Like when Idris Elba was cast as the Norse god Heimdall or Mos Def as Ford Prefect?
An actors talent is more important than their race unless the race of the character is one of his/her distinguishing attributes.
Because Akira is set in Japan it makes sense that the characters would be Japanese. If the movie is meant to be a direct live action remake then it should follow as closely to the original source material as possible. If the movie is meant to be "based on" or "inspired by" then all bets are off.
Look at the horrible Starship Troopers series of movies. Those were inspired by the book but were not a direct book to movie project. The soldiers didn't even have power armor!!!
Watchmen was a direct book to movie adaptation and while it did a decent job of turning the book into a movie it also fucked up quite a few things in an attempt to make it all fit into the time slot of a movie. That would have likely been better as an HBO mini series.
they've already changed it to Manhattan, because we know that Americans will spontaneously combust if they see a movie that isn't set in the Continental US - and if they're moving it to Manhattan, then I wouldn't be surprised if they changed the names, or did other things - I mean, it's not like they haven't already changed things, Last time I watched Akira, It was Tokyo, Kaneda was a biker, not a bar-owner(Because you can't have a hero that isn't a regular guy or a good guy pushed too far), It was his best friend and not his brother that gets captured, the underground terrorists are now American truth-seeking patriotic freedom fighters(Because they're fighting for the Truth in 'muuurica like true murricans, so they can't be terrorists, they ain't even brown! WE MADE SURE THEY'RE NOT BROWN!), and I'll bet you that Akira isn't just a brain in a jar, because goddamnit, Jim, Brains in jars are just unamerican and don't sell toys or have catchphrases.
It's the statement that things like this make about our entertainment industry and us as consumers of that entertainment that make me frown. So many instances of "this could be so much better" are bogged down and snuffed out by elements like those listed above.
I'll get more angry about this if it gets further into production. What I'm more angry about is Spike Lee remaking Old Boy. So Mr. Lee, how are you going to find a way to inject the struggle of the black man into Old Boy?
You seriously think the Twilight guy was the best actor they could come up with? No, it was because he is popular.
Ok, just to be correct, Kristen Stewart is the girl from Twilight. The actor playing Kaneda is the guy from Tron:Legacy. I think there is some level of over reaction to the casting choices. They cast Ken Watanabe! Sure, Stewart obviously has poor skills, but it's clearly not a situation like Avatar where they cast B/C grade actors. I think that everyone needs to just take a step back and wait.
Do you guys feel similarly outraged when films cast Chinese actors to portray Japanese characters (and vice-versa)?
You seriously think the Twilight guy was the best actor they could come up with? No, it was because he is popular.
Ok, just to be correct, Kristen Stewart is the girl from Twilight. The actor playing Kaneda is the guy from Tron:Legacy. I think there is some level of over reaction to the casting choices. They cast Ken Watanabe! Sure, Stewart obviously has poor skills, but it's clearly not a situation like Avatar where they cast B/C grade actors. I think that everyone needs to just take a step back and wait.
Do you guys feel similarly outraged when films cast Chinese actors to portray Japanese characters (and vice-versa)?
You guys jumped on me when I griped about the casting in Memoirs of a Geisha. Let's not go there again. Really, I think it all boils down to favoring popularity over anything else. Lucy Liu is a known name, so let's have her play all Asian ladies!
Okay, many people did, though. Japanese message boards are flaming it up in regards to this movie. Nerds over there are not happy either. I also heard comments like "Do Americans know there are any Japanese actors other than Watanabe Ken?"
If anything, Akira is about shedding the bonds of the flesh and achieving a higher plane of existence. Insisting that using a certain skin color or nationality to portray that is silly, because that's blatantly anti-theme.
Furthermore, the fact that the original was set in Japan in no way informed the theme of the film. Would the message change significantly if the remake were set in Rio or Mexico City? What if it were set in Beijing or Moscow?
If anything, Akira is about shedding the bonds of the flesh and achieving a higher plane of existence. Insisting that using a certain skin color or nationality to portray that is silly, because that's blatantly anti-theme.
Furthermore, the fact that the original was set in Japan in no way informed the theme of the film. Would the message change significantly if the remake were set in Rio or Mexico City? What if it were set in Beijing or Moscow?
