It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Mamoru Oshii is a name best known in the "anime world" for his work as director in Ghost in the Shell. Ghost in the Shell is a fabulous movie. It's beautifully animated. There are long, beautiful pans of demonic cityscapes set to the haunting score composed by Kenji Kawaii. There are complex, philosophical problems that trouble the two protagonists on a personal level, whom seem to have some sort of unresolved sexual tension going on. There is a heavy, intricate plot, that while puzzling at first, eventually is resolved through brilliant detective work. And the end, all the culminated tension violently explodes on-screen. Now let me tell you about Patlabor 2. It's beautifully animated. There are long, beautiful pans of demonic cityscapes set to the haunting score composed by Kenji Kawaii. There are complex, philosophical problems that trouble the two protagonists on a personal level, whom seem to have some sort of unresolved sexual tension going on. There is a heavy, intricate plot, that while puzzling at first, eventually is resolved through brilliant detective work. And the end, all the culminated tension violently explodes on-screen. That's right, this Patlabor movie is the exact same movie as Ghost in the Shell, or pretty much any Oshii film I've seen (other than the Sky Crawlers, which was atrocious). But I give it a perfect 10... why is that? Because it is flawless. There is nothing wrong with this film. The characters are beautifully written, the plot is, though confusing, complex and laden with important social issues that were not only issues for Japan in the early 90s, but issues that people in the US today. I don't really want to give too much away, but you'll see what I mean. And then there's Arakawa, who is a brilliant character and fit right in with the atmosphere of the movie. If there is one word to describe this movie it is "atmospheric". You should expect no less from the guy who directed Ghost in the Shell, right? Yet I feel in some ways this movie is superior to GITS. All the characters here are involving (I've only seen the first two Patlabor movies), whereas the characters in Ghost in the Shell are well-developed, but cold and stoic. In Patlabor 2, the characters are not warm or fuzzy, but are realistic realists. They're brilliant. If there was any problem with this film its that it is very very dialog heavy. If you don't pay attention to what the characters are saying, you're left out of the loop. But you will pay attention, because what they say is just so engaging. Remember the old adage, 'show don't tell'? Well forget it. Go watch Patlabor 2.

Mamoru Oshii's "Ghost in the Shell" got all the hype, but his earlier film, "Patlabor 2," is by far the more mature, artistically successful film. This is anime at its finest - sharply detailed artwork, superb animation, and a story that WILL hook you.Disguised as a Tom Clancyesqe techno-thriller, Patlabor 2 is actually a knowing, often cynical examination of global politics. The film at times resembles a surreal CNN report...if it were scripted by Noam Chomsky and directed by Alfred Hitchcock! What does that mean? First, the symbolic visuals are beguiling and plentiful. I would suggest you first view either "Psycho" or the "The Birds" and then Watch the Birdie in "Patlabor 2".Patlabor 2 is a beautiful film. There are many stunning, surreal cityscapes that recall "Blade Runner." These scenes are accompanied by Keiji Kawai's meditative, haunting score. But the film's greatest impact is its disturbing plausibility. There may be giant robot police patrolling the streets of Tokyo, but the patterns of infrastructure and the chaos that breaks out when it breaks down seem all too real.I give this anime my highest recommendation and I would especially recommend it to those who are either unfamiliar with Japanese anime or perhaps think animation is not a "serious" artistic medium. (This film will set them straight). Due to it's highly dense dialogue, I would recommend the dubbed version (unless you're fluent in Japanese or just prefer subtitles). The dubbing job is superbly acted and well-timed, preserving the original script's dramatic pauses and moments of silence.

This is a fine example of what Japanese animation can produce at its best. The style of this movie strongly reminds me of a Tom Clancy novel, which is unusual for anime. At the beginning I was a little put off by the slow pace of the movie, but as the story unfolded, I was sucked in by its complexity and realism. Indeed, the conflict and the political games between the government, the army and the police are so well constructed that I thought "this could *really* happen!"If you liked this movie you should try to see "Jin-roh". There's the same kind of political and military intrigue but the story is more personal and close to the action than the high-circle strategy atmosphere which permeates Patlabor 2.

The first time I heard of this japanese anime films I was very sceptic. I thought they are stupid little movies mostly contain erotic scenes. But I changed my mind after seeing this great anime, it has a more complex story than many of the Hollywood productions. Perhaps this also could be a problem, because you have to concentrate on the movie. Somethimes it is really hard to understand all the political maneuvers and the philosophic dialogues. But this movie is worth to look twice or even more times, also the animations are really great. Forgett this stupid Walt Disney style If you have seen a anime one time you will love it!It is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen so 10 points of 10