection.

That being said, I kind of regret watching this OVA primarily because of its NSFW content. With each episode, things get so adult-oriented and explicit that by the end of it, I felt as if I was watching hentai. Sure, the plot of each episode is engaging enough, but the way these are handled leaves a lot to be desired.

Allegedly, there were supposed to be more episodes of the OVA, but the studios responsible for it fell into some sort of dispute. As a result, AD Police had its continuation years later in the form of another short-lived series and a reboot OVA. People responsible for the creation of AD Police were Tony Takezaki and Suzuki Toshimitsu, who also crafted a manga called AD Police: Shuuen Toshi.

Recommendations
All things considered, AD Police Files is a product of its time when there was a huge boom on cyberpunk in the anime industry. Some franchises grew larger than life and lived to tell the tale through decades (see Akira and Ghost in the Shell) but many weren’t so lucky, including AD Police. If you want to get some entertainment value from this, I suggest you watch the whole OVA series at one go in the middle of the night and crank up the volume for the intro song and ending songs. It’s a fairly nice schlock anime experience for one time.
Overall score: 5/10

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High Risk (1995) [Film Review]

High Risk; or, Die Hard, Jackie!
     A man should rely on himself.
I think I should acknowledge this right off the bat. I would not have penned this review had it not been for a great video essay by Accented Cinema called Someone Made a Movie to Diss Jackie Chan. Evidently, the subject of the analysis is Wong Jing’s 1995 action flick High Risk with none other than Jet Li in the leading role. I remember seeing this film like 8-9 years ago, not thinking much about it then, but in view of the YouTube video, I decided to rewatch it and provide my thoughts on it.

Release Info

Directed by: Wong Jing Starring: Jet Li, Jacky Cheung, Chingmy Yau, Valerie Chow

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 鼠膽龍威 Runtime: 100 min

Synopsis
Kit Li (Jet Li) was a cop working for the Hong Kong bomb squad a couple of years ago. While trying to prevent a terrorist attack, he lost his wife and a child in a school bus explosion. Nowadays, Kit works as a bodyguard for a famous movie star, Frankie Lone (Jacky Cheung). When Frankie attends a jewellery exhibition, Kit discovers that a man at a party, calling himself the Doctor (Kelvin Wong), is the same guy behind the school bus incident. Kit rushes to action to stop the bad guys.

Stunt Meltdown
I really do not want to repeat the main points of the Accented Cinema video, so I simply encourage you to watch it. Let me just say that, in my opinion, Wong Jing wanted to make High Risk not just to diss Jackie, but out of the general bitterness over working on City Hunter (1993). The director really wanted to make a faithful anime adaptation, but production problems forced him to change the script on a daily basis. What is more, Jackie’s unfavourable comments about the project and about Wong Jing himself certainly did not alleviate the situation.

Consequently, Wong Jing was determined to make a proper action flick from start to finish, but without Jackie as the main lead. That’s why we get High Risk. It is a very entertaining movie indeed, especially in view of the fact that the plot was heavily inspired by the classic Die Hard (1988) film with Bruce Willis.

Die Hard influences are indeed visible in many sequences and exposition scenes (for instance, helicopter crash or bad guy using high-tech to get the booty), but Wong Jing manages to put his personal spin on the entire thing by throwing a whole array of toilet jokes (which do take place in toilets) and, of course, the aforementioned parody of Jackie Chan played by Jacky Cheung.

In his video, Accented Cinema states the following: “First, how do we know he's supposed to be Jackie Chan? The film seems to have trouble deciding if he's Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee. So it makes fun of both” (source). I beg to disagree on this matter. I believe Wong Jing knew perfectly what he was doing from the start. He wanted to parody Jackie, but a) the director wanted to avoid probable lawsuit for spreading bad PR about the actor, and b) Bruce Lee reference is in itself an additional diss on Jackie! One has to remember that at the very beginning of his career, Jackie used to work as a stuntman on the set of Bruce Lee movies (for instance, please refer to this short clip). Interestingly, after the untimely passing of Bruce, Jackie himself jumped on the Bruceploitation bandwagon by starring in New Fists of Fury (1976) directed by Lo Wei.

All in all, I think it is quite funny actually that Wong Jing decided to throw shade at Jackie Chan and gently highlight the fact that even such an action legend resorts to using stunt doubles. Jacky Cheung pulls off this comedic role really well, and I can’t help but express my words of appreciation for the final fight between him and Billy Chow.

