this is the greatest anime film i've ever seen

Rating: 10/10 (29 September 2001)

Akira is great. Great story, great animation... great everything! It's a shame that people would dismiss this film just because it's an animated movie. It's one of the greatest sci-fi films out there. It's right up there with 2001, Alien, Blade Runner, and The Matrix. Though the film can be extremely violent at times I wouldn't refer to it as a "gore" anime or whatever it is I've seen other user comments call it. It's a great futuristic tale about a boy driven mad with power and psychic abilities. Actually there is sooo much more involved in the story and so much depth that is involved that I might as well not even bother to try to describe it. Friendship is also a big theme throughout. It's just a great great great movie, if you haven't seen it you must. You won't be disapointed.
*SPOILERS AHEAD!* One thing I wish the movie did have would be a battle between Tetsuo and Yamagata. In the comics they both have a really cool motorcycle battle with one another and Tetsuo causes Yamagata's head to explode. In the movie Tetsuo just knocks over a large object on Yamagata, which pins him down. We don't even get to see Tetsuo deliver the killing blow. Also, it would've been nice to have seen more of Lady Miyako who I think is actually supossed to be a man in the film! She isn't even #19 in the movie!