stunning

Rating: 9/10 (15 February 2006)

akira is somewhat mind boggling. without the background of Japanese culture, and the more specific 'akira' backstory this film can get puzzling. but it's worth watching a few times to get your head around what is going on.
more important than the tangly plot is the way this film looks & the atmosphere it creates. the characters are well presented, and developed. this helps to create the very dark atmosphere of the film. the animation is stunning, most of the film is at night, and artificial light & shadows are extremely difficult to render, it's achieved superbly.
overall if you like your films dark it's worth a watch, if you like your films complicated it's worth a watch, if you're into animation it's worth a watch, basically it's worth watching.