Akira

I could tell you who the director, producer etc was, but for all that information you might as well head over to Anime News Network.  What I will tell you is that this movie had a HUGE impact on me when I was young.  It was the second anime movie I had seen on the big screen and at the time, it was the coolest thing I'd seen.  Biker gangs, psychic powers, orbital laser strikes ...what's not to love about this film.

Akira focuses mainly on a young punk named Kaneda who leads a group of bikers.  During one of their skirmishes with some rival bikers Tetsuo (one of Kaneda's gang) is injured and encounters a kid with strange abilities.  Shortly after, Tetsuo is abducted by the military along with the kid he encountered.  From this point on Kaneda becomes focused on rescuing Tetsuo, meanwhile Tetsuo begins to develop a whole new set of problems.  Akira is a story of youthful rebellion, government oppression and friendship.  The art in this movie is fantastic and the soundtrack very fitting.  Some parts of the movie get very Surreal and make you think about underlying meanings.  I still remember discussing the meaning of various parts of Akira with my buddy on the drive home after.  I think any anime fan should see Akira, especially if you are in your teens or early 20's.