Obviously, we cannot forget about the leading man, Jet Li himself. It is always so good to see this man in action, especially when the film blends kung fu showdowns with bullet ballet spectacle. His commanding presence is enough to make even a weak motion picture watchable. As of today, Jet Li is not battling onscreen baddies but health issues. I wish him all the best and I hope he is feeling better.

Last but not least, I have to compliment Wong Jing for one more thing. He may have done many schlock productions, but he always had an eye for casting beauties. In High Risk, we get to see the director’s regular- the always-great Chingmy Yau (this time playing a pesky TV reporter), the wonderful Valerie Chow as the hot-headed villainess, and Charlie Yeung as a damsel in distress. What is more, I have to give a big shout out to supporting actors: Wu Ma as the witty dad of Jacky Cheung and the late Kelvin Wong as the suave bad guy.

Recommendations
If you want to see a remix of Die Hard and have a few laughs, then I recommend High Risk. The movie is available on Amazon, Vudu, and Tubi. I hope that in the future either Eureka! or 88 Films will give this movie a proper Blu-Ray release.Overall score: 7/10

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Heroic Duo (2003) [Film Review]

Heroic Duo; or, Laiception
     There are many doors to the human brain. If you know the code, you can open them and see the secrets inside.
It was a sunny afternoon a few years ago. I was peg hunting at a local bookstore when I suddenly noticed a whole shelf with down-priced DVDs. The store was clearly trying to get rid of the titles, mainly obscure documentaries, but I managed to notice a cover with a title... “Hong Kong Cops”. I was like “What is this?” A quick look at the back revealed that this film is actually Heroic Duo, directed by the late Benny Chan, and starring Ekin Cheng, Leon Lai, and Francis Ng. I thought to myself that half a dollar for a HK flick is a good deal, so I grabbed the disc. Is Heroic Duo really worth 50 cents (or more)? Let’s find out together.

Release Info

Directed by: Benny Chan Starring: Ekin Chen, Leon Lai, Francis Ng

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 雙雄 Runtime: 100 min

Synopsis
Senior Inspector Ken Li (Ekin Chen) investigates the bizarre case of a police officer who was hypnotised to commit a crime. He consults a specialist in the matter, Professor Jack Lai (Leon Lai), who currently serves a sentence in prison. The two men with contrasting personalities have to work together in order to counteract the outrageous diamond heist orchestrated by a dangerous mobster known as Au-Yeung Hoi (Francis Ng).

Hypnotic Affairs
Judging from the synopsis, you would think that Heroic Duo has an interesting premise. Indeed, the first half of the film is quite engaging. It is quite refreshing to see Ekin Chen playing a frustrated and egocentric cop, but who still values order and justice above anything else. He and the laid-back Leon Lai have an awesome onscreen chemistry together, which is a shame to see this potential wasted in the second half of the picture.

That is to say, after an interesting heist sequence, Heroic Duo goes completely bonkers. The police (the same police who were aware of who Jack Lai is) are now convinced that Inspector Li committed the robbery, so they are chasing him. In the meantime, it turns out that Lai actually knows the main baddie, whose actions are also erratic and do not make any sense.

It seems that the scriptwriting team had a great idea for a short film, but they just kept adding layers of plot twists and action scenes, just to make this movie hit the two hour mark. I also believe that the presence of Leon Lai and Francis Ng is not without a reason. All in all, both actors were fresh after the success of the Infernal Affairs trilogy in which they played supporting roles.

Without revealing any spoilers, let me say that the bombastic finale just made me roll my eyes. The scenes are thrown at you without proper explanation, so you find yourself rewinding the film a couple of minutes backwards to make out what the heck is going on. It is almost as if you were hypnotised to misunderstand Heroic Duo… If that was the intention of the filmmakers, then congratulations. Mission accomplished.

Recommendations
All things considered, the cast is great, the beginning interesting, but the storyline gradually falls apart. I would appreciate it if the film was a standard crime thriller with Ekin Chen and Leon Lai working as partners throughout the whole thing. Additional word on the DVD release I have: Actually, the picture format is letterboxed, and for some reason, the distributor chose to convert the film into PAL system, which inevitably resulted in noticeable frame skipping here and there. I would say that Heroic Duo is not really worth half a dollar to watch.

