The WINNERS of our
GIVEAWAY of the
Limited Collector's Edition packages of Patlabor: The Movie
(valued at over $80 US each) are:
mbalson (Mark Balson) They have been contacted and we will send out the set as soon as we have a postal address from them. Thanks to all for participating! |
(aka 'Kidô keisatsu patorebâ: The Movie' or Patlabor 1")
Directed by
Mamoru Oshii
Japan 1990
"Patlabor The Movie"
is set at the dawn of the millennium in Tokyo. Advanced robotic vehicles called
Labors are used heavily to rebuild the city after a massive earthquake. A
maverick team from the Metropolitan Police led by Ki'ichi Gotoh and Shinobu
Nagumo must uncover a devilish scheme to infect Tokyo's 8,000 strong force of
Labors with a computer virus. As a powerful typhoon approaches Tokyo and a dead
man's revenge begins to take full effect, the team faces a seemingly impossible
task: destroy the symbol and spearhead of Tokyo's redevelopment before 8,000
Labors go berserk!
***
This stylish science fiction detective story bears the stamp of Mamoru Oshii,
who would later direct
Ghost in the Shell. Labors are gigantic robots used for everything from
construction work to law enforcement, but a massive land-reclamation project in
Tokyo Bay is threatened by robots going on unexplained rampages. Patlabor cops
Noah Izumi and Azuma Shinohara are called in to investigate, and soon find
themselves trying to decipher the apocalyptic visions of E. Hoba, who wrote the
operating system for the Labor robots, then committed suicide. Hoba introduced a
virus into the software that could affect robots all over world and cause
unparalleled destruction. In abandoned slum apartments and high-tech
construction sites, he left clues about what he was doing--and why. But are
Noah, Azuma, and their friends clever enough to second-guess a genius? And will
their superiors accept their conclusions? The first Patlabor feature has
a darker tone than the previous OVA series, which Oshii also directed. A
powerful tale of the dangers of over reliance on technology, Patlabor is far
superior to ordinary mecha features.
Marketing
Theatrical Release: 1990 - Tokyo
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Image Entertainment (Limited Collector's Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC
DVD Box Cover |
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Distribution | Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC | |
Runtime | 1:38:54 | |
Video | 1.78:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 8.57 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate: |
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Audio | Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1) | |
Subtitles | English, None | |
Features |
Release Information:
Edition Details: • Trailer
and TV commercials |
Comments: |
Firstly, this is the heaviest DVD package I have ever seen with the two, fairly extensive, books taking up the bulk of the boxset. The two DVDs are nicely laid out in a book-style case. The image on this Limited Collector's Edition may not be as pristine as some anime we have seen in recent years but this was made in the infancy of the genre and the quality is really a function of its more rudimentary creation roots. Prefacing with that, it still looks quite acceptable - progressive, anamorphic, bright colors and strong detail. I don't see any signs of digital manipulation. I suspect the DVD image is an excellent representation of how the film actually looks. Unlike some Disney DVDs of Japanese animation films, Image Entertainment have included both the original Japanese audio as well as an English one (dubbed later) plus optional English subtitles. These subtitles follow the Japanese translation more closely rather than the English audio and this is another bonus. You can choose to watch (and listen) to the film as it was originally meant to be viewed. This is our recommendation to you as well. My gripe might be the necessity for a 2nd disc when the excellent 'Making of...' featurette takes up only 1.9 Gig. I'm sure it could have been included with the extras on the main feature disc, even if they would have to remove the teasers, trailers and TV ads.
I'm not very familiar with anime films of this ilk but
I did enjoy watching this one with my son. It really is a pretty
encompassing phenomenon and although it might suit me - I surely have
enough vices. It might be better to take some other opinions - here is
one from ryurik-1 on IMdb
HERE: |
The WINNERS of our
GIVEAWAY of the Limited Collector's Edition packages of Patlabor: The Movie
(valued at over $80 US each) are:
mbalson (Mark Balson) They have been contacted and we will send out the set as soon as we have a postal address from them. Thanks to all for participating! |
DVD Menus
D
isc 2
Subtitle Sample
Screen Captures
The WINNERS of our
GIVEAWAY of the Limited Collector's Edition packages of Patlabor: The Movie
(valued at over $80 US each) are:
mbalson (Mark Balson) They have been contacted and we will send out the set as soon as we have a postal address from them. Thanks to all for participating! |
DVD Box Cover |
CLICK FOR LARGER VERSION |
CLICK to order from: |
Distribution | Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC |