68
Metascore
22 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100New Times (L.A.)Luke Y. ThompsonNew Times (L.A.)Luke Y. ThompsonOne of the few unanimously acclaimed classics of Japanese animation.
- 100Total FilmSimon KinnearTotal FilmSimon KinnearConceived on an unprecedented scale in ambition and technique, Otomo’s rich visuals and awe-inspiring action depict a post-apocalyptic dystopia where the threat of feral biker gangs is dwarfed by the rise of an uncontrollable psychic.
- 100Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerAustin ChronicleRichard WhittakerAdapted by Katsuhiro Otomo from his sprawling, post-apocalyptic cyberpunk tale of government conspiracies, street gangs, and psychic powers that can save or destroy the world, it's still an all-time classic, and has never looked better.
- 80The New York TimesJanet MaslinThe New York TimesJanet MaslinViolent as it is on the surface, Akira is tranquil at its core. The story's sanest characters plead for the wise use of mankind's frightening new powers, lending the whole film the feeling of a cautionary tale.
- 80Washington PostWashington PostThe most expensive animated feature ever made in Japan (over 1 billion yen) and it's easily the most impressive, as well.
- 80The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawAkira’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.
- 80Time OutTime OutIt’s a towering achievement of imagination and the detail of each frame is a miracle of film artistry.
- 70Village VoiceMichael AtkinsonVillage VoiceMichael AtkinsonSome kind of fever-dream masterpiece, easily the most breathtaking and kinetic anime ever made and one of the most eloquent films about atomic afterclap.
- The powerful movement of the movie is exhilarating, but it's all action with little characterization or plot. There is a moral here about mankind's lust for power, but it never clearly emerges from the spectacle of destruction and violence. Ultimately, AKIRA is really all about the animation.