That's what I really appreciated about the 2nd movie. They knew that was going to pretty much be the last word on Patlabor, so instead of making a big show of how each character ends up, they simply show them all a little older and some growing a bit distant, but still good freinds. Very much like real life.
The biggest demonstration of that is where Noa mentions it wouldn't be right to take Alphonse for a spin, that she essentially out grew her need to obsess over him. So she may be maturing, Ohta and Shinshi are working outside of SV2, but Goto is still very much Goto, showing how some things change and some thing stay the same.
As much as I like the 2nd movie, I think the 1st movie is maybe Patlabor at it's best. It really deserves more praise, particularly outside Japan. It's too bad the cartoon network doesn't pick it up, but I think a lot is lost in the English dubbing, and they'd never air a series with sub-titles.
In the 2nd movie, I liked it as well how everyone is older and little mature. Ota is still the psycho but toned down. His accuracy though is pretty good when he was teaching the cadets. I assume Asuma and Noa relationship was more than friends since in the TV show, it was beginning to grow into something more. If you remember in the 2nd movie, Goto says that this will be Special Vehicles Division 2's final mission. It seems that Hiromi and Goto never changed though.
I like Movie 3 or Wasted 13. It isnt bad, just a different perspective in the Patlabor world. Yes, SV2 only make some cameo but still it was interesting.