This just may be the quintessential Anime...

Rating: Null/10 (19 July 1999)

One person who wrote a review of this film stated, "This film is NOT for everyone..." They had no idea how right they were. This film isn't for everyone, but those who can piece together the complex storyline (which, truthfully, took me about three times of watching it to fully understand the film's premise)will find a story well worth watching. Those who can appreciate the freedoms that animation gives to moviemaking will enjoy the high-paced action. Those just wanting to see another violent Japanimation flick, well, you are sure to get your kicks too. But this is also a tale worth watching well after you get past all the bells and whistles, because it sticks with you. Those who like seeing cartoon blood, you'll like it for the bike-gang fights. Those wanting to see an actual intelligent storyline, this one sure doesn't disappoint, with believeable characters living in a post-apocalyptic city known as Neo-Tokyo. For those who don't like the American dubbing, it's available in subtitled format. It's action-packed, gritty, dark and realistic to a point where your imagination wonders the possibilities of something like this ever happening...this just may be the quintessential Anime film. I would reccomend it to any animation fan, or someone who's desperate for a decent sci-fi story. Just keep the kids out of the room - it's a bit too freaky for the wee ones.