Akira

Akira (1988)

Image From IMDB

Akira is an experience. Every time I watch the movie I always forget how fucked up and surreal it gets at times. I often remember it as this cool slick gritty cyberpunk story, and it is that, but then I start to remember as I watch all the weirdness and its truly bizarrely brilliant final act. It’s a movie that has inspired so much, and feels truly daring at the same time. Don’t make films like this anymore.

I still love the imagery of the futuristic bikes bombing across Neo-Tokyo as Shotaro leads his gang in a barbaric road fight against the clowns. The backdrop of on-going protests, rally’s and terrorism. The tall buildings and beautiful colours. That atmosphere which is unlike anything I'd ever witnessed in animation before (apparently to do with the frame rate) Akira is, as mentioned, an experience on every level.

The bizarre turn when we are introduced to these kids that have special powers feels as impactful as ever, and the rash Tetsuo getting taken into his world still feels cruel and horrible. The experiments and nightmares. The numbered patents and secret shadowy organisations. It’s safe to say there’s absolutely no Stranger Things without this aspect of Akira, and no plenty of other Sci-Fi and Fantasy too.

I love the violence as well (Always do lol). Again, watching it for the first time thirty years ago I hadn’t seen anything like it within animation (Watership Down doesn’t count) I didn’t even know you could do that in animation! The gang fights still feel so brutal and almost real, with the attack on Tetsuo and his girlfriend being particularly nasty. Everything in the film feels heightened adding to that troubling atmosphere that lingers throughout.

Then the final act goes off the fucking rails. We get massive bases and creatures the size of baseball stadiums. We get all kinds of glop and gore. Tetsuo visions of the teddy bear attacking him was wild too. It’s hard to describe just how weird the movie gets without trying to spoil it, its one of the things you just have to watch yourself (although you should have seen Akira already)

Akira is a classic that’s been written about plenty over the years so I've tried to keep this relatively brief. There’s no doubting its influence in so much work that came after it, and it still endures today. The animation is still some of the best I've ever seen, and nothing else quite builds an atmosphere like Akira does. It’s a masterpiece of a movie whose age does lead to the odd pacing issue, but that’s irrelevant compared to how important and interesting the film is a whole. if you haven’t seen it, definitely give it a watch, and if it’s been a while since your last viewing, I'd take another look as it holds up brilliantly.