I learned today that there is a live action filmed based on the 1988 classic Japanese animated film AKIRA. I haven’t found any conclusive evidence about who is behind it exactly – some sources say that Leonardo DiCaprio is producing, however I haven’t seen anything that confirms this entirely. However, DiCaprio is producing a NINJA SCROLL film that is scheduled for release this year, according to its IMDB page. I did not see AKIRA listed on DiCaprio’s IMDB page.
The idea of a remake of AKIRA makes me sick. The idea of an Americanized live-action version makes me feel even worse. The rumor mill has it that this film will take place in New York City. Which, NYC is actually quite logical, as it’s perhaps the city most representative of America – the most symbolic. Although, I think LA could work as well (or maybe just for something more like BUBBLE GUM CRISIS? eep I better stop before I give the Hollywood rapists anymore ideas.)
I think that the film could be OK, if given to the right hands, but the original AKIRA film was already so monumental that it doesn’t need a remake, and in fact, it’s coming out soon on Blu-Ray in a special “restored” Anniversary edition.
Realistically, I know that regardless of whether the movie is good or bad, this remake won’t detract from the original, and if anything could bring about renewed interest in the original. Just look at the film adaptation of the English book series HIS DARK MATERIALS, the freakin’ pile of garbage that was THE GOLDEN COMPASS. Wasn’t for my anticipation of that movie, I never would have read the books. They’re great – I recommend them for anyone of any age – but the movie was a pile of shit: Why the hell would you hand over a book about ATHEISM and the corruption of the Catholic Church over to a Catholic director to make in to a movie? Needless to say, many of the layers were lost with that one as all the central themes were stripped, in favor of turning it in to a simple adventure film. But anywhooo, I’m pretty glad I got to read those books that I otherwise wouldn’t have had it not been for the movie.
Then we have the SILENT HILL movie. It made sense actually to make an American adaptation of Silent Hill, since the games took place in a fictional small American town. I did enjoy the film, it’s probably the best video game movie ever made, but while I won’t say it sucked, I won’t say I was completely satisfied either. They changed the male lead to a female lead – in an interview the director Christophe Gans said that this decision was made because the role was a “motherly one,” and American audiences wouldn’t find a man in that position “believable.” I found that to be bullshit.
With Silent Hill I think there was too much money behind it. The “Hollywood” system needs to make their money back, or else a lot of people lose jobs. And because they rely on movies to make a living, they keep upping the ante with more and more gimmicks. I honestly believe the only real way to handle a property like SILENT HILL is with a modest budget, and a damn good director. Just go back and look at what’s already been made prior to Silent Hill, look at films that had a closer feel to the original mood of the game: David Lynch’s Eraserhead, the classic 60s horror film Carnival of Souls, Jacob’s Ladder, or even Takashi Miike’s GOZU. But instead, we got a relatively true to the original source game that was altered enough to appeal to a much more massive crowd.
I have much more respect for films that attempt something original, without having to name itself after its inspirational source. Take FEARdotCOM for example. That movie while not necessarily a classic, as a fan of RINGU I found it be quite interesting and enjoyable. FEARdotCOM is an adaptation of the 3 original RINGU films, with elements of the Korean tv series thrown in, that came out the same year as THE RING in 2002. I caught it on tv a few years ago, and was actually quite surprised at how much better they were at telling the story than the American RING series was. THE RING had much better special effects, but had much less believability because it just seemed to throw in random supernatural stuff for the sake of special effects, while the original Japanese films seemed to work a logical set of rules (within the confines of its “world” anyway) and created a much more believable and psychological experience on a more modest budget.
I mention that because, well, I would much rather see a film inspired by Akira, with a different title and what not, than an adaptation that shares the same name. Especially if it’s altered enough to essentially not be the same story. Which, placing Akira in America does kind of undermine a great deal of the symbolism behind the original story! Which isn’t to say that some of those elements aren’t universal and couldn’t be transfered to another location, it just is a story that’s inherently very Japanese, that “America” itself doesn’t have quite the same right to. It’s would almost be akin to if we made our own version of GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES set here in America.
I’m hoping that this will turn out to be another Karate Kid, and totally surprise at me at how good it is when I see it, but I honestly doubt it will. Unless they get some serious talent that’s completely sensitive to the original sources behind this project, that has a real love of cinema, it’s going to suck. Especially, if it’s as the rumor mill has it: going to be PG-13 and split up in to multiple films.
That’s all for now.
