It remains, for me, a mystery the source of seduction of this film. Sure, the story, the fights, the determination and vulnerability of the lead character. But it is more. Something becoming, scene by scene, the answer to deep expectations of the viewer. The story is simple and many pieces of it are so familiar. But it remains, from the beginning to the last scene, just fascinating. No explanations. Only a great and solid show.
2,964 Reviews
Please let the franchise continue
bowmanblue4 March 2019
Yes, every film these days isn't just a film. It's the beginning of a larger body of work, a shared universe, or trying to set up an ongoing franchise. And, besides the Marvel Shared Universe and a few pre-existing properties like 'Star Wars,' most fledgling film franchises struggles beyond the first offering. That's simply because they make setting up a wider universe more of a priority than actually simply telling a good story (that 'Dark Universe' saga that tried to get off the ground with Tom Cruise at the helm, anyone?).
Now, I'm not going to say that the producers of 'Alita: Battle Angel' wouldn't love the franchise to still be going in ten years time (complete with all sorts of spin-off tales of secondary characters and probably a TV series to boot), but at least it stands on its own as a great story and - if it doesn't get a sequel - can be looked at as a whole, rather than something that started and was never concluded.
It's set well into the future where the world has been ravaged by one giant war (aka 'The Fall') and half the (unlucky) population live in a junkyard of a city on Earth, while those better off live in a floating city above it, known as 'Zolum.' The status quo remains until a Dr Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) who specialises in creating cyborgs out of spare parts finds the remains of a young cyborg girl ('Alita,' in case you haven't guessed!) on the scrap heap and takes it upon himself to rebuild her. Of course the plot needs her to have forgotten who true identity and - naturally - this all links in with what will become her destiny to bring a little more equality between the two last cities on Earth and the mysterious ruler who 'watches all.'
So, it's kind of one of those 'prophecy/saviour' type films which certainly aren't that original, but, if done right, are very entertaining - and Alita is very entertaining. First of all Rosa Salazar is a very likable lead and, despite not having too many major roles to her credit, does brilliantly at holding the weight of the story on her shoulders. She's also got on hand Christoph Waltz, who always turns in a great performance in whatever he's in. This is no different and their relationship is the character-highpoint of the film.
Alita's love interest is 'Hugo' (Keean Johnson) and, although I couldn't really find fault with anything about his performance, I got the impression that his part could have been played by anyone. Jennifer Connelly is on the cast-list, but I felt she was a little underused and could have been in it a lot more. And, despite being a big fan, I only found out that Jackie Earle Haley was in the film after seeing his name on the credits and having to look up who he played online afterwards
It's all stylishly directed by Robert Rodriguez, despite having James Cameron as co-producer and writer, the directoral honours seemed to have gone to Rodriguez. His natural style of fast-paced shots work better for the action and amount of CGI used. I know Cameron did - practically - an entire film ('Avatar') in CGI, but in Alita (and this could just be because a more modern film can blend live action and computer effects together) better, the effects look for more polished and real when compared to 'Avatar.' The soundtrack is also pretty generic and you certainly won't be humming the theme tune for months to come after leaving the cinema.
But, that's just a minor gripe. Basically, if you're in the mood for some great action and don't mind the lengthy two-hour run-time, you should definitely check this one out. After only a couple of scenes you'll stop wondering why Alita's eyes are so (CGI) big and concentrate on her growth as a character (and, is it just me, or is she using 'Sting' i.e. the sword from 'Lord of the Rings' to save the world?).
I see that it's only got a big of a lukewarm reception from some critics, but, if you see what the fans are saying about it, I think you'll know who to believe. Bring on the next installment.
Now, I'm not going to say that the producers of 'Alita: Battle Angel' wouldn't love the franchise to still be going in ten years time (complete with all sorts of spin-off tales of secondary characters and probably a TV series to boot), but at least it stands on its own as a great story and - if it doesn't get a sequel - can be looked at as a whole, rather than something that started and was never concluded.
It's set well into the future where the world has been ravaged by one giant war (aka 'The Fall') and half the (unlucky) population live in a junkyard of a city on Earth, while those better off live in a floating city above it, known as 'Zolum.' The status quo remains until a Dr Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) who specialises in creating cyborgs out of spare parts finds the remains of a young cyborg girl ('Alita,' in case you haven't guessed!) on the scrap heap and takes it upon himself to rebuild her. Of course the plot needs her to have forgotten who true identity and - naturally - this all links in with what will become her destiny to bring a little more equality between the two last cities on Earth and the mysterious ruler who 'watches all.'
So, it's kind of one of those 'prophecy/saviour' type films which certainly aren't that original, but, if done right, are very entertaining - and Alita is very entertaining. First of all Rosa Salazar is a very likable lead and, despite not having too many major roles to her credit, does brilliantly at holding the weight of the story on her shoulders. She's also got on hand Christoph Waltz, who always turns in a great performance in whatever he's in. This is no different and their relationship is the character-highpoint of the film.
Alita's love interest is 'Hugo' (Keean Johnson) and, although I couldn't really find fault with anything about his performance, I got the impression that his part could have been played by anyone. Jennifer Connelly is on the cast-list, but I felt she was a little underused and could have been in it a lot more. And, despite being a big fan, I only found out that Jackie Earle Haley was in the film after seeing his name on the credits and having to look up who he played online afterwards
It's all stylishly directed by Robert Rodriguez, despite having James Cameron as co-producer and writer, the directoral honours seemed to have gone to Rodriguez. His natural style of fast-paced shots work better for the action and amount of CGI used. I know Cameron did - practically - an entire film ('Avatar') in CGI, but in Alita (and this could just be because a more modern film can blend live action and computer effects together) better, the effects look for more polished and real when compared to 'Avatar.' The soundtrack is also pretty generic and you certainly won't be humming the theme tune for months to come after leaving the cinema.