It is ridiculously important that it was Neo Tokyo, and original Tokyo was destroyed. As opposed to say Neo Toronto. Why? Oh, I don't know. Something about WHALE AND DOLPHIN.
Listen, my main gripe is not about bad adaptations, it is about fucking racial bigotry in Hollywood.
I also take exception with this statement. Look at Clint Eastwood's films. Have you seen Letter's from Iwo Jima? What about Gran Torino? They both address Asian culture, with the former being (from what I understand) pretty well received in Japan.
It's also hard to say there is racial bigotry when there is a massive amount of black, hispanic, jewish, chinese, and other culture films that have done well. You are sampling three movies (one which hasn't even been made) to make broad generalizations of an industry.
My issue isn't even with the white people, it's over the change in plot. They're taking Kaneda and Tetsuo and changing their dynamic, changing the nature of the story, and whatever. Maybe our preliminary releases aren't true and it's going to stay closer to the original story, but it just sounds...Bad.
Also, they're keeping the Japanese names on white guys? That's just going to confuse everybody.
If anything, Akira is about shedding the bonds of the flesh and achieving a higher plane of existence. Insisting that using a certain skin color or nationality to portray that is silly, because that's blatantly anti-theme.
Furthermore, the fact that the original was set in Japan in no way informed the theme of the film. Would the message change significantly if the remake were set in Rio or Mexico City? What if it were set in Beijing or Moscow?
The history of Japan and atomic weapons, the culture of the bousozoku, the crazy cult people, the fight of the youth against a constricting society? I would say that at it's core Akira has some themes that are very noticeably born from Japanese culture and society.
Listen, my main gripe is not about bad adaptations, it is about fucking racial bigotry in Hollywood.
I also take exception with this statement. Look at Clint Eastwood's films. Have you seen Letter's from Iwo Jima? What about Gran Torino? They both address Asian culture, with the former being (from what I understand) pretty well received in Japan.
*trailers*
It's also hard to say there is racial bigotry when there is a massive amount of black, hispanic, jewish, chinese, and other culture films that have done well. You are sampling three movies (one which hasn't even been made) to make broad generalizations of an industry.
Just because they exist does not mean that they are the rule. I think those Clint Eastwood films are great. I think that there are many excellent examples of movies produced in Hollywood that explore other cultures or that feature minority actors. HOWEVER. In the business of producing blockbusters, it's a little different. I have heard from at least two of my professors who are film-makers that if, for example, you cast a black guy in the lead, marketing people will get nervous, because all of a sudden it's a "black film." If you cast a woman in a gender neutral role, it's also viewed as risky. It's viewed as lacking mass market appeal, it won't play in Peoria, it will isolate their target demographic yadayadayada.
My issue isn't even with the white people, it's over the change in plot. They're taking Kaneda and Tetsuo and changing their dynamic, changing the nature of the story, and whatever. Maybe our preliminary releases aren't true and it's going to stay closer to the original story, but it just sounds...Bad.
Also, they're keeping the Japanese names on white guys? That's just going to confuse everybody.
Maybe they are two white guys who were born and lived in the Japan their whole lives.
Besides if it is like the original I probably wouldn't even steal it to see it, I could just re-watch Akira. It's fans that ruin works like this they insist on things being a certain way. His motorcycle HAS to be red, they HAVE to be Japanese, you can't have a musical number about painting wagons.
Also, they're keeping the Japanese names on white guys? That's just going to confuse everybody.
Nobody said that, it's just names on a casting call, and they wouldn't have started filming yet. There is still a TON of time to change the names - hell, they changed actors after filming about half of Back the the Future, let alone names.
Also, they're keeping the Japanese names on white guys? That's just going to confuse everybody.
Nobody said that, it's just names on a casting call, and they wouldn't have started filming yet. There is still a TON of time to change the names - hell, they changed actors after filming about half of Back the the Future, let alone names.
Just think of how long Hayden Christianson was on as Case to ruin the neuromancer movie, before they wised up and took him out.
The history of Japan and atomic weapons, the culture of the bousozoku, the crazy cult people, the fight of the youth against a constricting society? I would say that at it's core Akira has some themes that are very noticeably born from Japanese culture and society.
