Complex, unusual film

Rating: 10/10 (21 November 2000)

The first time I saw Akira (on dubbed, pan & scan VHS) I was very disappointed. I had pretty much misunderstood the entire film and sat in stunned disbelief as the end credits began to roll. Having been familiar with various animes, such as Ghost in the Shell and Wings of Honneamise, for a long time, I just couldn't believe that THIS was the classic everyone was talking about.
I now know better. Akira is like the anime 2001; you just don't get it the first time around. Look at the explosion we see at the beginning of the film, for instance--despite the initial reaction you'll probably have, that isn't a nuclear weapon of any kind. It's something much, much different, and the only clues we have as to what it really is turn up towards the very end of the movie. Because of stuff like that, Akira is a demanding, obtuse film that really requires a lot of work on the part of the viewer, and the funny thing is that it doesn't have nearly as much gore or nudity as one might expect.
The story has its flaws. Writer-director Katsuhiro Otomo was faced with the seemingly impossible task of compressing his 38-issue (I think) manga series into a two-hour film, in a way that would please both fans of the comics and Akira newcomers. As a result I think there are too many characters and subplots swirling around. Personally I would have liked the film much better if Otomo had left out all the confusion with the corrupt parliament and the underground resistance movement, and focused more on the complex relationship between Tetsuo and Kaneda. The movie's greatest story strengths are the statements it makes about friendship and teenage violence, and most of the other plot elements made sense in the manga but aren't really necessary here.
But in the final analysis, Akira is an intelligent and provocative film that deserves its cult classic status. And it need hardly be said that the English dub is pure garbage compared to the Japanese version with subtitles. Watch it, and then watch it again.