Rating: 
Summary: Akira better the second time around
Review: The first thing anyone who has seen this movie before will notice is it has been re-dubbed. Most people say that it is not as good as the original...however, pronounciation of the charachters names is more accurate as well as the fact that there was a more direct translation of lines. Also if anime holds any importance to you as an enthusiast, you would be watching it in the (audibly) unchanged subtitled version. Picture is clearer, sound is refined and every aspect has been remastered. Once the best Anime movie always the best.
Rating: 
Summary: the new english language sucks!!!
Review: I saw Akira for the first time in 1994 and really liked it. It was not available for a long time and when I found out it was going to be released on DVD, I got exciteded. I bought it the day it came out and I was very dissapointed with the new dub. My opinion is that the original was much cooler. The new dub trys to hard to be politically correct. Listen to the way they say Akira. God, I wanna kick in my speakers. Also listen to the stupid accents on the girlfriends voices. They sound cliche or like some fantasy. Quiet, passive, stupid, etc. In the original, they sounded like they were from Brooklyn and it worked really well for the english language. The music, which is really cool and a major part of the film, is my final complaint because it is so faint compared to the original. The voices were mixed to high and you have to keep a close ear open for alot of the memorable and haunting scores.
Anyway I was lucky to find a copy of the original video in a pawn shop recently and I enjoyed the movie much more than I thought I would. I didn't watch more than 30 minutes of the disc and I promise I would have accepted a new dub if it'd been done to any acceptable degree. I really think the original english dub done by Streamline Pictures inc. was done that much better and i'm not just saying that to be bitchy. Maybe pioneer should stick to DJ mixers and home audio.
The picture on the DVD was, well as good as you expect. To bad there's already a D VHS with six times the picture quality of current DVD and an HD DVD is on the way so I hope enough people will complain and maybe Pioneer will include the original soundtrack on one of those formats in the future. As for any review of the story. Find an old one on e-bay. I really believe the soundtrack makes that much difference. This story is not coherent to any passive viewers. They said the new soundtrack was supposed to make the story more clear. Maybe for your mom, but not for me. You must really embrace Akira or it will completely bewilder you and you might want to stick too MIBII or National Lampoons Van Wilder if you can't identify with this genre of film or you don't have the time. I think It's one of the few Japanames that doesn't rip off themes from Blade Runner, and other great SciFi classic films. It was made long before the shelves were abundent with a mass market of japanese cartoons produced for the cartoon network watching audience.
Rating:
Summary: FABULOSA
Review: Akira, quiza una de las animaciones mejor realizadas hasta ahora, esta no solo es una obra maestra en cuanto a los dibujos y la animacion, creo que tambien lo es la musica ya que solo se usaron intrumentos musicales clasicos del japon y coros.
Aqui encontraran de todo desde mucha accion hasta drama.
Aquellos que quieran empezar una coleccion de animacion, este es quiza un titulo que no deberia faltar.
Rating: 
Summary: ???????
Review: Besides the impressive animation of the film (for its time), I did not enjoy this movie at all. Maybe its because I could not grasp the movie's concept. (????). Either way I recommend "Lain" over this! What's up with the children who obviously suffer from
progeria? I don't get it!
Rating:
Summary: Everything Falls Down
Review: Akira is most frequently designated as one of the seminal anime films, like 'Ghost in the Shell,' which have done much to define the potential of the Japanese genre. By the making of this film, 'Akira' was already as very popular manga (by Katsuhiro Otomo). Its theme is one that recurs frequently in anime, the good and the bad of human 'evolution.'Neo Tokyo is Tokyo reborn on the ashes of the devastation of the next world war. Set in 2019, the city is already large, crowded, and apparently thriving. Yet, as you look at the details of this superbly animated film, it becomes obvious that something is seriously wrong. Discontent has fueled a rising level of social violent, motorcycle gangs make war on the streets, and if one listens carefully, one hears rumors about 'Akira, a savior who wields tremendous powers. Kanada and Tetsuo are bike gangers, friends since childhood. When a conflict with the clown gang turns ultra-rough, Tetsuo is injured, just as the appearance of a child-like stranger brings the army down on everyone. Tetsuo is carted off to a secret facility where the 'examinations' trigger the development of mental powers. Enraged by years of powerlessness, and fury at his captors Tetsuo uses his powers to search for Akira, leaving a massive trail of destruction through Neo Tokyo. Kanada, the authorities, and a mysterious group of children struggle to prevent the impending apocalypse, but it is clear from the beginning that nothing will be left unchanged in a demonstration of the risks of granting powers to those who are not ready for them 'Akira' is an example of the power of animation, so finely grained that, wherever the eye rests, there is something to consider. While it still relies on non-stop action to carry it through, the characters, drawn from the dark side of the city are equally vivid. Typical of anime, the film drops the viewer into a whirlwind with little or no preparation, but I don't really think the plot of the film is particularly hard to understand. One simply needs to ride with the action, and things gradually become clear.