Those things might be crucial to the story if the audience was entirely Japanese, but it's not. This isn't an anime. It's a mainstream movie intended for primarily Western audiences. Also, fears of atomics is pretty universal in our modern age, and the oppression of youth is a human concept, not a uniquely Japanese one. As for biker gangs and cults, again, your audience is American, not Japanese.
The history of Japan and atomic weapons, the culture of the bousozoku, the crazy cult people, the fight of the youth against a constricting society? I would say that at it's core Akira has some themes that are very noticeably born from Japanese culture and society.
Those things might be crucial to the story if the audience was entirely Japanese, but it's not. This isn't an anime. It's a mainstream movie intended for primarily Western audiences. Also, fears of atomics is pretty universal in our modern age, and the oppression of youth is a human concept, not a uniquely Japanese one. As for biker gangs and cults, again, your audience is American, not Japanese.
If that's the case, why make this movie at all? They should come up with a different story altogether based in the same universe.
If that's the case, why make this movie at all? They should come up with a different story altogether based in the same universe.
Because exploring one culture's stories in another culture is interesting. Because the director is passionate about Akira, but has his own ideas. Because my Octopus fucked your cat and that's not a euphemism. Because Money. Because nerd culture is becoming more mainstream. Because If you just remade Akira, people would still be complaining, because people like to complain.
Or most importantly, because they don't need any other reason beyond "Because someone wants to, for whatever reason."
If that's the case, why make this movie at all? They should come up with a different story altogether based in the same universe.
This is a weak argument. One needs only to look at the Magnificent Seven to realize that there is nothing wrong with reworking a foreign film for western audiences. Hell, even Star Wars has strong influences from The Hidden Fortress. Were those films racist for changing the story or casting white actors in the roles of Japanese characters?
This also goes to Jason's point. The Seven Samurai utilized Japanese history and culture to make the story relevant to Japanese audiences, but they obviously would not translate to western audiences. Is it wrong to change the setting, the actors, and some aspects of the story to make it relevant?
I think that many of you are taking objections with the artistic choices made by the writers/director because you are exposed to Japanese culture to a degree that is unreasonable to expect from Americans. I don't understand the culture of the bousozoku, nor do I know what it is to live in a culture where atomic weapons were used. Does that mean that the artists cannot change some aspects of the story to make me relate to the overall story?
Both Magnificent Seven and Star Wars had one major difference. They changed their names. If they changed the name of this movie from Akira to something else, we wouldn't give a shit. If "The Magnificent Seven" had been titled "The Seven Samurai" and not included any samurai, that would have been fucked up. If you want to call it Akira, at least try to make it Akira. If you just want to do something that's influenced by Akira, but isn't Akira, then change the name.
No one is addressing my point of "How far does something have to be from the original before it stops being an adaptation and starts being merely 'inspired by'?"
Both Magnificent Seven and Star Wars had one major difference. They changed their names. If they changed the name of this movie from Akira to something else, we wouldn't give a shit. If "The Magnificent Seven" had been titled "The Seven Samurai" and not included any samurai, that would have been fucked up. If you want to call it Akira, at least try to make it Akira. If you just want to do something that's influenced by Akira, but isn't Akira, then change the name.
This. Totally this. I think my Matrix analogy is pretty sound. Ghost in the Shell got them to make that movie, but they made it their own and weren't constrained by the source material. Make it NY, out a little thing in the credits "based on Akira" and you are done!
Both Magnificent Seven and Star Wars had one major difference. They changed their names. If they changed the name of this movie from Akira to something else, we wouldn't give a shit. If "The Magnificent Seven" had been titled "The Seven Samurai" and not included any samurai, that would have been fucked up. If you want to call it Akira, at least try to make it Akira. If you just want to do something that's influenced by Akira, but isn't Akira, then change the name.
Wow, this is such a pedantic argument that it's pathetic.
Both Magnificent Seven and Star Wars had one major difference. They changed their names. If they changed the name of this movie from Akira to something else, we wouldn't give a shit. If "The Magnificent Seven" had been titled "The Seven Samurai" and not included any samurai, that would have been fucked up. If you want to call it Akira, at least try to make it Akira. If you just want to do something that's influenced by Akira, but isn't Akira, then change the name.
