Great film, but cover your eyes!

Rating: 10/10 (2 November 2006)

And I mean it. Over 2/3 of this movie is infested with blood, guns, and torture. It is obviously meant to emphasize chaos, but still, ugh! Even so, it works through it. "Akira" is probably one of the most mind-provoking films I've ever watched. No matter how profane, shocking, or disastrous the society of the setting is, the ending is godly and relieving, one of the best endings ever.
It being a manga film, a type that I normally don't like, I expected an awful plot, stupid language, and bad quality. However, when I heard how great everybody kept saying it was, I decided to give it a try, and man, was I unprepared, for the violence and awe both. It left me with wide eyes, literally, and that's rare for me.
For you manga-lovers out there, I don't even have to tell you this, but the graphics and animation are great! The features of each characters look so real and expressive, and instead of having the characters' jaws move only up and down like most manga, the characters actually talk! Their lips move like they're talking, not clapping together like when you eat with your mouth open. Now, that's very typical for modern animation, but honestly, I was still impressed.
The themes and symbols of morals were very well-represented and unique, something hard to accomplish for even live-action films. The ending is probably the best. A little child's last words of wisdom stay with you even after the end as they foreshadow the outcome of the city of Neo-Tokyo. After almost 2 hours of horror and profanity, there's finally a moment of beautiful silence and peace as the only 4 surviving characters walk through the ruins.
Overall, it's just such a great film and it keeps you awake throughout the whole thing. So, if you're the action fan, just sit and enjoy this movie and remember one thing: don't let the kids in.