Synopsis for the Feature Length Animated Film Kidô Keisatsu Patorebâ: The Movie (Patlabor 1: The Movie, Mobile Police Patlabor)

With the rapid development of robotic hyper technology, a new category of humanoid-type machines called "labor" has become widely applied in every industry field. However, labor diffusion has created a new treat to social stability, as the same technology is increasingly being used for criminal purposes. In order to fight the so-called labor crime, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has formed the Special Vehicle Unit, equipped with labors designed to keep the public order. These patrol labors are commonly known as Patlabor.

The year is 1999. Japan has concentrated 45% of its entire labor force in the ambitius Babylon Project, designed to save to Tokyo Bay area from being submerged as an effect of the sea level increment. For this purpose, a 500-meter wide and 150-meter high multy-level platform, called the Ark, has been built on the sea.

The suicide of a mysterious man on the massive Babylon Project construction site sets off a cascade of events that may signal the eventual destruction of Tokyo. What is the connection between the suicide, the new Mobile Police AV-X0 Zero labor, and a military prototype labor suddenly gone berserk?