But, that's just a minor gripe. Basically, if you're in the mood for some great action and don't mind the lengthy two-hour run-time, you should definitely check this one out. After only a couple of scenes you'll stop wondering why Alita's eyes are so (CGI) big and concentrate on her growth as a character (and, is it just me, or is she using 'Sting' i.e. the sword from 'Lord of the Rings' to save the world?).
I see that it's only got a big of a lukewarm reception from some critics, but, if you see what the fans are saying about it, I think you'll know who to believe. Bring on the next installment.
Alita
0U12 February 2020
I loved this movie! Alita: Battle Angel is my type of movie. I love the science fiction and the great action throughout the entire movie. It also has a very substantive story as a solid foundation. The setting is very grim but Alita's character is uplifting and gives viewers hope. I liked how Alita's story also involves a quest of finding out who she truly is. She finds herself in a world where she can be seen as somewhat ordinary. But she comes to find out that she's far from ordinary. She's an angel from heaven. I really enjoyed this movie and the story itself can be explained further in other films. I hope there's a sequel as the ending laid the framework for more films. This movie is emotional, action filled, and has intense action sequences. The creators of this film did a nice job of spacing out the action. They didn't rush into it and every battle scene was meaningful. I would definitely recommend this movie.
Alita is beautiful, stunning and an incrediable film
gerry_barnaby6 February 2019
Alita Battle Angel is what happens when Hollywood finally get an Anime film right, ive gotta say James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez should work more together because this film is incredible.
This film had heart and soul poured into its story and you could tell that 1000 of hours of work have gone into making this film. They've pulled one of the best films this year with incredible visual effects and CGI work that give this film a beautiful setting and background.
The visual effect of Alita (voiced by Rosa Salazar) we're incredibly done giving detail in her eyes which made her character on screen look more like an actual human actress. Her character and acting is what made this film, they give her a human soul and a purpose with the writing which is so well done, it gives the audience an emotional journey of a young woman trying to discover who she is.
The love interest side of the film is so done right it doesn't feel forced as well which along with its action sequences as well as it supporting cast was nothing short of perfect. The story does a great job of not revealing too much to earlier as slowly building up characters so you understand the story and draws you into every moment, this is matched by the awesome fight scenes and great formidable villains of the film adding to incredible film.
This is one of those films that deserves a sequel and to be a successful film as of what they've realised here is one of the best live action anime films, with a damn near perfect if it was for slight pacing issue that doesn't really affect the film but is noticeable.
Does it live up to the hype? HELL YES this film live up to the hype this is a must to watch on teh big screen hopefully were see a sequel come from it because it so needs it.
Dislikes: The only flaw I spotted as ive said there was a slight issue with pacing, not that it affects the film in any way but was noticeable.
This film had heart and soul poured into its story and you could tell that 1000 of hours of work have gone into making this film. They've pulled one of the best films this year with incredible visual effects and CGI work that give this film a beautiful setting and background.
The visual effect of Alita (voiced by Rosa Salazar) we're incredibly done giving detail in her eyes which made her character on screen look more like an actual human actress. Her character and acting is what made this film, they give her a human soul and a purpose with the writing which is so well done, it gives the audience an emotional journey of a young woman trying to discover who she is.
The love interest side of the film is so done right it doesn't feel forced as well which along with its action sequences as well as it supporting cast was nothing short of perfect. The story does a great job of not revealing too much to earlier as slowly building up characters so you understand the story and draws you into every moment, this is matched by the awesome fight scenes and great formidable villains of the film adding to incredible film.
This is one of those films that deserves a sequel and to be a successful film as of what they've realised here is one of the best live action anime films, with a damn near perfect if it was for slight pacing issue that doesn't really affect the film but is noticeable.
Does it live up to the hype? HELL YES this film live up to the hype this is a must to watch on teh big screen hopefully were see a sequel come from it because it so needs it.
Dislikes: The only flaw I spotted as ive said there was a slight issue with pacing, not that it affects the film in any way but was noticeable.
I wish the film was longer
Gordon-116 May 2020
The story is good, the pace is fast, the visuals are very good. And Alita's eyes are really big! I actually enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. I thought the ending was too abrupt - I wish the film was longer.
Incredible Visuals Bogged Down By a Bad Script
ThomasDrufke25 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Coming from the producing mind of James Cameron, Alita: Battle Angel is one of the most visually impressive films of recent memory, though it doesn't necessarily have the script to go along with those dazzling visuals. Rosa Salazar is fantastic as the titular Alita, and once again proves that she deserves more starring roles in Hollywood. The problem lies with the screenplay, a cringe worthy romance, and underdeveloped characters. But at the very least, it's a fun action film in a universe that I would love to see more films take place in.