Overall score: 5/10

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New Police Story (2004) [Film Review]

New Police Story: or, The Long Arm of the Law

     There are so many great things waiting for you. Forget the past, turn your pain into your power.
9 years after the previous Police Story instalment, Jackie Chan returns to the series with a complete remake, simply called New Police Story. Directed by Benny Chan, the movie distances itself from the previous entries due to much grittier tone and heavy violence. Is this a decent action flick or yet another refurbished old chestnut? Let’s find out together.

Release Info

Directed by: Benny Chan Starring: Jackie Chan, Nicholas Tse, Charlie Yeung, Charlene Choi

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 新警察故事 Runtime: 123 min

Synopsis
A group of five anonymous youngsters conducts a series of bank heists in Hong Kong. Apart from stealing money, they gained notoriety for violently killing police officers who rushed to the scene. Inspector Chan Kwok-wing (Jackie Chan) is sent together with a squad to track down and arrest the gang. Unfortunately, Chan’s team members fall into a trap and get killed. Chan himself barely makes it out alive. Depressed and ashamed, Chan turns to alcohol, but a transfer cop, Frankie Cheng (Nicholas Tse), suddenly appears and identifies himself as Chan’s new partner. With the help of Frank, Chan pulls himself together and begins the search for ruthless killers.

Death Wish
I clearly remember seeing New Police Story in the mid 2000s on television, but the teenager me just could not handle all the violence (the squad decimation scene). It was only 10 years later when I revisited the movie and I found it to be extremely gripping.

What I like the most about New Police Story is the change in tone. From the opening scene, we see Jackie as a fallen cop. He is no longer “Mr. Nice Guy” who gets himself in trouble only to heroically save the day. His new interpretation of a police officer is that of a vulnerable man who seeks redemption. Indeed, it is a great story arc. In addition, the plot itself about a gang of game-addicted youngsters (no longer gangsters or terrorists as in previous films) is excellent and accurately reflects the high-tech feels of the early 2000s.

In terms of action, there are lots of amazing sequences. We get a new double-decker bus chase, disarming the bomb scene, and final confrontation at a convention centre, to name but a few. Definitely, my favourite action set piece is the building wall drop. The blooper reel at the end of film clearly shows what an arduous sequence it was to shoot (without any CGI!).

With regard to disadvantages, the film tends to be a bit over-melodramatic in places. There are some moments when the viewer wants to catch a breath, but the drama just presses on. Nevertheless, there’s still some space for humour, mostly coming from the characters of Frankie (who in terms of appearance is an obvious rip-off of Detective Aoshima from Bayside Shakedown).

Speaking about performances, New Police Story serves as one of the notable examples which prove that Jackie can be not only a stuntman but also an actor. In addition, I enjoyed the light-hearted performances of Nicholas Tse as Frankie Cheng and Charlene Choi as officer Sa Sa. Charlie Yeung also gives a compelling performance as Chan’s love interest, in spite of limited screen time. Also, Yu RongGuang (who appeared in Project S (1993)) plays the supporting part of Chan’s superior.

Recommendations
All things considered, I’m very fond of New Police Story and I like coming back to it every now and then. I safely recommend it to the fans of Jackie Chan as well as enthusiasts of police drama. This movie is undoubtedly one of the strongest entries in the series. Jackie went in an entirely new direction and it paid off. Stay tuned for my review of Police Story 2013.Overall score: 8/10

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The Killer (1989) [Film Review]

The Killer; or, Tomorrow Never Came

     In this world, not everybody is untrustworthy.
Just how awesome is John Woo? The director is obviously no stranger to this blog (see my other reviews here), but I can’ get over the fact that such a visionary gets a bad rap only because of his Hollywood follies. We have already discussed Woo’s magnum opus Bullet in the Head (1990), but this time allow me to take a look at the filmmaker’s another highly acclaimed picture, The Killer (1989).

Release Info

Directed by: John Woo Starring: Chow Yun-fat, Chu Kong, Danny Lee, Kenneth Tsang

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 喋血雙雄 Runtime: 110 min

Synopsis
Ah Jong (Chow Yun-fat) is an assassin for hire. His long-time friend, Fung (Chu Kong), frequently serves as the middleman when offers are being made. During one of the assignments, Jong accidentally damages the eyes of the singer, Jennie (Sally Yeh). Guilt-ridden Jong looks after Jennie and tries to gather money necessary for her surgery. After killing a high-profile mobster, Jong is betrayed by his employers who want him dead. To make matters worse, the police detective Li Ying (Danny Lee) is on his trail as well.