Rating: 
Summary: The best version to get.
Review: I know there is a new DTS version out in the Japanese language but I do prefer this DVD because it contains the dubbed English 5.1 track. There will be a lot of people out there who are die-hard purists who will disagree but I feel that the subtitled version of Akira just takes away some of the humor and timing of the 'acting'. I would never watch a dubbed live action film but there's no reason to feel guilty about watching anime dubbed in English. This DVD itself is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and has quite a few extra features. Sadly tho, none of them are new. In fact the main documentary is from 1988. I wish I got the limited edition when it first came out but...I missed it.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest anime ever
Review: Akira is an unbelivable movie. Its a thought provoking, cartoon frenzy. the animation in unbelievable even for todays standards. the story goes into government corruption, layalty and friendship. its not as hard to follow as it seem. the first time i saw this movie i decided it was my favorite, i watched it 20 times in one week, im still not sick of it. this film should be immortalized.
Rating:
Summary: This Movie Kind of Scared Me
Review: Akira was, although a bit confusing, an altogether amazing film. Though some of the characters could have used a little more depth, I realize that it was trying to focus on Tetsuo and Kaneda, the two main characters. I loved Tetsuo's power corruption, I thought it was very well displayed and brought upon(though the large, walking toys scared the pee out of me). Frighteningly deep, mixed with realism and dark overtones, this movie is excellent for those who love to ponder the meaning of life.
Rating:
Summary: The King of Anime
Review: Make no mistake. "Akira" is the first great anime known in the Western World. Wired Magazine included it in a list they made of the 20 greatest sci-fi movies of all time and you can definitely see why. It was, at the time, not just a great story that made live-action cinema jealous, it also was a milestone in technical merits, merging for the first time the purest Japanese tradition with some western accomplishments in animation. This two-disc edition is also the one you need to get. Finally, with re-mastered sound in THX, you can feel the pure pleasure of just kicking back and listening to that amazing soundtrack. It also has some very good (although old) documentaries about the whole making-of process. The "glossary" option is highly recommended for those who are not familiar with the story, and for all of you aspiring animators out there, there are literally tons of sketches and original drawings from the creators. As for the language, I strongly recommend skipping the English-dubbed version, which is very lame. The best option is to hear the movie in the original Japanese soundtrack and putting on some English Subtitles. By the way, how about throwing in some Spanish subtitles as well the next time? I'm seriously thinking about starting a crusade in favor of language diversity for Region 1. In conclusion, you can't call yourself an anime fan if you haven't seen this one. I'm by no means an expert on the genre, but I certainly know that "Akira" is an ineludible reference. As for the edition, it's clearly the best one available. Maybe it could've had more stuff considering the fact that it takes two discs, but the image and sound quality will definitely blow you away. See (and listen) for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest anime movie now on DVD!
Review: Set after 1988 when Tokyo gets bombed, 30 years later in the near future somewhere in 2019, it's now called "Neo-Tokyo" a urban jungle of Neons and Technology. A gang of good bikers led by "Kaneda" have a war against another Biker gang, but one of Kaneda's friends who is named " Tetsuo" gets hurt in a accident and is taken by Army soldiers, that's when things turn for the worst. Tetsuo is being the subject of a secret government experiment that gives him telepathic powers and telekinetic powers beyond belief, he now goes mad and rampages through Neo-Tokyo to find the source of his power. A brilliant, visually stunning, spectacular and unique futuristic animated science fiction thriller from Japan that set the ground for anime back in 1988, based on a popular Japanese comic book and is one of Japan's most popular and highest grossing movies. In 1989, it was brought here in America and amazed audiences as well as critics and introduced them to Japanese anime. Phrased for it's awesome animation, great artwork, details, stunning background, ultra-violence, high action, Atmosphere, character devolpment and a odd ending which makes this movie a one-of-a-kind experience that you must see on DVD. The DVD 2-Disc set is great and has great picture quality and CD-like sound in THX, Widescreen format, Bilignal with english Subtitles, and tons of Extras such as Trailers, "Behind the Scenes" and more, so if your interested in Anime or a fan of Animation, Science-Fiction, Action and anime then this is a must own. Also recommended: Ghost in the Shell, Blade Runner, Scanners, Total Recall, Heavy Metal, Day of the Dead, Carrie, Roland Emmerich's Making Contact ( a.k.a. Joey), The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Starship Troopers, The Matrix, Mad Max, Fist of the North Star ( 1986 animated), The Crow, The Road Warrior, Firestarter, The Rage: Carrie 2, The Fury, Metropolis ( anime version), The Dead Zone, Nightmare City, Die Hard, The Noah's Ark Principle, Saving Private Ryan, Esclaflowne: The Movie, The Sixth Sense, Minority Report, The Running Man, Wizards, The Thing ( 1982), Altered States, The Stand, Terminator 1 & 2, and Spriggan: The Movie.
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