7.5/10
7.5/10
An Above-Average Anime Epic
zardoz-136 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
"Sin City" director Robert Rodriguez's manga-inspired, post-apocalyptic, science fiction, cyberpunk, origin epic "Alita: Battle Angel" is a spectacular, but predictable fantasy extravaganza set in the dystopian future of the 26th century. The action unfolds in the year 2563, after an Armageddon referred to as "The Fall," otherwise known as "The Great War," has devastated Earth. The eponymous heroine is a formidable cyborg warrioress, abandoned to rust on a scrap heap, who fears nobody and nothing. Miraculously, Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz of "Inglourious Basterds"), a bespectacled cyberphysician, rescues her remains, and then revives this 300-year old combatant. Like Rodriguez's previous, mature-themed, actioneers "El Mariachi" (1992), "Desperado" (1995), "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996), "The Faculty" (1998), "Once Upon A Time in Mexico" (2003), "Planet Terror" (2007), "Machete" (2010), "Machete Kills" (2013), and "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" (2014), "Alita: Battle Angel" qualifies as a triumph of style over substance. Each of these B-movies is the equivalent of cinematic junk food. Fast-paced, outlandish, but diverting nonsense, these nine guilty pleasures are ideal if you find yourself plagued by insomnia. Rarely does Rodriquez fail to deliver. The combat scenes in "Alita" rival those in the Keanu Reeves' classic "The Matrix." James Cameron, who has helmed masterpieces, such as "The Terminator," "Aliens," "The Abyss," "Titanic," and "Avatar," co-scripted the screenplay with "Terminator Genisys" scribe Laeta Kalogridis. Reportedly, Cameron bought the rights to manga writer Yukito Kishiro's "Battle Angel Alita" (1990) and then sought to direct it himself. The success of "Avatar" and the pressure of directing four "Avatar" sequels forced Cameron to shelve Kishiro's manga heroine. Happily, Rodriquez stepped in and took the helm, with Cameron doing double-duty as writer & producer. Manga fans will be pleased to learn "Alita" preserves a substantial part of Kishiro's characters and conflict. Of course, Rodriquez has toned down the horrific gore from the source material to avoid an R-rating. You won't see Grewishka sucking the brains out of his enemies as he did in the manga.
After he resurrects Alita, Ido equips her with a cyborg body which he had designed initially for his crippled but now departed daughter. Alita awakens the next day and admires the lovely designs that adorn her new body. Ido tells her she is 300-years old, and he explains she was a battle warrior like none other in the universe. As in the Jason Bourne thrillers, Alita remembers nothing from her past, until she engages in combat. Nevertheless, our heroine doesn't know what to make of these fleeting memories, especially when she performs the ancient, martial arts, fighting technique "Panzer Kunst." Once she shifts into full-combat mode, Alita is not to be toyed with, despite her petite stature. In some respects, Alita's repeated clashes with an obnoxious, overbearing, part-human/part-cyborg colossus, Grewishka (Jackie Earl Haley of "Watchmen"), imitate the Biblical story of David & Goliath. Alita never backs down from any fight. Later, when she is reduced to little more than a head and torso with one arm, she refuses to capitulate to Grewishka. By far, Alita ranks as the most pugnacious female warrior cyborg you'll ever see in any movie. She can make fools of her opponents, such is her acrobatic skills and timing. At one point, Grewishka acquires a weapon which transforms each finger of his mechanical right hand into flying chains with grappling hooks that can be deployed at supersonic speed against an unsuspecting opponent. Indeed, Grewishka is one of Alita's chief adversaries.
After Alita acquires her new set of limbs and legs, she learns more about Iron City, Zalem, and Motorball. A war has decimated Earth, and only one gigantic, airborne, saucer-shaped city out of ten has survived, and it is called Zalem. The Earth itself resembles a sprawling wasteland, and Zalem has built a factory and farms on the land beneath it to supply and nourish its hopelessly affluent citizens. The multi-lingual metropolis of Iron City lies beneath the shadow of Zalem, and the refugees of this holocaust have gathered from all parts of the Earth to settle beneath it to provide for the floating city. Gigantic tubes that anchor the flying city to the terrain are designed to transport cargo to Zalem. Literally, Zalem constitutes a heaven on Earth. Naturally, everybody dreams of ascending to Zalem, but immigration is strictly forbidden. Zalem has combat measures to repel any attempts to breach it. In this respect, "Alita: Battle Angel" resembles the Matt Damon & Jodie Foster sci-fi saga "Elysium" (2013) where disenfranchised minorities struggled to enter the city orbiting Planet Earth to take advantage of its life-saving medical treatments.
Not only does "Alita" allude to "Elysium," but it also features a sport reminiscent of "Rollerball" (1975) starring James Caan as well as the 2002 remake with Chris Klein. In both versions of "Rollerball," everything revolved around a futuristic sport called Rollerball, a souped-up version of roller derby, with life and death outcomes which mimicked the mass hysteria that galvanized ancient Roman audiences during their bloodthirsty gladiatorial tournaments. Supposedly, only the greatest player in the murderous sport of Motorball has a chance to ascend to Zalem. The harrowing Motorball scenes are among some of the most exhilarating, with a wide variety of cyborgs careening around recklessly as if they were competing in a demolition derby. These cyborgs resemble refugees from a "Transformers" escapade. Not only does Alita tangle with the minions of a tyrant, Vector (Mahershala Ali of "Green Book"), who supervises Motorball betting, but also with an omniscient overlord, Nova (Edward Norton), who manipulates Vector from Zalem.
Altogether, watching the above-average "Alita: Battle Angel" is a lot of fun. When Rodriquez isn't dazzling us with the staggering, CGI-laden, gymnastic battles, he trots out an impressive cast, including Jennifer Connelly, Ed Skrein, Rick Yune, Jeff Fahey, and Jai Courtney, with Michelle Rodriguez performing a voice-over in Alita's memories. Produced for a mind-blowing $170 million, "Alita: Battle Angel" concludes on a promising cliffhanger. Whether or not a sequel ensues will depend entirely on its box office statistics.
Forget the glut of bland superhero movies... just watch Alita!
warren-8723514 February 2019
Since Titanic and Avatar, I've stopped expecting Cameron movies to be great, but having seen this on 3D Imax the other day... let's just say he and Robert Rodriguez won me over again! Alita is the best big sci-fi action movie I've seen in a _long_ time. In an age where we're just seeing the same plots recycled again and again with interchangeable, soulless super-heroes, I enjoyed the hell out of this. I'm not saying it was perfect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I could have sat in that cinema for another couple of hours, without any worry of boredom. I can't remember the last time I watched a big effects movie and felt so completely lost in it.
