DUKE HARDKNOCK
07-04-02, 08:54 PM
I'll skip the introductions as I presume that whoever reads this is a bigger anime-fan than I am (I like it in general, but I've definitely got some reservations) and just get down to the chase, shall I?
Note: extras of this DVD may differ from the Akira Special Edition in your area.
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Story: 8/10
Akira is generally heralded as a true cyberpunk movie, and that's certainly no misconception. A persistent dark and gloomy atmosphere, fancy technology and a mix of psychology and bold questions about "life" are all present. The plot is more or less divided into two simultaneously running stories: one which deals with the paranormal and one which deals with the alternating friendship and bitter rivalry between Kaneda and Tetsuo.
While the plot gets a little dubious toward the end, becoming a mix of sorts of philosophy and pseudo-science, it thankfully does not degenerate into pure fantasy and the film does not end with a painful cliché.
Overall, the dialogue is solid and logical. Typically recurring dialogue-tricks in many anime series and films are virtually non-existant in Akira, which prevents the movie from turning into a cheesy, predictable sci-fi opera. Fortunately, a good fast pace is still maintained and there are only a few moments when Akira slows down and the dialogue appears to be drawn out a bit too much.
The ending is good from a critic's point of view, although it is not entirely satisfying. That said, Akira is the kind of animated movie that invites a little more thought and as such the conclusion was very appropriate.
My only real regret is that the war between the bikers got pushed into the background. I would love to see another movie with the same setting (or with the same characters even, before - or after - the events of this film), but without a supernatural theme.
---
Animation: 10/10
14 years old now, but still extremely impressive. Although Akira is unmistakably anime, it is clear it belongs to a different era. Unlike virtually all the Japanimation since the early nineties, there is very little stylisation of characters and motion, nor are there any animatory tricks that are rather common these days (extreme close-up of character screaming + background a complete blur, short sequences being repeated etcetera). You'll be hard pressed to find a background being used twice, which is especially impressive considering the gigantic amount of camera switches throughout the movie. That all backgrounds are of such high quality is a testimony to the time and skill that were devoted to the project.
As said, the characters are only minimally stylised, giving them a kind of semi-realistic look as there are no bizarre haircuts (or hair colours), no oversized eyes or noses so sharp they would make Michael Jackson feel jealous, and no unrealistically small chins. Besides that, Akira also differs when it comes to actual animation. For one, it has some of the most detailed and convincing facial animation seen in anime. While not quite up to Disney's standards, careful attention has been paid to lip synching, forfeiting the usual "chattering mouth" phenomenon. Besides that, the expressions of all characters are done extremely well - almost up to the level of real-life actors.
Moving on, there's motion. Characters are never static and move about realistically, like you would expect from a real movie. Body language, including bearing and gesturing, are executed perfectly. Motion in general is of very high quality, often surprisingly smooth and always correct. There are a few true gems of shots where slow-motion is used brilliantly: one where a Clown is taken out, drops onto the road and rolls, already unconscious, to a stop; and one where Kaneda jumps toward the camera (in slow-mo) to avoid an attack by Tetsuo, which goes up to normal speed at the moment of impact. The transition looks especially fantastic since it's an animated movie, and demands more frequent use.
Also particularly impressive is the way effects such as liquids, smoke, explosions and crumbling architecture are handled. Each is animated superbly, very fluidly with great attention to detail. The pièce-de-résistance is the final climactic demise of Neo-Tokyo, which is just phenomenal.
Finally, I would also like to note the top-notch lighting applied on many of the characters and the equally great shadows they cast.
While Akira may not look as sharp and bright as today's anime which benefits greatly from CG, in technical respect it's still a masterpiece of traditional animation which still comfortably holds its own among modern series and movies. Oh yes, I also loved the light trails left behind by the rear lights of the bikes - plum.
---
Sound/Music: 7/10
Sound effects are A-OK, as may be expected. The music is a very interesting blend between traditional instruments, modern rhythm/style and quite unusual vocals, which are hard to categorise. While music is used sparingly in Akira, when it is used it is done well and it generally suits the film very well.
While the new dubbing is good, I must admit I'm nonetheless partial to the original version. The actors' voices were more varied and generally seemed to be more appropriate for their respective characters. A lot of the dialogue has also changed noticeably, but I wouldn't know if the end result is a more or in fact a less accurate translation.
---
Extras: 8/10
The "Making Of" is definitely the best extra, giving an extensive behind-the-scenes look at the production of Akira, touching upon pretty much every significant aspect. It's about 3 quarters of an hour altogether, so you'll be busy for a while.
Besides that there are dozens of production stills (unfortunately you can't view them individually, they're just rotated automatically), the teasers and trailers as they appeared on TV and in cinemas, a nice little biograph of Katsuhiro Otomo (director and creator of Akira), additional info about the main characters, a detailed summary of the film, an interview with Otomo (just text, however) and a few other minor features.
---
Overall: 9/10
Assuming you have a bit of an interest in sci-fi and eighties' "cyberpunk", the Akira DVD (special edition or otherwise) is very much a must-have collector's item. It oozes quality in every way and is simply a cult-classic you shouldn't miss out on.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Whew! Must be one of the longest reviews ever posted on the Slackercentral forums. Hope I didn't bore you too much.