Battles Without Honour
The pre-production period of The Killer was quite an ordeal for John Woo. Allegedly, Tsui Hark was convinced that Woo ruined A Better Tomorrow II (1987) and tried to fire him from his production company, Film Workshop. Whenever Woo pitched a movie idea, it was immediately rejected.

It was not until Chow Yun-fat agreed to play the lead role that the project received financing and was given a green-light. Although Tsui Hark is listed as the producer of the film in the opening credits, his actual involvement remains unconfirmed (at that time, he was already gearing up to make A Better Tomorrow III with Chow).

To put it in layman’s terms, The Killer is the quintessential John Woo flick. Action, drama, and gun violence are cranked up to the max, but each cinematic aspect serves its purpose within the story (in contrast to films made by Woo’s copycats in America). The director stated that he was influenced by such movies as Narazumono (1964), Le Samourai (1967), Mean Streets (1973). His aim was to present an image of a romantic (anti-)hero who forges a friendship with an individual at the opposite side of the law, a police officer. 

Needless to say, The Killer functions perfectly as the ultimate bromance flick. Some critics claim that the story is borderline homoerotic, but I believe this claim is too much of an exaggeration. Woo masterfully pays homage to classic tales about chivalric men joining forces to vanquish evil and perform a good deed. All of his early “bullet ballet” movies are tragic visual poems, but The Killer is the most stylised one with its gripping cinematography, outstanding settings, and vibraphone-influenced music score.

With regard to performances, Chow Yun-fat, as always, knocks it out of the park as the charismatic protagonist. Danny Lee is just as awesome as the righteous detective who eventually helps Jong. Sally Yeh is great as the damsel in distress, but she does not have much screen time. In addition, the wonderful supporting roles of Chu Kong and Kenneth Tsang cannot be forgotten. Shing Fui-on provides a standard performance of a crazy triad boss.

Recommendations
If you want to check out John Woo at the peak of his auteur style, then I recommend The Killer. My all-time favourite Woo movie will always remain Bullet in the Head, but The Killer is close second. It’s a great, fast-paced tale with lots of tears and tons of explosions. It is a steadfast progenitor of such magnificent films as Luc Besson’s La Femme Nikita (1990) and Leon: The Professional (1994). My old DVD disc from Criterion comes with a booklet essay, theatrical trailer, deleted scenes, and a commentary from John Woo and executive producer Terence Chang.Overall score: 8/10

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In the Line of Duty 4 (1989) [Film Review]

In the Life of Duty 4; or, Someone to Watch Over Me
     We can't be responsible for her emotional state. You know what, Yeung? You are too sentimental. Luk is lying there because of it. I'm beginning to doubt your ability.
After the release of In the Line of Duty 3, D&B Films Company pressed on with the action series about badass police officers by commissioning a fourth instalment with Cynthia Khan slated to return as fearless Inspector Yeung, and accompanied by young and cocky Donnie Yen. Directed by Yuen Woo-ping and produced by Stephen Shin, In the Line of Duty 4 is a classic entry in the series which provides death-defying stunts and exciting fist fights.

Release Info

Directed by: Yuen Woo-ping Starring: Cynthia Khan, Donnie Yen, Yuen Yat-chor, Michael Wong

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 皇家師姐IV直擊證人 Runtime: 94 min

Synopsis
Seattle, USA. Police officers are monitoring a Chinese drug smuggling operation. A local cop witnesses the trade in which a CIA agent takes part. He takes a photo of the agent and tries to escape, but he gets shot by the drug dealers. In his dying moment, he passes on the photo negatives to harbour worker, Luk (Yuen Yat-chor). Luk barely survives the confrontation with the dealers and, fearing for his life, he flees to Hong Kong. Considered to be a suspect who participates in the smuggling endeavour, Luk is now wanted by the police. Inspector Yeung (Cynthia Khan) and Captain Yan (Donnie Yen) are sent to Hong Kong in order to find Luk; however, they are repeatedly interrupted in their search by Captain Wong (Michael Wong).