Although I was aware of Battle Angel Alita, I've never been a massive Anime fan and never read or watched the original anime, so I had no preconceptions or expectations going in. Many of the plot themes and ideas may have been done before(**cough** Rollerball - amongst others **cough**), but you can say that about almost any movie. The real question is whether those ideas are packaged in a new engrossing story with interesting characters and the answer, in Alita's case, is a big yes.
Rosa Salazar is brilliant as Alita. The level of emotion she gets through the mo-cap is astonishing, and quite honestly puts many live action stars to shame. The large eyes may stem from honouring her anime origins, but you soon forget them, and only see the character. Not only that, but in the context of the story and her past, they feel quite logical.
There's a hefty dose of Robocop to her story, in a good way, whilst her character has a sincerity and (non-annoying) innocence that all combines to make her a sympathetic hero that you want to see succeed. So from my perspective, I can't recommend Alita enough! This is the kind of blockbuster I hope is successful, because I truly want to watch the sequel.
As with so many big-budget effects movies, I went in hoping for the best, but expecting yet another 'all-flash, no-substance' movie, like so many of the Marvel films. I was happy to be wrong for a change.
I can't wait for the 3D Blu Ray to enjoy this again, and especially watch how it was made. I may even have to see it again at the cinema, before it finishes its run... It's been a while since I could say that about a big blockbuster!
Although I was aware of Battle Angel Alita, I've never been a massive Anime fan and never read or watched the original anime, so I had no preconceptions or expectations going in. Many of the plot themes and ideas may have been done before(**cough** Rollerball - amongst others **cough**), but you can say that about almost any movie. The real question is whether those ideas are packaged in a new engrossing story with interesting characters and the answer, in Alita's case, is a big yes.
Rosa Salazar is brilliant as Alita. The level of emotion she gets through the mo-cap is astonishing, and quite honestly puts many live action stars to shame. The large eyes may stem from honouring her anime origins, but you soon forget them, and only see the character. Not only that, but in the context of the story and her past, they feel quite logical.
There's a hefty dose of Robocop to her story, in a good way, whilst her character has a sincerity and (non-annoying) innocence that all combines to make her a sympathetic hero that you want to see succeed. So from my perspective, I can't recommend Alita enough! This is the kind of blockbuster I hope is successful, because I truly want to watch the sequel.
As with so many big-budget effects movies, I went in hoping for the best, but expecting yet another 'all-flash, no-substance' movie, like so many of the Marvel films. I was happy to be wrong for a change.
I can't wait for the 3D Blu Ray to enjoy this again, and especially watch how it was made. I may even have to see it again at the cinema, before it finishes its run... It's been a while since I could say that about a big blockbuster!
Don't analyze the script, just enjoy it for what it is: an action movie with a very likeable heroine and great VFX
mmccauley-523095 February 2019
I'm a 47 year old man who went to film school. I loved this movie. There's no point in trying to dissect what Alita: Battle Angel got right or wrong in terms of script or pacing or character development or whatever else film snobs like to blather on about. This is just a fun, action-packed first installment of what I hope will at least be a trilogy, if not more. And they couldn't have cast Alita more perfectly, even if her on-screen form is completely digital. Great movie. Tons of fun. Don't overthink it.
Entertaining from start to finish
na_icecream5 February 2019
I really love this movie. The storyline is really great. Exciting from start to finish. The graphics are really cool. Its like I didn't wanna blink at all.
The plot is not mind-numbing as critics say. Well it seems like I have to stop listening to them. Because this film is worth watching by everyone.
Thank you for all people behind this movie. I'm sure this movie wasn't easy to make.
Now I really hope I don't have to wait too long for the sequel...
Astonishing
The-honest-critic13 February 2019
I'll be honest, when I went into to cinema to watch this movie I was expecting to not like it. I had seen a little bit of the trailer and it did not really "speak" to me and Alita's eyes were off putting. When the movie had begun I was actually searching for things to dislike but surprisingly there were none apart from a few cringeworthy moments. I quickly got used to Alita's eyes and they became in fact likeable. The story began to draw me in and I got completely absorbed into the story and the visuals.
The world is extraordinary and beautiful and the action scenes in this movie are fantastic, quite honestly some of the best I have seen. The story is a bit fast paced but not to a degree that it feels rushed. Alita as a character is great, she is kind-hearted, innocent, naive and protective. Throughout the movie Alita grows as a person and learns about sacrifice, loss, love and the horrors of the human mind. Alita is very likeable because she is such a good person in such a horrible world and you can't help feeling very sympathetic for an innocent being like her as she is exposed to the cruel world of Iron City.
I watched this movie without knowing the source material and I loved it. I was drawn in very early on and had to watch it a second time. I can definitely recommend this movie to anyone.
The world is extraordinary and beautiful and the action scenes in this movie are fantastic, quite honestly some of the best I have seen. The story is a bit fast paced but not to a degree that it feels rushed. Alita as a character is great, she is kind-hearted, innocent, naive and protective. Throughout the movie Alita grows as a person and learns about sacrifice, loss, love and the horrors of the human mind. Alita is very likeable because she is such a good person in such a horrible world and you can't help feeling very sympathetic for an innocent being like her as she is exposed to the cruel world of Iron City.
I watched this movie without knowing the source material and I loved it. I was drawn in very early on and had to watch it a second time. I can definitely recommend this movie to anyone.
