Anime. The Third Chapter of Platlabor Saga
di Brad Marsh

Although once more produced by Production IG it was a little disappointing at first to find out that the third movie in the Patlabor series was not directed by Mamoru Oshii ( Patlabor 1 and 2, Ghost in the Shell). This however was a short lived disappointment as the director Fumihiko Takayama (Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket) has executed the film in what can only describe as a typical Oshii style. As with the last two movies in the Patlabor series Wasted XIII is set in a futuristic Tokyo city that seems to be caught in an architectural limbo that adds an air of possibility and connection to the viewer that almost shouts at a not so distant possibility.

The story centers around two detectives who are investigating the strange attacks on Labors in Tokyo bay and the reasons for them. From this point on the story takes a dark turn, although to say that it was light a cheery at the beginning would be a lie but believe me it gets darker. It is interesting in the fact that it could be seen to be following two distinct story lines in parallel, one for each detective you might say. On one side there is the murky world of political and military cover-ups and on the other a tragic tale of a mother whom has lost her only child. Both stories seem to blend into one another creating a grim outlook for the future that has been a hallmark of the Patlabor series to date. One of the most interesting things about this film, over and above the others, is that while the misguided military mindset laid out the path is was a mothers sense of loss and grief that created a monster.

Unlike the last two films in the Patlabor series this one does not have the heavy handed political message which in some ways is defiantly a Daily. However it still maintains a solid and interesting insight into the minds of antagonist and the protagonists. Nothing in the movies is ever clear cut and the grey area leaves the viewers with a lot of run to view both sides of a situation and allow them to decide who is right. While the story line is not as deep as the predecessor films and can occasionally be predicable Wasted XIII is defiantly worth the effort of tracking down a copy to watch. This film had a lot to live up to after and massive success of the last two films in the series and it would be hard to say that is has fallen short of that mark. .

june 3rd 2004