Witness Protection
I remember seeing In the Line of Duty 4 a couple of years ago and, obviously, I found it to be extremely entertaining. My original copy must have been a rip from a laserdisc due to visible poor quality, but this week, I got my hands on the Blu-ray release and the modern remaster really gives this movie justice it deserves.

From beginning to the end, the movie is filled with bombastic action set pieces revolving around the graceful Cynthia Khan and the brass Donnie Yen. Be it a confrontation with a bloodthirsty biker, fight on top of a speeding ambulance, or sliding down the elevator shaft, all sequences crafted under the watchful eye of Yuen Woo-ping are breathtaking and definitely stand the test of time.

Some fans point out that this movie is more of a Donnie Yen vehicle, than a proper Cynthia Khan flick. Well, I tend to disagree. Both of them have many opportunities to shine in the film, and especially Cynthia seems to be at the top of her game. My favourite girl with a gun plus the leather jacket à la Indian Jones is a double win for me.

The only drawback of the movie is heavily underused Michael Wong. He appears to be a perfect fit for a suave villain, but he has very little stuff to do, apart from the final showdown with Cynthia. Interestingly, Michael also played a police officer in Royal Warriors (1986) (a.k.a. In the Line of Duty Part 1).

From the trivia, I could not help but spot an Easter Egg for Polish viewers. Namely, a Polish trawler called Antares GDY-341 “played” in the opening sequence as the drug boat. Unfortunately, the unit was decommissioned in 1991, so it can’t serve as a relic for movie fanatics like me.

 Recommendations
I highly recommend In the Line of Duty 4 for the fans of Hong Kong action flicks. Watch it for the awesome duo Cynthia Khan and Donnie Yen as well as well choreographed and well paced action that does not let go. In the Line of Duty 4 is a classic cops vs. bandits story.
Overall score: 8/10

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The Dark Soul (2018) [Film Review]

The Dark Soul (2018); or, In Search of…
     This is not some American town. It’s Asia. An Asian guy looking for another Asian guy in Asian city, that’s one thing. If I walk the streets with some big American, people are going to start talking about me, not to me.
The Dark Soul is one of the latest filmmaking endeavors from director Bey Logan and producer James Nan. A low-key mystery drama with action elements may initially seem to a boring story, but it surprisingly turns out to be a pleasant viewing experience.

Release Info

Directed by: Bey Logan Starring: Kevin Brewerton, Lang-Xing Ye, Connie Song, Bianca Stam

Language: English, Mandarin Runtime: 90 min

Synopsis
An American man called Chandler (Kevin Brewerton) arrives in China in order to find a missing person. A police officials sends him to a local contact, Dickson Lee (Lang-Xing Ye), who is supposedly an expert in such cases. The partners with contrasting dynamics have to find their way through the brutal world of an international crime syndicate. In order to catch the bad guys, they must unravel the mystery connected with independent medical facilities in China.

The Chinese Connection
The Dark Soul plays on the familiar theme of “fish out of water” which was present in The Way of the Dragon as well as A Rumble in the Bronx. However, the situation is reversed this time and we get to see a Westerner trying to get a grip in the Orient.

Intriguing storyline and nicely choreographed fight sequences directly point that this movie may be a decent Jason Statham vehicle; nevertheless, the main leads: Kevin Brewerton and Lang-Xing Ye do a great job.

The story might be confusing at first (a foreigner is looking for a Chinese guy he has never met before), but things become clearer more or less halfway through the picture. I have to admit that the plot twist reminded me a bit about Jun’ya Sato’s classic thriller from 1976 Manhunt. However, I do not intend to share any spoilers.

Apart from great performances of the main leads, I also enjoyed the supporting parts done by Connie Song (as Karen Kan, the flower shop lady) and Bianca Stam who played Mrs. Zhou, the main villainess. She had a great fight scene in the finale and I wish she could have been utilized more in the picture.