The Gunnm I liked
soultakerneo16 February 2019
As a longtime fan of Gunnm(Battle Angel Alita), I am satisfied. I appreciate the production team took their time to do the research of the original serials. The adaptation is great, they filtered out few "acquire taste" and swapped in elements that would make much more appeal to general public. The film really kept true to the original manga and reassembled almost everything from the manga the scenes, mechanical bodies, characters and the world they lived in. They did a great job on capturing Alita's slightly naïve stubbornness, the "all in or all out" euthanasic, and the pursuit of who she is.
Storywise, the film ingeniously weaved the first 11 books of manga together, brought up few events that was happening in the 2nd chapter of Alita's adventure to the 1st movie. Which is nice since I bet they're already thinking of the next Alita movie. But as few of Cameron's work, the dark side and the ugliness of irontown wasn't rendered enough. The lack of depth on the ugliness made the whole plot a bit light, the emotional conflict wasn't intense enough and the romance plotline which is very important in the 1st chapter a little bit lack of depth.
The overall CG is stunning. Other than the wanted flyer and the parasite's face the rest of CG is absolute marvelous.
All in all, definite a great Gunnm movie, will definite watch it again and again till the sequel is out!!!
A real surprise
efd-104678 February 2020
Why end a movie just to open a possibility for another?
rahulsubsc2 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
---Has spoilers---
I hate it when the point of a movie is primarily to open the possibility for a sequel by not taking the movie to its logical conclusion.
Having said that it is feel good movie with a original story line and good character building. It was clichéd at places.
Having said that it is feel good movie with a original story line and good character building. It was clichéd at places.
Here's why Alita is a good film - But if you didn't like Avatar, then it's not for you.
jditch5 February 2019
Screenplay Co written and adapted by Avatar creator, James Cameron and Sin City creator Robert Rodriguez. Alita is a deep film that covers a wide range of themes such as female empowerment, personal growth, sacrifice and loss.
The world is wonderfully imagined. Its also incredibly beautiful. In 3D, Alita looks amazing, she's vibrant and full of life, her skin looks so natural. Some people are moaning about the eyes. But those people are missing the point that Alita isn't human. Battle Angel borrows from other sci-fi stories in places. But this is a 20 year old graphic novel series. You can't expect total originality here. But like it's cousin, Avatar, Alita manages to carve out an interesting new world for itself, which in some ways is similar to its protagonist.
The film had drawn some criticism for Alita's portrayal, as overly sexualized. I would argue those critics have entirely missed points made in the film. Or perhaps they haven't even seen it yet. Without giving anything away: calling Alita out for having an unrealistically small waist and big eyes is like moaning that the terminator sets an unfair standard for men. They're not human!
Whilst I really enjoyed Alita, it could have, should have, been two films. There's so much going on that at times, some scenes can seem insignificant on reflection. In the grand scope of the story some moving moments are lost. Some feel a little rushed.
So overall, a good film. Personally I loved it. Visually it's stunning. If you love sci-fi, if you liked Avatar or if you're a film lover, go see it! But watch it in IMAX 3D or at least 3D. Most films aren't worth it. But like Avatar: This isn't just 3D, this is James Cameron 3D. It's made for 3D.
The world is wonderfully imagined. Its also incredibly beautiful. In 3D, Alita looks amazing, she's vibrant and full of life, her skin looks so natural. Some people are moaning about the eyes. But those people are missing the point that Alita isn't human. Battle Angel borrows from other sci-fi stories in places. But this is a 20 year old graphic novel series. You can't expect total originality here. But like it's cousin, Avatar, Alita manages to carve out an interesting new world for itself, which in some ways is similar to its protagonist.
The film had drawn some criticism for Alita's portrayal, as overly sexualized. I would argue those critics have entirely missed points made in the film. Or perhaps they haven't even seen it yet. Without giving anything away: calling Alita out for having an unrealistically small waist and big eyes is like moaning that the terminator sets an unfair standard for men. They're not human!
Whilst I really enjoyed Alita, it could have, should have, been two films. There's so much going on that at times, some scenes can seem insignificant on reflection. In the grand scope of the story some moving moments are lost. Some feel a little rushed.
So overall, a good film. Personally I loved it. Visually it's stunning. If you love sci-fi, if you liked Avatar or if you're a film lover, go see it! But watch it in IMAX 3D or at least 3D. Most films aren't worth it. But like Avatar: This isn't just 3D, this is James Cameron 3D. It's made for 3D.
This is what Ghost in the Shell should have been
tercza-brigitta9114 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
But the romance threw us off a bit. But this is way much better than Ghost in the Shell and Ready player one.
The story was amazing, made sense, didn't jump from one element to another and the pasting was perfect. The visuals are stunning! Absolutely 10/10. But the romance...everyone in the cinema giggled when Hugo died, it just didn't work, nobody cared about the character anyway. He was simply there to have a love interest for Alita.
Summing it up, definitely worth watching, looking forward for the next one!
Great
masonsaul9 February 2019
The ending is weak and focused on setting up the sequel and Mahershala Ali is underutilized but Alita: Battle Angel is still the best anime adaptation yet. It has incredible visuals and thrilling action sequences and two great performances from Rosa Salazar and Christoph Waltz. It's explores it's world effectively and has amazing direction from Robert Rodriguez.
Superb Acting Performance Of Every Character And Dear Alita I'm Falling In Love With Your Big Eye
ymyuseda10 February 2019
Rating 9.9/10
Wow !! Truly amazing film of this year !! Great story telling !! For director Robert Rodriguez you has created a good film !! With three oscar winning actor/actress and with a name as big as James Cameron already make this film so amazing !! Dear Alita i'm falling in love with your 'BIG EYE '. For all of you , go see it you wont regret it !!
