The animation is good for 1989, but the plot is nothing more than an idealized war story with kids. And it is all happening on Venus of all places. The heroes are a bunch of motorcycle kids who want to save their city from the invaders. They are not even alien invaders, just a bunch of other people. They get some weapons, mount a rebellion which amounts to little, but in the process they get the attention of the army proper and they are conscripted. The day is saved.The problem with the characters is that they are all teens. However annoying they may be, they are acting according to their role. Damn unsympathetic, though. The glory of war pop music on the background was also irritating. Bottom line: lame story, but good animation.

I have been a fan of anime since the mid 90s, and therefore I am hooked on the old-school (pre-CGI) titles. This is one of the best, and a personal favorite. To me, the CGI flicks just lack the artistic soul of good old fashioned anime where talented cell artists drew EVERYTHING. There really is no comparison, in my book. If I wanted something that looked like Metal Gear Solid, I would just stick with video games. But, back to the Venus Wars… This is sci-fi done right: after years of terraforming (and a comet strike), Venus has a breathable atmosphere and can be colonized by man. Unfortunately, he brought with him his constant bickering which leads to the inevitable war. A group of motorcycle racers becomes caught up in a fight for freedom from a neighbor turned oppressor. The story is complete: it has the small human drama and the high-level political intrigue. The battle scenes are fantastic and the future-war machines look incredible. As with most anime, this one is geared for the adult audience, with violence and swearing, but nothing beyond PG-13 territory. I have the English language dub version (I just don't like subtitles). The actors are great and music is superior. The story is smart and will appeal to the older audience. One outstanding idea is the monobikes they ride; one-wheeled motorcycles with gyro-stabilization. All motorcycles they have follow that basic design. They are used for basic transportation, racing, and for combat. Far out! All in all, you would be hard pressed to find a better sci-fi anime, and I have dozens in my collection. Also, check out Bounty Dog, Appleseed, Vampire Wars, and Angel Cop.

This is the first manga film that I watched, and the reason to develop my interest and look for more movies. And thanks to this baby I found "AKIRA", for which I won't stop being grateful. The movie, simply said, has it all. there's action, thrill, criticizing general issues, a bit of romance. The big influence comes from Hiro - he's a boy, deeply interested and amazed by all the unfairness in this world, and as we can see, does everything in his powers to fix it all. Even though he is still a teenager, his seriousness and bravery make his a truly amazing character.a perfect movie, worth the time 10 out of 10

I first saw this back on the Sci-Fi Channel when they used to show Anime on Saturday morning at 9 pm. I may have been 15, and it was my first exposure to anime, and I watched every single week. One week they showed Venus Wars, and I loved it when I first saw it. Something about it really stuck with me, atmosphere, story... I never forgot about it. Then recently I had an opportunity to order a copy and I did. I popped it into the DVD player, hoping that it would be as good as I had imagined it... it was. This movie just plain rocks. Every character is textured and believable, and the animation, while not being mind-blowing, is just perfect... it relays the grim reality of war time on Venus perfectly and the atmosphere it generates is what I remembered the most about it.If you like anime that has an awesome story, good animation, I would suggest tracking this down.