Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Raven-1969 In an off-limits area of new Tokyo and the aftermath of World War III, a secret government project known as Akira is unraveling and a freakish stage of evolution is occurring. Rival motorcycle gangs, military special forces units, scientists, rebels and odd kids with supernatural powers, are among the groups clashing. Orders are to kill what cannot be controlled, yet few are in control of themselves. Into the void steps motorcycle gang leader Kaneda, a noble outlaw in the tradition of Mad Max, Motoko Kusanagi and Han Solo, to attempt to tie up loose ends. This timeless, complex and thrilling animation masterpiece is as action packed as it is food for the brain. It is a typical Japanese dish; the artistry, attention to detail and manner in which it is prepared and served are as important as the taste. No corners are cut. To look away, even for a moment, means missing an essential part of the multi-faceted story. Akira is delicious for eyes, ears, brain and heart alike. After 30 years it aged well. Akira revolves around questions of balance; those who absorb power without thought or principle, and those too cowardly to act. Decisions are made for those who do not make them on their own. The only foolish questions are those that are unasked.For a deeper experience, listen to the film in Japanese.

The Movie Diorama Garnering a title such as that automatically inserts high expectations upon everyone. Well, from what I just witnessed, it pretty much floored me. Two school drop outs, Kaneda and Tetsuo, discover that the government are creating weaponised telekinetic humans where the latter becomes experimented on himself. It soon comes into motion that they've unleashed a power of cataclysmic proportions that cannot be stopped. Thirty years since its release, three decades since it took the world by storm and popularised anime in western culture. It is, without a doubt, an incredibly entertaining cyberpunk showstopper. For director Otomo to perfectly balance the political agendas of anarchy, capitalism and revolutions with existential themes of religion and creationism, is pure genius. To blend these ancient and modern ideologies and amalgamate them to populate a futuristic dystopian environment, again, is pure genius. Not only does he stop there. Intricately adding exhilarating action sequences bolstered by characters teeming with excitable personalities to create what I can simply describe as anime's greatest blockbuster. Wow. It hasn't aged at all. The animation is gorgeous, Neo-Tokyo looked awe-inspiring and the inventive imagery was stunning. Tetsuo's nightmarish fantasies surprisingly stunned me, the ominous images of giant toys have mentally scarred me. The visceral violence, the excessive use of gore and the usage of profanity enhances the overall edginess. Way ahead of its time, that's for sure. Yet beneath the visual splendour lies a melancholic story of a friendship being tarnished by corruption. You feel for both Tetsuo and Kaneda, two central characters that are exquisitely developed. The third act involving Akira did escalate to absurd levels of craziness, which detracted from the realism of the story. Also some of the scene transitions were abruptly cut. However, very small nitpicks. Akira may not be the best anime feature film I've seen, but it certainly has justified its status as the most influential.

hugo-mendes-domingos Perfect. A masterpiece! The animation, the plot, the characters.

orioncochran A must watch for anyone into or getting into anime. Viewer discretion advised. Rated R or TV-MA. Excellent sound track.Violent & bloody at times.