Note: extras of this DVD may differ from the Akira Special Edition in your area.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Story: 8/10
Akira is generally heralded as a true cyberpunk movie, and that's certainly no misconception. A persistent dark and gloomy atmosphere, fancy technology and a mix of psychology and bold questions about "life" are all present. The plot is more or less divided into two simultaneously running stories: one which deals with the paranormal and one which deals with the alternating friendship and bitter rivalry between Kaneda and Tetsuo.
While the plot gets a little dubious toward the end, becoming a mix of sorts of philosophy and pseudo-science, it thankfully does not degenerate into pure fantasy and the film does not end with a painful cliché.
Overall, the dialogue is solid and logical. Typically recurring dialogue-tricks in many anime series and films are virtually non-existant in Akira, which prevents the movie from turning into a cheesy, predictable sci-fi opera. Fortunately, a good fast pace is still maintained and there are only a few moments when Akira slows down and the dialogue appears to be drawn out a bit too much.
The ending is good from a critic's point of view, although it is not entirely satisfying. That said, Akira is the kind of animated movie that invites a little more thought and as such the conclusion was very appropriate.
My only real regret is that the war between the bikers got pushed into the background. I would love to see another movie with the same setting (or with the same characters even, before - or after - the events of this film), but without a supernatural theme.
---
Animation: 10/10
14 years old now, but still extremely impressive. Although Akira is unmistakably anime, it is clear it belongs to a different era. Unlike virtually all the Japanimation since the early nineties, there is very little stylisation of characters and motion, nor are there any animatory tricks that are rather common these days (extreme close-up of character screaming + background a complete blur, short sequences being repeated etcetera). You'll be hard pressed to find a background being used twice, which is especially impressive considering the gigantic amount of camera switches throughout the movie. That all backgrounds are of such high quality is a testimony to the time and skill that were devoted to the project.
As said, the characters are only minimally stylised, giving them a kind of semi-realistic look as there are no bizarre haircuts (or hair colours), no oversized eyes or noses so sharp they would make Michael Jackson feel jealous, and no unrealistically small chins. Besides that, Akira also differs when it comes to actual animation. For one, it has some of the most detailed and convincing facial animation seen in anime. While not quite up to Disney's standards, careful attention has been paid to lip synching, forfeiting the usual "chattering mouth" phenomenon. Besides that, the expressions of all characters are done extremely well - almost up to the level of real-life actors.
Moving on, there's motion. Characters are never static and move about realistically, like you would expect from a real movie. Body language, including bearing and gesturing, are executed perfectly. Motion in general is of very high quality, often surprisingly smooth and always correct. There are a few true gems of shots where slow-motion is used brilliantly: one where a Clown is taken out, drops onto the road and rolls, already unconscious, to a stop; and one where Kaneda jumps toward the camera (in slow-mo) to avoid an attack by Tetsuo, which goes up to normal speed at the moment of impact. The transition looks especially fantastic since it's an animated movie, and demands more frequent use.
Also particularly impressive is the way effects such as liquids, smoke, explosions and crumbling architecture are handled. Each is animated superbly, very fluidly with great attention to detail. The pièce-de-résistance is the final climactic demise of Neo-Tokyo, which is just phenomenal.
Finally, I would also like to note the top-notch lighting applied on many of the characters and the equally great shadows they cast.
While Akira may not look as sharp and bright as today's anime which benefits greatly from CG, in technical respect it's still a masterpiece of traditional animation which still comfortably holds its own among modern series and movies. Oh yes, I also loved the light trails left behind by the rear lights of the bikes - plum.
---
Sound/Music: 7/10
Sound effects are A-OK, as may be expected. The music is a very interesting blend between traditional instruments, modern rhythm/style and quite unusual vocals, which are hard to categorise. While music is used sparingly in Akira, when it is used it is done well and it generally suits the film very well.
While the new dubbing is good, I must admit I'm nonetheless partial to the original version. The actors' voices were more varied and generally seemed to be more appropriate for their respective characters. A lot of the dialogue has also changed noticeably, but I wouldn't know if the end result is a more or in fact a less accurate translation.
---
Extras: 8/10
The "Making Of" is definitely the best extra, giving an extensive behind-the-scenes look at the production of Akira, touching upon pretty much every significant aspect. It's about 3 quarters of an hour altogether, so you'll be busy for a while.
Besides that there are dozens of production stills (unfortunately you can't view them individually, they're just rotated automatically), the teasers and trailers as they appeared on TV and in cinemas, a nice little biograph of Katsuhiro Otomo (director and creator of Akira), additional info about the main characters, a detailed summary of the film, an interview with Otomo (just text, however) and a few other minor features.
---
Overall: 9/10
Assuming you have a bit of an interest in sci-fi and eighties' "cyberpunk", the Akira DVD (special edition or otherwise) is very much a must-have collector's item. It oozes quality in every way and is simply a cult-classic you shouldn't miss out on.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Whew! Must be one of the longest reviews ever posted on the Slackercentral forums. Hope I didn't bore you too much.