Patlabor's Ingram mech comes alive in new movie trailer

It’s time for the Labors —and an all-new Divsion 2—to get back to work.

 

The official website for the new live-action movie based on the hit mecha franchise Patlabor has released a new set of photos featuring the film’s cast, as well as a closer look at the new AV-98 Ingram and its cockpit:

 

 

Live-action law-enforcing Labors

 

A creation of the artist group Headgear (comprised of director Mamoru Oshii, writer Kazunori Ito, mecha designer Yutaka Izubuchi, character designer Akemi Takada, and artist Masami Yuki), Mobile Patrol Patlabor ran from 1988 to 1994 as a manga series in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine. The property also spawned an anime series for television, two OVAs, and three full-length feature films.

 

A portmanteau of the words “patrol” and “labor,” Patlabor is set in what the creators perceived at the time as the “near future” of 1998. This “future” showcased a world with incredibly strong and durable robots known as Labors, often used in construction work, maintenance, and other heavy-duty tasks.

 

The series centers on the not-so-competent Section 2, Division 2 of the Special Vehicles police force, a crime-fighting unit that employs weaponized Labors known as “Patlabors.”

 

The series was well-received because of its unique approach to the portrayal of robots in its "futuristic" society. Far from the usual depiction of mechs as perpetually combat-ready walking tanks, the series offered a glimpse at a world wherein robots have become fully integrated with society and everyday life.

 

The next generation

 

The new take on the franchise, entitled “The Next Generation Patlabor,” will be a sequel to the original Patlabor, and will feature the third generation of officers from Section 2.

 

The Next Generation Patlabor will launch with a seven-part theatrical series consisting of a 10-minute “Episode 0” and twelve 45-minute episodes, the first of which will premiere on April 5. It will lead up to a full-length feature film in 2015, under the direction of Oshii and other directors. 

 

According to Oshii, the feature film will be “more serious” than the relatively light-hearted tone of the 12-episode series preceding it. — TJD, GMA News