Akira Movie Review By Rashad Moore
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	Audience:	R
	Genre:	Sci-Fi
	Contains:	extreme graphic violence, language, brief nudity
	Rating:	A-

"I am Tetsuo."

Akira may just as well be the "Blade Runner" of anime, and there is no denying it's place in anime history. The classic 1989 film from popular anime director Katsuhiro Otomo was solely responsible for starting the Japanese Animation craze in the U.S. Otomo himself had no idea "Akira" would become such a defining hit in the U.S. Released in America in the early 90's, Otomo's dirty, apocalyptic ci-fi epic was a far cry from the cute big-eyed stylizations that early anime fans were used to. With spectacular animation (and a complex plot to boot) that would even be able to compete with some of today's major anime films, Akira is a classic worth returning to.

In the year, 1988, a mysterious nuclear explosion of unknown origin devestates Tokyo and immediately sparks World War III. Thirty-eight years later into the future, a new Tokyo, Neo-Tokyo, has replaced the ashes of the disaster, but things are still anything but peaceful. Crime is rampant, and a shadowy government in office. The main hero, Kanaeda, a leader of a biker gang is locked into battle with the rival Clown gang, until his longtime friend Tetsuo runs into a strange boy with telekinetic powers. Tetsuo eventually becomes a victim to government testing, giving him powerful and dangerous telekinetic abilites. Power-hungry and desperate to search out the mysterious "Akira," all hell breaks loose in a battle that may very well decide the fate of the world....

From the very start, Akira may seem like a run of the mill sci-fi action anime flick, but as you soon find out, it becomes something much more. Akira really focuses on such themes as the abuse and consequences of power and the meaning of friendship, all in a very complex plot which may slip by the viewer if he or she does not pay attention. Akira is a very cerebral film, not quite "Serial Experiments Lain" cerebral, but with a plot so complex that it may require a couple of viewings to understand.(Or some knowledge of the manga.) Another high point of the film is that there is not definite hero of the story, most of the characters in the film are pretty much scumbags, some of whom you STILL manage to care about. And of course there's the one thing that really makes Akira so popular, and thats the ultraviolent action sequences. Akira will astound (and disgust) you with some spectacularly animated action sequences. From the opening motorcyle battles between Kanaeda and the Clowns, to the stomach churning, apocalyptic finale, Akira is not for the screamish.

Which leaves me at the animation, which I must say is a huge accomplishment, even today Akira's visuals are extremely clean, fluid and filled with effects that still manage to impress today. There are some glorious details, such as the gleaming light trails coming from the motorcycles as they race through the streets of Neo-Tokyo. The character designs are also impressive, they are much more dirty and realistic, a far cry from the cutesy animated characters were normally used to in anime. It's obvious that no character in Akira will ever win a beauty contest. :> The music is just like everything else in the film, filthy and unrelenting, just like the setting of Neo-Tokyo which suits the film very well. Other portions of the music feature effects such as heavy breathing and weird chanting which add an otherworldly effect to every scene. The dubbing is good, but not perfect. It still has laughable parts, and I heard the guy playing Kanaeda is the same voice actor who played Leonardo from the Ninja Turtles TV Series. LOL. While the dub isn't a bad way to go, I still recommend you find the subtitled version.

Akira is the perfect balance of violent action and cerebral content. It rightfully deserves it's place in anime history. Akira is strictly recommended for mature audiences, as the final portion of the film will no doubt test the stomachs of the screamish. While it's still an oldie, you owe it to yourself to see Akira at least once, and maybe again if it went in one ear and out the other. It's one hell of an experience that is worth returning to, and the perfect introduction for new otaku to the world of anime.

Streamline Pictures/soon to be rereleased by Pioneer. Image shown is not created by atek studios. Review by Rashad Moore. August 2000.