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Directed by: Katsuhiro Otomo Starring: Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Taro Ishida Akira takes place in the dystopian future city of Neo-Tokyo, where the iron-fisted government is sponsoring the development of a means of harnessing god-like powers extracted from some zombie-looking tots. One of these children comes in contact with Tetsuo, a stubborn, hotheaded member of a biker gang which when coupled with his troubled demeanor, causes him to blow poo poo up like never before. Well, breathtaking animation aside, what is there to say about Akira? It's convoluted and shallow. It brazenly juggles a multitude of themes for the first two-thirds, then kicks them over like a bully with a sandcastle. The teenagers are angsty and amoral, the adults are shortsighted morons and no explanation is offered for the existence of the supernatural pre-schoolers. There's a total of one sympathetic character, Tetsuo's kindhearted girlfriend Kaori--and she get arbitrarily squashed so the movie can rush back to mindless destruction. Because it tries so hard to balance the overreaching plot, the overblown action and the "poignant" artistic touches, Akira is a incomprehensible mess. Recommendation to avoid watching this with a teenager, especially one who feels it necessary to wax philosophical about it afterwards. RATING: 2 PROS: Stunning animation, surreal atmosphere CONS: Incoherant ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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May 4, 2004 21:40
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 05:03 |
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The problem with the movie is that it SUCKS compared to the comics. The books go into so much more detail, I'd say the movie is about 1/4 of the actual comic. They should have done Akira as a mini-series instead.
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May 4, 2004 21:41
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I like this movie. As far as post-apocalyptic cities go, you won't find many better than this movie. It descends into brainless action for the last 20 minutes, but as a whole it is a fun ride. 4/5
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May 4, 2004 21:48
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The last twenty minutes are fairly incoherent, the title character has his role reduced to the point of being a deus ex machina, and depending on the dub you're watching you're either getting a really poor translation of the script or some horrible voice acting. That aside, the art is still loving amazing 15 years later, and while you may not know what's going on there's still enough action to keep you watching til the end. Shame the whole Empire/US invasion force plotline was cut out, though.
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May 4, 2004 22:27
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I've read the comics and seen the movie, both are excellent for differant reasons. Maybe I am looking at this through rose-tinted glasses, but before Akira Manga was all but non existant in the UK (If it was, it certainly was nowhere near as mainstream). Watching Tetsuos ultimate metamorphosis into a giant vomiting baby thing, the initial bike ride through a totally cyber-punk yet not too unbelievable Neo-Tokyo, the surreal moments of realizations are breathtaking. The whole film a testament to the animators art, with a manic and frenetic style. I think its easy to become jaded with so many other marvelous Mangas and Anime(s?) reaching our shores, yet its not easy to see the absolute impact Akira had for spotty young teenagers in the late 80s and early 90s. 3/5 (Would be more if the plot made more sense, yet stayed as rich with repeated viewings)
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May 4, 2004 22:32
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Best of anime genre. All around good movie. 4/5
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May 4, 2004 22:37
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Not the best of anime by far... the most expensive yes. And it's not fair to compare this to the comics. This movie is pretty rockin' and doesn't really need to explain itself because the focus is on the two young men, and their personal demons, not the strange technology around them. 4/5
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May 5, 2004 03:07
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Akira was the first anime I ever saw, and it did a good job of setting the stage for others that I've watched since then. It doesn't quite hold-up watching it again, though it was mind-blowing when I first encountered it.