Recommendations
All things considered, The Dark Soul is a better effort than Vixen (2018). Indeed, it is engaging and enjoyable for one viewing. In addition, I appreciate the “behind the scenes” montage during the end credits. It clearly shows the passion of the crew and their hard work that went into this big project made on a relatively small budget. My thanks go to TriCoast Studios for sharing the screener. They released the film under their DarkCoast label. See the trailer below:Overall score: 7/10

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Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993) [Anime Review]

Patlabor: The Movie 2; or, Tinker, Tailor, Ingram, Spy
     The line that separates a just war from an unjust peace isn't very clear. Ever since hypocrites have made peace their just cause, we've lost faith in that peace. Just as wars give rise to peace, peace also gives rise to war. An empty, hollow "peace" that only defines itself as "not war" will eventually be replaced by something that is a state of war in all but name.
After the successful Patlabor: The Movie (1989) and Patlabor: The New Files OVA (1990-1992), Headgear decided to put the franchise to a rest with Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993) directed by the famous Mamoru Oshii. In contrast to the previous entries, the final chapter of the Patlabor series feels like an espionage thriller with philosophical ponderings about life known from Ghost in the Shell (1995). However, first and foremost, this anime feature is Oshii’s personal protest against Japanese politics.

Release Info

Directed by: Mamoru Oshii Voice actors: Yoshiko Sakakibara, Ryuusuke Oobayashi, Miina Tominaga, Toshio Furukawa

Language: Japanese Original Title: 機動警察パトレイバー2 the Movie Runtime: 108 min

Synopsis
Three years after the events from the first movie, we see that the members of SV2 Section 2 have gone their separate ways. Noa and Shinohara are now Labor testers, whereas Ota has become an instructor at the police academy, and Shinshi has been transferred to Tokyo MPD. The only people who stayed in SV2 are Hiromi Yamazaki as well as Captain Goto and Captain Nagumo. All of a sudden, the Yokohama Bay Bridge is destroyed by a military missile. This event sets into motion a domino effect which leads to a growing conflict between the Japanese government and JSDF forces. Goto and Nagumo believe that a person responsible for all this is a former UN soldier, Tsuge, who wants to stage a fake coup d’état.

All the good things…
I have to admit that I loathed reviewing this particular film because I had a really hard time understanding what exactly Mamoru Oshii tried to get across with this story. Only after rewatching the film three more times, reading a couple of online essays, and consulting fellow Patlabor fans, Oshii’s intentions became clearer to me.

Patlabor 2: The Movie, contrary to the first theatrical movie, is not an adventure story with comedy elements, but an evaluation of Japan’s participation in the Cold War. When America and the Soviet Union were putting missiles against each other and stealing vital information, Japan claimed that it was neither participating nor taking sides in the conflict. Oshii puts to the test this illusion of a peaceful nation in Patlabor 2. What is more, the existence and purpose of the Japan Self-Defense Forces seem problematic to the director. The opening sequence of the movie serves as a reference to the Cambodian incident, in the course of which two JSDF officers lost their lives. In other words, Patlabor 2 is not a story about clumsy policemen and an optimistic future, but it is about the hypocrisy of politicians who create “unjust peace.”

Oshii’s thoughtful statements uttered through the characters of Goto, Nagumo, Aragaki, and Tsuge are indeed intriguing, but they consequently slow the picture down. The director stated that a lot of action waters down the ideas conveyed in scenes, so he opted for the usage of long shots. As a result, we get a very serious and long winded movie with characters constantly talking and often doing nothing more than just sitting. These cold espionage vibes may be good for an adaptation of John Le Carre’s novel, but they do not work that well in the Patlabor world.

Interestingly, the premise of the story (former mentor of an SV2 officer trying to overthrow the government) greatly resembles the finale of Patlabor: Early Days OVA. Mamoru Oshii himself actually predicted in The Making of Patlabor 2 (1994) documentary when he stated: “So, in the third one, we’ll make an involved story and create a non Patlabor movie.” He also added that he could continue making new Patlabor stories if there were new characters and a somewhat different world  (indeed, that’s what happened with The Next Generation: Patlabor (2014) drama series).

Speaking about performances, the characters of Noa and Shinohara are a bit sidelined in this film, so do not get to her a lot from Miina Tominaga and Toshio Furukawa, respectively. However, Ryuusuke Oobayashi as Goto and Yoshiko Sakakibara as Shinobu are pushed to the foreground in this picture. I could listen to their voices all day long. There is also a great supporting part done by Naoto Takenaka.

Recommendations
All things considered, Patlabor 2: The Movie is a classic anime feature. Even though the first movie is my favourite theatrical film, I shall always regard the sequel as the final chapter of the wonderful science-fiction franchise. If you love the characters of Goto and Shinobu as much as I do, then check it out.
Overall score: 7/10

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