PATLABOR 2: MOBILE POLICE FORCE

PATLABOR 2: MOBILE POLICE FORCE (Kidô keisatsu patoreibaa 2). Mamoru Oshii, dir. Bandai Visual and Tôhokushinsha, 1989. Japan: Manga Entertainment, 1996; Manga Video, 2000. 108 min. Limited theatrical release.

Sequel to PATLABOR [1], 1995 (KIDÔ KEISATSU PATOREIBAA, 1989).

Animation from the makers of the anime GHOST IN THE SHELL (q.v.), sequel to PATLABOR. According to Dan Persons in a rev. in Cinefantastique (28.1 [Aug. 1996]: 48), features "Labors, giant human-driven robots" that "perform humanity's grunt work, and Patlabors: Patrol Labors, "the police force that keeps the other guys in line." Where Patlabor had the "rather implausible threat of a computer virus and an imminent typhoon," P2 deals with "a Japan under siege by those who wish to see the nation return to more militaristic traditions." Cf. P. K. Dick's "leadies" in such stories as "The Defenders" (q.v. under Fiction).

Discussed in detail in Christopher Bolton's "The Mecha's Blind Spot: Patlabor 2 and the Phenomenology of Anime, with Patlabor 2 in italics.

Maly? RDE, completing, 1June19