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May 5, 2004 03:09
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quote:]-[ate_Sandwich came out of the closet to say: It is nowhere near the most expensive anime film ever made. Akira cost about $8 million. Princess Mononoke cost about $22 million. But Akira's budget was still HUGE for a Japanese animated theatrical film made in the 1980s. The single biggest criticism of this movie is that it doesn't make sense. Personally, I always thought that people who said that needed to pay more attention to things like what they were drawing on the sidewalks rather than what was getting blown up (answer: EVERYTHING), but there are perfectly valid reasons behind that complaint. Part of it comes from the fact that the movie is a highly compressed version of the six-volume Japanese comicbook by the same name, which these days can be bought in English courtesy of Dark Horse. As with any book-to-movie adaptation there were things that had to go for time, but since this film was written and directed by the same person who drew the comic, I don't think a better job could have been done compressing the story down into one movie. So I'd be willing to argue the merits of that one. No, the main reason I believe many people say the movie doesn't make sense is because of the old English dub that was available at every Blockbuster Video in the country and was for several years the most accessible version of the film available. That dub, while IMO well-acted, had a very convoluted/inaccurate script, and even the somewhat-hard-to-find subtitled version that existed wasn't as much of an improvement as you'd hope. The DVD release of the movie that came out a few years ago is better in that regard. New subtitle translation, completely different English dub which is much more accurate to the original script (though I'm sort of nostalgic for the old dub actors), and the video and audio have been remastered. 5/5. This is a movie that lots of people saw as their first exposure to Japanese animation courtesy of video stores and the Sci-Fi Channel (which aired the film edited and in pan & scan, so you couldn't see the guy getting beaten by the cops in the police station), and if it weren't for this movie I wouldn't know as much about anime as I do. Not because it was the first anime I ever saw, but because the guy who ran the comicbook shop which--at the time--was the only place that carried anime was a HUGE fan of it, and decided to stock anime as a result, years before Japanese cartoons "made it big."
Daryl Surat fucked around with this message at 22:28 on Mar 6, 2006 |
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May 5, 2004 06:31
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This is still my favorite anime. The original VHS dub is the only one I can stand, and I dont know why. Every other anime i've seen hasn't wowed me like this one did. I think it had that effect on a lot of people for some reason.
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May 6, 2004 04:49
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Akira is over-rated tripe. I understand that the script was supposed to emulate the political climate in Japan at the time, but it just doesn't make sense, particularly as a stand alone movie. I had bought this when it was released on VHS years ago due to hype but was dismayed by how shallow everything was. Then, with the release of the DVD, Internet sites abound with comments such as "VHS version was a poor dub; this is better." These, of course, are the same who raved about the film at first release, so I discredit them myself. That said, it's still a landmark animation film and probably worth viewing for that reason alone. As mentioned, the animation still manages to impress, though there's nothing particularly captivating or stylish about the presentation. Just don't expect anything much in the way of a plot or character depth.
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May 9, 2004 21:19
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quote:Daryl Surat came out of the closet to say: Heh, I heard about Akira when I was young but I couldn't find it. So I bought Genocyber and Cyber City Oedo. I think I didn't watch it until I finally found Akira a half year later. I do have to say I like the old voice dub better as one character sounded like Nick Nack from Man with the Golden Gun. Or some mafiaoso. The animation did some crazy stuff like the motorcycle's lights being left behind, slowly fading out, and the huge abonomation created at the end. 5/5 because it did open my eyes.
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May 10, 2004 03:31
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If this wasn't your first anime ever, it's not the OMG AMAZING spectacle. As with many anime plots it probably makes more sense if you're Japanese, but that said there's a good chance it's STILL pretty confusing. 3.5/5 because the animation does rock out with its cock out.
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May 13, 2004 16:42
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I had to check on the Internet to find what I had missed about this movie. Once I read a couple of summaries of the comics, plus a fairly long essay on aspects of Buddhism which we Westerners have little contact with, it made more sense. The original English dub is awful as far as understand the plot goes ("It's like an amoeba in control of a man!" "WE MUST STOP IT NOW!"), but the voice work is great and the animation is revolutionary. It's remarkable to watch Akira after having seen other Japanese anime and realize that this was truly the source of many of the genre's standards. Voted 3.5. A more accurate dub would probably bump that up a half-point.