Great Screenplay, Cast and Special Effects
claudio_carvalho15 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
In 2563, three hundred years after the war "The Fall", the mysterious scientist Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) finds part of a female cyborg in a junkyard and brings to his laboratory. He finds that her human brain is amnestic but intact and gives the name of his deceased daughter Alita (Rosa Salazar) to the cyborg. Alita meets on the street Dr. Ido´s ex-wife Chiren (Jennifer Connelly), who is also a scientist that works to the powerful Zapan (Ed Skrein), and befriends the young Hugo (Keean Johnson), who brings cyborg´s parts to Dr. Ido, and learns that both dream on moving to the floating city of Zalem. Hugo teaches Alita how to play Motorball and she learns that the champion of the Motorball Tournament moves to Zalem. Soon Alita discovers that Dr. Ido is a hunter warrior and after finding her cyborg body in a crashed spaceship, she decides to become also a hunter warrior but Dr. Ido refuses to replace her body. Who was Alita and what is the secret of the cyborg body found by Alita?
"Alita: Battle Angel" is a sci-fi adventure with great screenplay, cast and special effects. The Japanese anime of an amnestic cyborg that finds who she was is engaging to any sci-fi fan. Dr. Ido is a sort of cyborg Dr. Frankenstein and the direction of Robert Rodriguez is entertaining as usual. The conclusion indicates that there will be a sequel. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Alita: Anjo de Combate" ("Alita: Battle Angel")
"Alita: Battle Angel" is a sci-fi adventure with great screenplay, cast and special effects. The Japanese anime of an amnestic cyborg that finds who she was is engaging to any sci-fi fan. Dr. Ido is a sort of cyborg Dr. Frankenstein and the direction of Robert Rodriguez is entertaining as usual. The conclusion indicates that there will be a sequel. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Alita: Anjo de Combate" ("Alita: Battle Angel")
Mostly great
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews18 February 2019
Alita(Salazar, handling every single of the countless facets of the role perfectly) is found and repaired by Dr. Ido(Waltz, a father figure with a secret), making her one of the dozens, perhaps hundreds, of cyborgs that he fixes. She has no memory of her past. However, when she gets into violent confrontations, she gets flashbacks that help her figure it out. Almost immediately(to the point where it's silly), she falls in love with Hugo(Johnson, charming yet covering up something), and he with her, as the two yearn for something better than the paltry existence in the harsh environment of Iron City. Their romance is a major element in this. And like with most of those, while I thought it worked well, clearly many do not agree. And I do understand why. Ultimately, your mileage may vary.
Let's tackle the big one: is the titular character an example of the uncanny valley? It was a gamble to make her resemble the manga version so closely, most of the excellent redesigns going at least a little further. I would argue that it works. It's not as though her face is the one thing that reveals we're not looking at a human actor: almost no part of her entire body is flesh and blood. Do note that a number of other characters in this have proportions that are much further from humanoid. I suppose that's the point others are making - she does look a lot like, but not quite exactly like, a human. It will work for some, and not for others. The CGI is photo-realistic, and the world building is incredible. You completely believe that this is a place that people live and work; not a series of sets. That it's massively populated; we're not just seeing a lot of extras. The 3D, too, is an upgrade from Avatar, adding depth and atmosphere, rather than being cheesy and calling attention to itself. The action starts out very good and gets better with each scene. This has uneven pacing, and suffers from trying to fit in every single thing from the first two volumes of the original work. Reading them I didn't get the sense that Yukito Kishiro intended for them to be translated directly into a massive Hollywood blockbuster. While they're compelling, they don't fit that format too well. The ending reveals that without at least one sequel we simply will not get a conclusion to the story this sets up. I think this would have fared better if it had gone with some of the later books, such as the "tuned agent" storyline, which, I would say, lends itself better to this sort of thing, and could have closure.
There is a moderate amount of strong, bloody, brutal violence in this(since they're part robot, it gets away with it with a PG-13), albeit it does do away with the most horrifying material(which would have landed this an NC-17, easily) from the graphic novels. I recommend this to any fan of speculative science fiction. 8/10
Let's tackle the big one: is the titular character an example of the uncanny valley? It was a gamble to make her resemble the manga version so closely, most of the excellent redesigns going at least a little further. I would argue that it works. It's not as though her face is the one thing that reveals we're not looking at a human actor: almost no part of her entire body is flesh and blood. Do note that a number of other characters in this have proportions that are much further from humanoid. I suppose that's the point others are making - she does look a lot like, but not quite exactly like, a human. It will work for some, and not for others. The CGI is photo-realistic, and the world building is incredible. You completely believe that this is a place that people live and work; not a series of sets. That it's massively populated; we're not just seeing a lot of extras. The 3D, too, is an upgrade from Avatar, adding depth and atmosphere, rather than being cheesy and calling attention to itself. The action starts out very good and gets better with each scene. This has uneven pacing, and suffers from trying to fit in every single thing from the first two volumes of the original work. Reading them I didn't get the sense that Yukito Kishiro intended for them to be translated directly into a massive Hollywood blockbuster. While they're compelling, they don't fit that format too well. The ending reveals that without at least one sequel we simply will not get a conclusion to the story this sets up. I think this would have fared better if it had gone with some of the later books, such as the "tuned agent" storyline, which, I would say, lends itself better to this sort of thing, and could have closure.
There is a moderate amount of strong, bloody, brutal violence in this(since they're part robot, it gets away with it with a PG-13), albeit it does do away with the most horrifying material(which would have landed this an NC-17, easily) from the graphic novels. I recommend this to any fan of speculative science fiction. 8/10
Truly amazing
Tarantulo5 February 2019
Watched a movie with exlusive interviews on a premiere night. James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez an amazing combo created a really entertaining movie. It was fun, captivating, not too complicated, but really enjoyable none the less.
