Akira (1988)
90%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: NA
AKIRA is a cinematic masterpiece that transcends the boundaries of animation and science fiction. Its stunning visuals and intricate world-building are a testament to the dedication and creativity of its creators. While some may find its convoluted plot and dark themes overwhelming, the film’s exploration of power, identity, and the human condition is both thought-provoking and entertaining. AKIRA’s influence can be seen in countless films and TV shows, but none have matched its sheer audacity and ambition. It is a must-see for anyone who appreciates bold and visionary filmmaking.
AKIRA is a wild ride that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about anime. The animation is stunning, the action is intense, and the world-building is top-notch. Sure, the plot can get a little confusing at times, but who cares when you’re watching giant psychic battles and motorcycle chases? It’s like The Matrix on steroids, and I mean that in the best way possible. If you haven’t seen AKIRA yet, what are you waiting for? Get ready to have your mind blown.
Production Company(ies)
Foreign Language
Distributor
Streamline Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
India
MPAA / Certificate
NR
Year of Release
1988
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:2h 4m
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Language(s):Hindi
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Country of origin:India
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 1, 1988 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 24, 2009
Genre(s)
Sci-fi/Anime
Keyword(s)
starring Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Tessho Genda, Hiroshi Otake, Kôichi Kitamura, directed by Katsuhiro Ohtomo, written by Izou Hashimoto, Katsuhiro Ohtomo, sci-fi, anime, R rating, box office gross $390.0K, budget unknown, reviewed by Chris Stuckmann, Peter Bradshaw, David Jenkins, Dave Kehr, Robbie Collin, Rob Gonsalves, Brian Eggert, Jimmy Cage, Matt Patches, Rachel Wagner, Julio Vélez, Akira Committee Company Ltd., Shunzo Kato, Ryôhei Suzuki, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Flat (1.85:1), ESP experiments, atomic bomb, Tokyo, bike gang leader, secret government project, anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists, military leader, supernatural power, Tokyo Olympiad, animation, kinetic energy, phenomenal animation, modern anime
Worldwide gross: $802,533
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: $439,162
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $4,300,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $11,691,404
Production budget ranking: 1,609
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $6,295,821
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Nozomu Sasaki – Tetsuo Shima Voice
Mami Koyama – Kei Voice
Tessho Genda – Ryûsaku Voice
Hiroshi Otake – Nezu Voice
Kôichi Kitamura – Priestess Miyako, Council A Voice
Director – Katsuhiro Ohtomo
Producers – Shunzo Kato, Ryôhei Suzuki
Writers – Izou Hashimoto, Katsuhiro Ohtomo
Director(s)
Katsuhiro Ohtomo
Writer(s)
Izou Hashimoto, Katsuhiro Ohtomo
Producer(s)
Shunzo Kato, Ryôhei Suzuki
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (53) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (5)
The opening motorbike chase is still thrilling, but the dedication to the backgrounds as well as crowds of people filling the screen, explosions happening in the distance, and a jaw-dropping sense of scope make Akira the classic that it is.
January 25, 2021 | Rating: A
Chris Stuckmann
ChrisStuckmann.com
TOP CRITIC
Akira’s strangeness is very startling and sometimes bewildering. But there is a thanatonic rapture to its vision of a whole world ending and being reborn as something else.
October 8, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
While its typically convoluted sci-fi plotting and sprawling ensemble of characters occasionally lead it to border on the incoherent, it’s hard not to be in awe of the giant hand-drawn cityscapes that make up the backdrop for the eye-popping action.
July 18, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
David Jenkins
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
Pounding away, it becomes monotonous.
April 10, 2013 | Rating: 2/4
Dave Kehr
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Plenty of superb recent blockbusters, including The Matrix, The Dark Knight, Minority Report, Dark City and Inception, are all in its debt – not to mention a fair number of shockers, like Star Wars Episode II and the most recent Resident Evil atrocity.
June 25, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Robbie Collin
News of the World
TOP CRITIC
Put it up there with the most astonishing animated features ever made.
June 24, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
Great to look at, but more exhausting than entertaining.
August 31, 2022 | Rating: B
Rob Gonsalves
Rob’s Movie Vault
Such an extraordinary achievement demands to be seen and seen again for re-evaluation into its deeper relevance—and to be appreciated as a landmark not just of anime but of international cinema.
August 19, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
AKIRA is an audiovisual masterpiece that still blows me away after all these years. For two hours, the film takes us into a completely disrupted world in which destruction and ambivalence are omnipresent. A film you will never forget.
April 25, 2022 | Rating: 10/10
Jimmy Cage
Jimmy Cage Movie Reviews (YouTube)
I’ve seen the movie four times, and this go-around my jaw was lower on the floor than ever before, somehow.
August 4, 2020
Matt Patches
Polygon
It’s dark and violent but, because it is so creative, it is a really fun experience. It’s like Inception but way more trippy!
January 19, 2019 | Rating: 9.5/10
Rachel Wagner
Rotoscopers
It continues to show the best of the genre, almost 30 years later. It would be sacrilegious to give a different rating from PERFECT to AKIRA. [Full review in Spanish]
June 20, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
Julio Vélez
Cine Premiere…
Plot
In a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, a bike gang leader named Kaneda tries to save his friend Tetsuo from a secret government project that has given him supernatural powers, leading to a final battle that exposes the experiment’s secrets in the anime classic, Akira.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t have anything goofy or funny to say about Akira, but they do mention that the voice cast includes Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Tessho Genda, Hiroshi Otake, and Kôichi Kitamura.
Katsuhiro-Ohtomo.jpg