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May 13, 2004 17:51
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When I first saw this years ago I was like "OMG Leonardo is the main character" 3/5
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May 13, 2004 19:48
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Pros: Stunning animation, even to this day. Excellent and highly memorable soundtrack. Impressive sense of detail. Brilliantly choreographed animated violence. High level of creativity. A strong feeling of surreal underground-comic-style storytelling. Strong characterization. Extremely cool (and original for its time) depiction of psychic superpowers. Amazing apocolypse movie that answers the question to "what if someone gained godlike superpowers in real life"? An incredible ending sequence that still gives me chills to this day. (Specifically, when the clouds start to open up.) Excellent atmosphere of a corrupt city on the verge of collapse. Features some of the most terrifyingly memorable moments in any animated film. Cons: Weak or convoluted story in parts. Not enough explanation to keep the audience transfixed during some of the more inexplicable moments. The manga has a far better-constructed story. Some of the stuff that was "futuristic" back in the 1980's now actually seems a little dated. (The compact-disc jukebox comes to mind.) Some characters are not given enough screen time. The film feels like it could have been improved by being slightly longer to explain some of the more confused details or develop/connect certain characters better. Asian political and social relevence/references will frequently be lost on non-Japanese. Side note: The English dubs are sub-par in any version you watch. If you see this movie, watch it on DVD in Japanese with subtitles. 4.5/5 as a film itself. 5.5/5 in terms of what this revolutionary film has done for Japanese (and worldwide) animation as a whole. DanSTC fucked around with this message at 09:51 on Sep 18, 2005 |
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Sep 18, 2005 09:46
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The first time I saw Akira, it was on tv. An edited-for-tv version of a poorly-translated version. I remember thinking it looked cool, but made absolutely no sense. Years later, I rented the video to see if my older mind could get a better handle on what was going on. The tape was in bad shape and it was still poorly-translated, but I was trying really hard to "get it" and I found that it wasn't as impossible as it seemed. The visuals still stood out as amazing, and I also noticed how great the score was. It wasn't long afterward that the DVD came out. Widescreen, remastered, completely retranslated. Overwhelmed by curiosity, I was compelled to buy it. It was like seeing it for the first time. Suddenly it made sense. Not only did it look even cooler in remastered widescreen, but the story was actually pretty good. Psychic powers are presented like lucid dreaming. Half-aware, Tetsuo changes reality according to his whims, trying only to escape his waking nightmare, frenzied as a cornered animal, destroying anyone and anything that gets in his way. The hero of the story is just a clueless, scared bystander trying to make it all stop, faced with the awful possibility that he might have to kill his best friend to save the world. The end is a literal explosion of raw emotion, which not surprisingly confuses everyone who sees it. Over the years, I've become addicted to this movie. That unearthly music will creep into the corners of my mind, along with images of a futuristic city being torn apart by a teenager's mind, and I'll NEED to watch it again. No matter how many times I see it, I'm still transfixed. I have yet to see a movie with better animation. Whether it's something big like a giant psychic fetus consuming a stadium, or something small like a person walking, everything is executed in such perfect detail that once you get into it, it doesn't even seem like a cartoon. It's as if Neo-Tokyo is a real city and a camera crew went in and filmed what was happening, and the brutality of what's happening is terrifying. I like anime, but I don't usually love it. I go to see all the critically-acclaimed Miyazaki films and I rent silly stuff like Cowboy Bebop, and it's a lot of fun, but it doesn't affect me the way Akira does. Akira is still on a level that nothing else can touch, in my opinion. It's not even about the influence that it had or the work that went into it. It is, simply put, one of the best movies I've ever seen. I know that for a lot of people, for whatever reason, it never quite "clicks," which I just think is a real shame. It's a movie everyone should see at least once, though, because even after all these years and a slew of imitators, there's nothing else like it. 5.0
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Sep 18, 2005 23:25
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I can remember seeing this on the Sci-Fi channel when I was about 12 or so and being absolutely blown away. I had never seen or heard of anime at that point in my life, and Akira was a totally new experience for me. I didnt see it again until I was in College. I borrowed the VHS from someone in my dorm. It was as amazing then as it was 10 years before that, only I understood more of it this time around. Then, a couple of years later, I got the DVD and watched it again. It was still amazing, and looked even cooler. Akira is one of those films that I break out and watch after I havent watched it for a long enough period of time that I have forgotten some of the more major parts of it. And every time I am amazed. I love this movie. 5/5
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Sep 23, 2005 20:27
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Like many others here, Akira was my first real exposure to anime, and it's what really got me interested in animation as a serious medium. The plot is a little thin, but it doesn't drag down what is essentially a solid film. If you enjoy the movie, I highly recommend the comic serial. It's a sweeping epic with a much slower pace and more engaging plot.
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Sep 24, 2005 03:31
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The first anime I ever saw, aged 9, and it absolutely blew my mind. The animation is supreme, the script is intelligent, the action is thrilling, the conclusion is epic. An incredible piece of work. It has not aged at all either since it was made. I only wish that I still posessed the VHS (from TV) with the better subtitles translation that is apparently available on DVD, but is somewhat hard to find. 5.
