Akira has a lot of elements that lend themselves to the Chris Nolan style; it can be cerebral at times and possesses astonishing twists and turns. But Nolan has a mantra of sorts and that is that keeping things grounded and real is always better. Which may make a lot of fans of the source material a little antsy, but will no doubt make it more engaging for those who are not familiar with Akira. Akira features the fat kid from Up as an incredibly powerful psychic who can level a city if he has a temper tantrum. Hes flanked by the demented psychic Tetsuo, whose psychic powers develop to the point where his body cannot handle them and he mutates into some sort of Lovecraftian being who looks like a giant testicle crossed with a fetus that was kept in a pickle jar. Throw in children known as Espers who have the have the features of senior citizens in their late nineties and youve got a narrative full of body horror that is creepier than Udo Kiers character poster for Nymphomaniac. Nolans whole modus operandi is to take things that are weird, like a billionaire who would rather spend his nights in a rubber suit, beating up strangers instead of suffocating in a sea of Russian ballerinas, and make them less weird without taking away what made the original material tick. Akira has crazy sci-fi elements, which cant be overlooked if the adaptation is to truly be Akira, but Nolan will be able to create a happy medium for both fan and novice alike. Other directors may be too campy and lack restraint, making it seem soulless. Is Chris Nolan the man for the job or do you think that there are other directors who have the moxy? Sound off below!
