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The Matrix??

posted 13 years ago by syildirim89
8 replies | jump to latest

I heard lots of comments about how similar The Matrix and Akira are, and how there wouldn't be Matrix in the first place if it wasn't for Akira. I've recently watched Akira for the very first time, but I couldn't find any similarities between them..

Can anyone fill me in please? What am I missing? It was a great movie but I really didn't get how did Akira influent The Matrix, or if is that even true?

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[–] jackstarr777 13 years ago

I guess it's because The Matrix was heavily based on the style and ideas of some anime and manga, though it was most heavily influenced by Ghost in the Shell (watch that and you'll see loads of similarities). Akira started off a massive wave of anime that was popular in the west and paved the way for such films.

[–] Etherdave 12 years ago

The 'Punker/Biker/Greaser' aesthetic of the 'Matrix' films has an obvious precedent in 'Akira', which was itself inspired by Tokyo-area youth culture of the period. The 'Red Pill' may be a direct reference to the casual drug culture presented in 'Akira'. The motif of the protagonists constantly on the run from authority figures is now a basic element of the Cyberpunk genre, as is the 'technology gap' that usually exists between these two groups. The fact that an animated film has had such an effect on the live-action film industry is, itself, rather remarkable.

[–] leykisstudent101 11 years ago

Dark City had more influence on the Matrix than anything. The creators of the Matrix even admitted to Dark City being their greatest influence.

[–] lisztnet 11 years ago

Johnny Mnemonic (1995) is very close to The Matrix, in many aspects for ex. internet as second reality.

But here we have at least the green screen with raining numbers...

[–] beetleborgs69 11 years ago

They're both apocalyptic. They focus on an antichrist character coming to terms with super powers that are unestablished in programmed reality.

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[–] BigBadDolemite 11 years ago

There is none...

[–] TalesfromTheCryptfan 10 years ago

Well duh! this movie is influential to Matrix and many popular movies inspired by it.

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[–] criztu 9 years ago

The Matrix??

Nope.

If u want to understand how The Matrix came to be, read William Gibson's Neuromancer (1984), it's all there.

And if you're too lazy to read that fundamental cyber punk sci fi, here's more info:
Keanu Reeves played the protagonist in Johnny Mnemonic (1995), a sci fi movie written by William Gibson.

It's pretty simple: the Wachowsky bros saw Keanu in Johnny Mnemonic, and they proceeded to either steal or buy, or get permission to use William Gibson's universe and ideas.
The very word Matrix is taken straight from the Neuromancer novel.