Let me preface this review by saying this movie is worth seeing. Theres a lot to appreciate about it so Ill start with that. The Good 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:https://anilist.co/anime/43/GhostintheShell/ Beautiful highlydetailed and technicallyimpressive animation... 220https://66.media.tumblr.com/55eec8ccbc70b23a1277f21e19cfc6e7/tumblrnieo7eqIa61r9m88fo3500.gifv A realistic and slightly somber artstyle... 220https://i.kinja.com/gawkermedia/image/upload/toriginal/1363377053873660739.gif Thoughtful mature directing... 220https://i.ur.com/i22ulAu.gif Goto... 220https://predederva.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/vlcsnap2015051722h04m28s184.png Contemplative and creative worldbuilding... 220https://i.gifer.com/UOiv.gif This scene: https://www..com/watch?v=IsMTpSDAGxM The Not So Good... I considered putting down something about the strengths of the films politicallyoriented narrative up abovesomething about how its tightly written or provocative or thoughtprovoking or thoughtful... Its hard to decide which of these things it is and isnt. Its clear that Patlabor 2s themes and morals come from a place of sincerity and vulnerability for Oshii and Id 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. Ill keep it short because this part is my most biased but I cant 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 wouldnt have a real problem with if it didnt feel like it was constantly taking itself too seriously. I wouldnt take issue with either of these changes if I felt they benefitted the movie but they dont. Patlabor 2 shunts crucial and beloved characters out of the picture to make room for longwinded 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 its being told rather than shown that it makes me wonder if maybe the movie simply didnt have the right characters to act it all out. Bringing me to reason 2: I dont think Patlabor 2 is a great movie. This movie falls into the same vein as Evangelionhttps://anilist.co/anime/30/ShinSeikiEvangelion. 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 cant maintain interest in a film that insists on peddling philosophical rants at me without providing a compelling story to back them up. Ill give this movie credit in that it provides context for Oshiis illusory peace rhetoric but it doesnt feel like the proper vehicle a documentary wouldve been more appropriate and much straighter to the point. Obviously I know this wasnt 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 its trying to be one. It brings these topics up without taking advantage of the mediums potential to explore their effect on real peoples lives or at least not to a meaningful degree. Patlabor 2s characterization is shallow and its plot is far less concerned with propelling the audiences interest forward than it is with being recognizably and painstakingly allegorical. Patlabor 2 might be hailed by some as a cinematic masterpieceIm not sure Id even call it cinematic. Its 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. Its an audacious move but one that even then was better executed by the likes of Miyazaki with movies like Nausicahttps://anilist.co/anime/572/KazenoTaninoNausica. What Im missing: cultural perspective. Maybe I cant relate to the characters or atmosphere of this movie because Im not Japanese and I havent 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 isnt for Patlabor fans. I dont know. Ironically I think the movies ending puts it the best: 220https://thumbs.gfycat.com/MetallicKindlyAmericanbitternsizerestricted.gif Summary I recommend this movie for its technical achievements but more so for those looking for a spiritual predecessor to Ghost in the Shellhttps://anilist.co/anime/43/GhostintheShell/ than for fans expecting a sequel to the first Patlabor movie. I arrived here on the heels of watching Patlabor 1https://anilist.co/anime/1095/PatlaborTheMovie/ and the Patlabor OVAhttps://anilist.co/anime/1288/MobilePolicePatlaborEarlyDays/ which are drastically different in tone and objective. A lot of my complaints are influenced by my opinion that this movie doesnt fit properly within the Patlabor franchise and certainly doesnt feel like a satisfying conclusion to it. I dont hate seeing Mamoru Oshii adapting to a new set of themes and techniquesI think it set him up really well to explore similar ideas in a universe that was much more suited to it Ghost in the Shell. Im glad it exists. However as unfair as it might be of me to say in a series that up until this point so heavily relied on and continually built upon a larger story revolving around key characters and a developing timeline I cant help but feel that something was lost by moving in such a different direction. If you like Patlabor 2 Im gladI just wish Id enjoyed it more.