Wow, this is such a pedantic argument that it's pathetic.
Both Magnificent Seven and Star Wars had one major difference. They changed their names. If they changed the name of this movie from Akira to something else, we wouldn't give a shit. If "The Magnificent Seven" had been titled "The Seven Samurai" and not included any samurai, that would have been fucked up. If you want to call it Akira, at least try to make it Akira. If you just want to do something that's influenced by Akira, but isn't Akira, then change the name.
Wow, this is such a pedantic argument that it's pathetic.
Both Magnificent Seven and Star Wars had one major difference. They changed their names. If they changed the name of this movie from Akira to something else, we wouldn't give a shit. If "The Magnificent Seven" had been titled "The Seven Samurai" and not included any samurai, that would have been fucked up. If you want to call it Akira, at least try to make it Akira. If you just want to do something that's influenced by Akira, but isn't Akira, then change the name.
Wow, this is such a pedantic argument that it's pathetic.
Actually, I don't think so. A creative work is a brand. By producing an unfaithful adaptation and tying it to the original, it changes the public perception of that brand. This is why I really dislike Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, because people who have not read the source material get wrong ideas about what actually happens in said book.
Actually, I don't think so. A creative work is a brand. By producing an unfaithful adaptation and tying it to the original, it changes the public perception of that brand. This is why I really dislike Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, because people who have not read the source material get wrong ideas about what actually happens in said book.
Shouldn't you hate pretty much all of Disney's cartoon films? I doubt that most of them are really any more faithful to the source material than the Hunchback was.
Comments
An actors talent is more important than their race unless the race of the character is one of his/her distinguishing attributes.
Because Akira is set in Japan it makes sense that the characters would be Japanese. If the movie is meant to be a direct live action remake then it should follow as closely to the original source material as possible. If the movie is meant to be "based on" or "inspired by" then all bets are off.
Look at the horrible Starship Troopers series of movies. Those were inspired by the book but were not a direct book to movie project. The soldiers didn't even have power armor!!!
Watchmen was a direct book to movie adaptation and while it did a decent job of turning the book into a movie it also fucked up quite a few things in an attempt to make it all fit into the time slot of a movie. That would have likely been better as an HBO mini series.
Do you guys feel similarly outraged when films cast Chinese actors to portray Japanese characters (and vice-versa)?
Really, I think it all boils down to favoring popularity over anything else. Lucy Liu is a known name, so let's have her play all Asian ladies!
Japanese message boards are flaming it up in regards to this movie. Nerds over there are not happy either. I also heard comments like "Do Americans know there are any Japanese actors other than Watanabe Ken?"
Takei as Kanada!!
Furthermore, the fact that the original was set in Japan in no way informed the theme of the film. Would the message change significantly if the remake were set in Rio or Mexico City? What if it were set in Beijing or Moscow?
It's also hard to say there is racial bigotry when there is a massive amount of black, hispanic, jewish, chinese, and other culture films that have done well. You are sampling three movies (one which hasn't even been made) to make broad generalizations of an industry.
Also, they're keeping the Japanese names on white guys? That's just going to confuse everybody.
Besides if it is like the original I probably wouldn't even steal it to see it, I could just re-watch Akira. It's fans that ruin works like this they insist on things being a certain way. His motorcycle HAS to be red, they HAVE to be Japanese, you can't have a musical number about painting wagons.
Or most importantly, because they don't need any other reason beyond "Because someone wants to, for whatever reason."
This also goes to Jason's point. The Seven Samurai utilized Japanese history and culture to make the story relevant to Japanese audiences, but they obviously would not translate to western audiences. Is it wrong to change the setting, the actors, and some aspects of the story to make it relevant?
I think that many of you are taking objections with the artistic choices made by the writers/director because you are exposed to Japanese culture to a degree that is unreasonable to expect from Americans. I don't understand the culture of the bousozoku, nor do I know what it is to live in a culture where atomic weapons were used. Does that mean that the artists cannot change some aspects of the story to make me relate to the overall story?