It is really different from Avatar so there is no comparison here. The movie itself is really beautiful, colorful and vivid. The actors performed on real sets not CGI ones and it really shows so I would count acting as really top shelf.
10/10 would watch again!
It is really different from Avatar so there is no comparison here. The movie itself is really beautiful, colorful and vivid. The actors performed on real sets not CGI ones and it really shows so I would count acting as really top shelf.
10/10 would watch again!
"Alita" Malfunctions Where it Matters
hunter-friesen28 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
In the twenty-third century, a colossal war known as "The Fall" took place and wiped out a majority of the people and resources on Earth. The only two places that remain is the poverty-stricken wasteland of Iron City and the luxurious sky city of Zalem.
Now in the year 2563, Dr. Dyson Ido scouts through the scraps and finds a broken female cyborg that appears to be a relic from the great war. After her body and human brain are repaired, she wakes up and is named Alita, the same name as the doctor's deceased daughter.
Not remembering her past, Alita sets out to discover her past and the purpose that she serves in this divided time. Her journey takes her through the streets of Iron City as she interacts with a mix of both humans and robots each fighting to survive in the tough world.
After years of lying dormant, Robert Rodriguez was appointed to direct this adaptation of the first four manga book in the "Alita" series.
Best known for making fast and cheap films focused more on action than story, right away it becomes clear that Rodriguez was the wrong man for the job. Needlessly setting the pace to maximum overdrive and never looking back, Rodriguez blitzes past all the background information and shoves the audience straight into the narrative. Important questions are never answered or given a passing thought as the film either expects the audience to already know all the answers or to just not care enough to bother asking.
Along with the fast-paced story comes some rapid action set pieces that share the same miserable fate. Keeping track of what is going on becomes a chore as the characters whisk around the screen with their superhuman abilities. Anyone wishing to see this in 3D should pack some ibuprofen.
Despite being written by the usually brilliant James Cameron, the screenplay is filled with some of the most atrocious dialogue of the modern era. Cameron's ham-fisted approach towards the themes of humanity and morals are so predictable and cheesy that is sparks a feeling of nausea every time a character opens their mouth.
Even weaker than the dialogue is the overall plot, which is absolutely incoherent with no rhyme or reason for anything. Even when Cameron tries to explain anything, he lazily falls into drab expository dialogue that creates more questions than it gives answers.
"Alita: Battle Angel" boasts a solid cast on paper, but the script fails to develop any of its characters in a meaningful way. Arcs and clear motivations are nonexistent as characters do whatever the script needs them to do even if it makes no sense.
Quite possibly the worst part of the script and film as a whole is is the downright insulting cliffhanger ending. After answering zero questions and setting up nothing interesting, the film has the audacity to stare right at the audience and tell them that all will be revealed once they come back and pay more money.
Fairing just a smidge better than other departments, the acting is still subpar across the board, which comes at a bit of a surprise considering the supporting roles are filled by three Oscar winners.
Playing the titular character is Rosa Salazar, who does an alright job. She does pretty well at blending her human emotions and robotic body into a believable character, but she tends to overact during the most important scenes.
Keean Johnson plays Hugo, a motorcycle riding drifter who gets romantically involved with Alita. Johnson is mostly just a pretty boy and is never able to make his character even tolerable enough to care about.
Jennifer Connelly is very cold and stilted as Chiren, the ex-wife of Ido. Not speaking above a monotone, Connelly tries to make her character mysterious but ends up being boring and uninteresting.
Both Christoph Waltz and Mahershala Ali are below average in their supporting roles as Ido and Vector, respectively. Each one doesn't really seem to care and just kind of pass through each scene with little energy.
With Robert Rodriguez, James Cameron, and a $200 million production budget, "Alita: Battle Angel" proves yet again that money can't buy quality and that even the best talent in the industry can still make a truly awful film.
Now in the year 2563, Dr. Dyson Ido scouts through the scraps and finds a broken female cyborg that appears to be a relic from the great war. After her body and human brain are repaired, she wakes up and is named Alita, the same name as the doctor's deceased daughter.
Not remembering her past, Alita sets out to discover her past and the purpose that she serves in this divided time. Her journey takes her through the streets of Iron City as she interacts with a mix of both humans and robots each fighting to survive in the tough world.
After years of lying dormant, Robert Rodriguez was appointed to direct this adaptation of the first four manga book in the "Alita" series.
Best known for making fast and cheap films focused more on action than story, right away it becomes clear that Rodriguez was the wrong man for the job. Needlessly setting the pace to maximum overdrive and never looking back, Rodriguez blitzes past all the background information and shoves the audience straight into the narrative. Important questions are never answered or given a passing thought as the film either expects the audience to already know all the answers or to just not care enough to bother asking.
Along with the fast-paced story comes some rapid action set pieces that share the same miserable fate. Keeping track of what is going on becomes a chore as the characters whisk around the screen with their superhuman abilities. Anyone wishing to see this in 3D should pack some ibuprofen.
Despite being written by the usually brilliant James Cameron, the screenplay is filled with some of the most atrocious dialogue of the modern era. Cameron's ham-fisted approach towards the themes of humanity and morals are so predictable and cheesy that is sparks a feeling of nausea every time a character opens their mouth.
Even weaker than the dialogue is the overall plot, which is absolutely incoherent with no rhyme or reason for anything. Even when Cameron tries to explain anything, he lazily falls into drab expository dialogue that creates more questions than it gives answers.
"Alita: Battle Angel" boasts a solid cast on paper, but the script fails to develop any of its characters in a meaningful way. Arcs and clear motivations are nonexistent as characters do whatever the script needs them to do even if it makes no sense.