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Sep 26, 2005 19:50
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I have a hard-on for dystopias and motorcycles, so obviously I enjoyed this movie. I can see what all the hullabaloo was about because the movie's visuals are still stunning even today. The premise was interesting enough even if it has been copied a million times, but there was still a strong governmental oppression / biotech ethics background to it. I had some complaints about the character development, but it wasn't enough to detract from my experience. What did really bother me was how the film just really seemed to lose focus and get so convoluted it didn't know what it wanted to do at the end. I got lost when all of the talk about the creation of a new universe began. Anyways, revolutionary visuals that still resonate today and a decent dub (although I keep thinking Vash and Faye are speaking) make this into a worthwhile film to buy if it's less than $15. 4/5
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Feb 25, 2006 10:43
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I first watched this stoned out of my head, and boy was that a mistake. The week after I watched it again and it made a bit more sense (albeit not much), and that was with the Japanese soundtrack. Akira is one these Emperor's New Clothes type things, everybody says how fantastic is it and repeats it over and over to everybody else, who then go and watch it, don't have a loving CLUE what's going on and then say they love it to avoid looking stupid. It's certainly a beautiful film and I love it to bits but the storyline is absolute garbage, even if you swallow the writer's loftiest of aspirations regarding what it's all about. On top of this, a bunch of the characters look the same so it's even more confusing. Also for a super-compacted movie, its alarming dull. They chase after this Tetsuo character here there and and everywhere and then he turns into a giant monster that starts sucking everything up. THAT'S IT. Everything else is just a desperate justification as to why it happens. Nice but dim. 3.5 Onken fucked around with this message at 17:54 on Feb 28, 2006 |
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Feb 28, 2006 17:52
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The first couple of times I saw this was on a friend's VHS copy, which luckily had subtitles/Japanese dialogue. After the first couple of viewings I had a pretty good understanding of it, so I was immediately drawn to the Manga. That is much easier to understannd, but the film is just wonderful on it's own. If you see the right version of it, it doesn't seem so convoluted. Plus, I love the style of animation that was popular in the 80's (neon lights, the way metal rips, so on), and this is one of my favorite movie. 5/5
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Mar 3, 2006 05:10
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However much a purist may feel that Akira leaves the matters touched on in the manga behind, it is undeniably ground breaking in its manner of animation. It is far deeper in its philisophical exploration then most movies out there, and it is visually brilliant in the variety and depth of its visual desgin. It is far from perfect, but it is still a stellar work. 5/5
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Mar 4, 2006 09:04
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 05:03 |
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Some quasi-military group (opposed by a resistance) is trying to bring out psychic abilities in children. They judge the child's potential based on a psychic spectrum unique to the child. The medication they treat the children with (to amplify their psychic abilities) causes physical and mental trauma, with many of the previous subjects resembling old people. Akira is a legend of sorts - The most powerful subject ever, he eventually overran with psychic energy and caused an epic meltdown. His remains are kept in a massive storage facility in case they can be studied at a later date. Tetsuo is picked up by the military and seems to have a strong psychic potential. But, like Akira, he overflows and contributes to a second disaster. Cue various parties trying to escape while Neo Tokyo melts down. What happens to Testuo at the end is just how his psychic overflow is visualized. His body can't handle the energy, mutating and eventually becoming nothing. Akira is one of those movies that affects me emotionally, bypassing any need to understand exactly what's happening. Tetsuo's fate is really moving to me, and I can just imagine how Kaneda feels when he cradles the final, fading dot of light in his hands. It reminds me of losing a loved one, maybe a best friend from my youth. I rewatched this recently and was still struck by the artistry involved. I only have the Pioneer SE DVD, but that's still enough to marvel at the artwork. It uses an unusual color palette and has extreme detail in the lovely background plates. I need to see this on Blu asap. I also love the special features. Any behind-the-scenes footage of Otomo at work is interesting, and my mind was blown by the storyboards he did. Jesus. The sound design is also super interesting. Anime often works on an impressionistic level. You need to accept that certain events are represented by unusual visuals and instead focus on the emotion of the moment. Sometimes "psychic energy runs wild" is enough to drive a classic. 5/5 the_psychologist fucked around with this message at 07:02 on Jul 21, 2009 |
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Jul 20, 2009 17:11
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