Review of Akira (1988) by Alex J — 31 Oct 2012

Seriously stunning visually, but really, read the comic. The manga is a phenomenal work of graphic literature/art. The movie is, honestly, kind of shorthanded. It is not that the book is more epic, it is, it is not that the scope is larger or that it is more developed, the book is also those things.

What frustrates me is the balance, the brilliant tension between humor and violence, the geometric, carefully planned, insanity and tragedy, it all seems lost in the film. The only character that has any development (And I have noticed this is a frequent problem with Katsuhiro Otomo's films, unlike his comics) Is the antagonist, Tetsuo.

The visuals still resonate in this film, the hallucinogenic cyberpunk insanity is still there and it is still strong, not falling flat against the cheesy writing, or the bad plotting, like many visual feasts today, which I find are just a string of intricately put together set pieces, whether it be video game or film.

However, after reading the book, I can't find any real draw to this film, as I know what the writing in the book does for it, it is so much more powerful, so much stronger, then this movie, that all I see in this film is missed opportunity.

Yes I am admitting to my bias, but also trying to bring awareness of the graphic novel, all six incredible, feverish, volumes. There are adaptations by other authors of manga into film, Nausicaa of the Valley of The Wind is one, and that is one of my favorite graphic novels, ever.

Even then though, I think the writing of the adaptation of that comic is, on a plot and setting basis, still much more crafted then Akira the film. I really do feel that this was not a great adaptation.

The comic is three thousand pages long and has incredible pacing. You can't make one single film out of three thousand pages, and I can imagine the difficulty in making Akira on any budget, period.

I guess what I am trying to get as is the potency of the combination of the visuals present in the graphic novel with the downward spiral of a story, is absent in the film. It has been replaced with orgasmic visuals, with not the best foundation.

There is so much the film draws from, and yet it doesn't really have any real focus on any of it. If you really like the film that much, you should read the books.