Quite possibly the worst part of the script and film as a whole is is the downright insulting cliffhanger ending. After answering zero questions and setting up nothing interesting, the film has the audacity to stare right at the audience and tell them that all will be revealed once they come back and pay more money.
Fairing just a smidge better than other departments, the acting is still subpar across the board, which comes at a bit of a surprise considering the supporting roles are filled by three Oscar winners.
Playing the titular character is Rosa Salazar, who does an alright job. She does pretty well at blending her human emotions and robotic body into a believable character, but she tends to overact during the most important scenes.
Keean Johnson plays Hugo, a motorcycle riding drifter who gets romantically involved with Alita. Johnson is mostly just a pretty boy and is never able to make his character even tolerable enough to care about.
Jennifer Connelly is very cold and stilted as Chiren, the ex-wife of Ido. Not speaking above a monotone, Connelly tries to make her character mysterious but ends up being boring and uninteresting.
Both Christoph Waltz and Mahershala Ali are below average in their supporting roles as Ido and Vector, respectively. Each one doesn't really seem to care and just kind of pass through each scene with little energy.
With Robert Rodriguez, James Cameron, and a $200 million production budget, "Alita: Battle Angel" proves yet again that money can't buy quality and that even the best talent in the industry can still make a truly awful film.
Visually stunning but messy, bloated and, often, clumsy.
Pjtaylor-96-13804410 February 2019
'Alita: Battle Angel (2019)' is just so poorly, and strangely, structured. That's its main problem, really. It's messy, bloated and, often, clumsy. As a result, it feels far longer than it actually is. It awkwardly races past what feels like its natural end point just to reach an arguably even more awkward 'sequel-bait' finish, simply so that it can tie off a few loose ends and, strangely, introduce and then finish off a (more or less) completely new plot-point - one that goes back on something we've seen just moments prior. This overstuffed finale is incredibly unsatisfying, especially since most of the issues that led to its inclusion are ones that could have been easily fixed. It's one of those cases where the film, and several of its individual scenes, feel both too long and too short all at the same time. Another issue with the adaptation is the fact that it doesn't feel as though it's saying anything. I don't mean in terms of overarching messages, although they're missing and would've been appreciated, but I do mean in terms of character. There are arcs but they're basic and don't seem to flow all that well. Plus, peripheral characters are often given much more to do than main ones and the plot seems to pop them in at random points. None of the picture's events really connect with each other all that well and the set-ups rarely match the pay-offs. Still, pretty much all of them are acted well enough and are visually interesting. This leads me to perhaps the piece's biggest positive. It looks great. It's as simple as that. Though our entirely CG central character could've easily resided in the recesses of the uncanny valley, she ends up as a believable, life-like and likeable protagonist whose digital nature never takes away from our engagement with her. Perhaps the eyes are a bit strange and unnecessary (as is the fact that she's entirely CGI, to be honest), but it works within the established world and isn't as distracting as I'd feared - in fact, it's barely noticeable after a couple of scenes. Sometimes, the characters who have a real-life rotoscoped face look a little dodgy, but the rest are absolutely fine if you get on board with the flick. Because of this, the action sequences work rather well and are actually the most entertaining thing about the affair, for better or worse. Most of the movie is entirely computer animated anyway, so these 'over-the-top' and more obviously digital set-pieces still seem relatively grounded and don't take away from your investment. It does feel like the filmmakers were lost in the visuals, though. The end result is intermittently enjoyable and never especially dull - even if it does get tiring towards its, frankly, terribly paced final third. It's very, very messy, however, and doesn't really seem to have anything to say, even within its own world. Apparently, this is supposed to be part one of three. To be fair, I'd be more than willing to see where the story goes. I'm not pining for a sequel straight-away, though. 5/10
CGI instead of substance
arriva19 February 2019
If this movie had been released 30 years ago, I would have excused it for the lack of any logic behind the behaviour of its characters because this movie leaves so many questions unanswered you are left constantly scratching your head while trying to find an explanation/rationale to the things going on on the screen.
Every five minutes of the screen time you keep asking yourself why this or that thing is happening and the film gives you no answers whatsoever. A lot of things make no sense at all. To add insult to injury the end is a huge cliff-hanger.
If you are a sucker for CGI, you'll be amazed. If you're seeking for a good script, developed characters and any logic you'll be left hugely disappointed.
This film could be saved by the 3.5 hours long director's cut but that's not what I watched in the movie theater.
Every five minutes of the screen time you keep asking yourself why this or that thing is happening and the film gives you no answers whatsoever. A lot of things make no sense at all. To add insult to injury the end is a huge cliff-hanger.
If you are a sucker for CGI, you'll be amazed. If you're seeking for a good script, developed characters and any logic you'll be left hugely disappointed.
This film could be saved by the 3.5 hours long director's cut but that's not what I watched in the movie theater.
Anime has finally come on board!
jameswwfilm5 February 2019
I've always loved Anime, and it's always been frustrating watching Hollywood movies destroy it (Ghost in the shell). Alita however did an amazing job in fusing Hollywood and Anime. I believe it was a great story adaptation by James Cameron, breathtaking action scenes and directing by Rodriguez, and great casting. I saw this in 4DX 3D in Seoul and It was a roller coaster ride. I was afraid the movie might put me to sleep, but it kept me engaged and watching from beginning to end. I think the most important element for movies should be the ability to engage the audience and never let them go until the very end. This movie delivers. And also I am very proud of Director Rodriguez for taking on this enormous task. He put a lot on the line to make this film.
An interesting thing I found was for some reason I felt there were elements of John Carpenter here.
Overall one of the best 3D films made so far. I believe the bar has been pushed higher for all filmmakers. A must watch in 3D exerpience!
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