Patlabor the Movie 3: WXIII : 
Ultimate Edition DVD
(aka:WXIII: Patlabor 3/ Wasted 13)
(2002)
review by Head Cheeze

Something is stirring in Tokyo Bay. Something big. Something deadly. It strikes without warning, or provocation, but there's a common thread to it's otherwise wanton destruction. The worker machines of Tokyo, the Labors, seem to draw this monster in from the depths. When detectives Kusumi (Watabiki) and Hata (Hirata) begin to unravel the mystery, one that points to military and secret agency involvement, they are told to back off. Kusumi, an old school detective so entrenched in his job that his family left him, follows his instincts, and uses his connections within the Special Vehicle Unit 2 to flesh out his case. Meanwhile, his young partner Hata becomes involved with a beautiful and mysterious scientist named Saeko (Tanaka), who has lost her daughter to cancer. Saeko's research for a cure has led to the development of the Baker's Dozen, an experimental lifeform whose immunity to the disease once promised a potential cure but is now the creature that Kusumi and Hata are trying to stop. When Kusumi gathers enough evidence to back up his beliefs as to how and why the creature does what it does, the military grudgingly offer their assistance to contain the creature before it can do any more harm.

Patlabor is a phenomenally popular series of manga, television episodes, OVA releases, and films that have been a staple of Japanese entertainment for over a decade. The series originally revolved around the exploits of the Special Vehicle Unit 2; amechanized unit of police officers who pilot Patrol Labors (hence Patlabor). The original manga and television series focused on SVU-2's battles againts criminals who had their own Labors, and usually culminated in classic 'bot fights. As the series became more popular, however, the creative teams decided to take chances with the material, creating more character driven stories. With Wasted 13, the Patlabor's take a backseat to the tried and true world of traditional detective work. As a matter of fact, the folks of SVU-2 are only in the film for a matter of minutes, and there's no sign of a Patlabor until the film's climactic battle scene. As a self-confessed Patlabor novice, I can't say I missed them, but I can imagine that this decision to create a film based in the Patlabor universe without featuring the titular characters may have been something of a letdown for fans. As for me, I totally loved it!

The animation in this film is some of the finest I've seen, and it rates high on the eye candy scale, but what really sold me on Wasted 13 was the better than average screenplay by Tori Miki. The characters in this film aren't simply there to appreciate their beautifully animated surroundings- they live and breath like you or I. Little touches like Kusumi's disdain for the compact disc, or Hata's cigarette at the film's coda are small embellishments that speak volumes when taken in context.

Wasted 13 is also a very effective monster movie, in the vein of traditional Kaiju, but with a dark and violent twist. The Baker's 13 is an oddly sympathetic creature in that while it seems to be a mindless killing machine, Saeko's relationship with the beast is a maternal one, and her protective nature actually rubs off on the viewer. I'm not saying I shed a tear at the obvious outcome, but I felt a tinge of remorse and pity, and that's the mark of a well told tale.

The Ultimate Edition DVD from Pioneer is, quite simply, superbly entertaining stuff. A three disc affair, this edition doesn't leave a stone unturned.

Disc One features the film in a gorgeous widescreen anamorphic transfer with choice of language track (Japanese or English. While I prefer the Japanese track for it's subtitled translation, the English dialogue track's 5.1 mix is more enveloping). The disc also includes a small glossary of Patlabor terms, several trailers for the film, as well as several trailers for other Pioneer releases, and talent files.

Disc Two is just too cool for words. Three episodes of MiniPato, a parody series written by Mamoru Oshii (Jinroh, Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor 1 & 2), that was created using a combination of cardboard cut-out puppetry and CGI. It's funny as hell and looks amazing, but also serves as a fantastic primer for people who aren't familiar with the Patlabor universe. Oshii's scripts combine humour and a wealth of knowledge about the world he helped to create, and is as informative as it is entertaining. This "series" was presented with Wasted 13 during it's theatrical run, and is exclusive to the Ultimate Edition set.

Disc Three is where things get downright in-depth. There are three making-of documentaries, interviews with cast and crew, an hour long radio broadcast (in Japanese, no subtitles, but presented with a slideshow of conceptual art and designs), scenes from the "pilot" version of the film from 1997, and more. This disc's first documentary covers the Patlabor story from it's first manga printing through the current film, and, along with the MiniPato shorts, fills in the gaps of continuity for the novice viewer. By the time you finish watching all three discs, you'll be a Patlabor expert!

I was really pleasantly surprised by this collection. There's not a bad thing to say about it, really, but the price ($59.98) may prove a bit on the high side for folks who aren't fans already. Pioneer has also released the film by itself (basically Disc One from the set), for a more palatable $19.99, but, if you're anything like me, once you see the film you'll want more and the Ultimate Edition really is the way to go.

It's hard to describe this collection without sounding like an absolute anime geek (which I'm not! REALLY!) but this is by far one of the best DVD sets in any genre I've seen this year. If you're even remotely familiar with the Patlabor universe, pick this set up post-haste!