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User Reviews for: Alita: Battle Angel

Paladin5150
10/10  5 years ago
"Baggage", can be a GOOD thing when yours makes it on time across the pond with you on your flight from London, especially if it's first out of the chute and onto the pick up carousel. But, it's NOT such a good thing if one carries quantities of the negative kind into a new relationship, be it an IRL relationship, or, in THIS case, the relationship between a viewer and a filmmaker.

It was to be expected then, when, Anime fans and enthusiasts expressed trepidation after the trailer for "Alita: Battle Angel" dropped. They can all still recall the cringe-fest that was M. Night Shyamalan's, "The Last Airbender", which IMO was DOA from the moment it was cast, and, don't get them started on "Dragonball Z", lest you want a wall of text recounting it's cornucopia of cinema sins.

Now, I'm not here to go down the rabbit hole that is often expressed in the current virtue signaling trend of "whitewashing" outrage. We're not talking about the bad old days practice of Black or Yellow face, where obviously Caucasian actors were darkened or "Orientaled" up to play faux versions of the real deal, nor of instances where it is done for comedic irony, as in Robert Downey Jr's, "Tropic of Thunder' performance, nor, the Waynan's Brothers in "White Chicks". However I DO find it interesting that no one seems outraged in those two instances, or, that the same folks who express shock and dismay at ScarJo's casting as the titular "Ghost in the Shell", ALSO express outrage at those who expressed outrage, at the idea of casting Idris Elba as James Bond. Seems like there's no pleasing some folks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKvqhlhXq9s

But I digress....

My point is, that we, as consumers of visual media, often let ourselves be influenced by the BAGGAGE we carry with us, when watching a film or show. Our expectations, based on PRIOR experiences, can subtly, or even greatly influence our enjoyment of a given offering. I have to wonder how die hard Trekkies would react to STDISCO, if they had NEVER seen Star Trek ANYTHING before? I myself can recall dismissing Wild Wild West, the movie, as soon as I saw Will Smith was cast in the lead, because for me Robert Conrad would always be the personification of James West. Yet, I had the opposite reaction to seeing Denzel Washington cast in the lead of either the Equalizer, or The Magnificent Seven, perhaps because lack of familiarity had not left me ingrained as to who these characters were. (Both great movies IMO by the way) Or perhaps it is just the power of the Denzel. And, even with all the "outrage" over the casting of "Ghost in the Shell", I still enjoyed the movie overall, although it fell down in a few places. Again I was unfamiliar with the source material.

Unlike the disappointing experience with "The Last Airbender", which I went into being a FAN of the Nickelodeon series as well as "The Legend of Korra", I was completely without opinion concerning Alita: Battle Angel. What I DID know was, that it was produced by James Cameron, who doesn't put his name on stinkers, and was directed by Robert Rodriguez, whom I have liked since El Mariachi. BOTH know how to deliver epic, believable worlds and characters, so I put my faith in that, and went in unbiased, with no expectations either way.

And I am SO very GLAD I did!!!

I saw the movie in IMAX / 3D, and, while SOME movies / Directors throw obvious, rather lame 3D effects to boost a lame, insipid storyline, or, OVER use it to the point of distraction, here, they found the perfect balance, with the 3D adding an immersive depth to the already impressive "26% more IMAX picture". If you watch the trailers, you can pretty much figure out which scenes really WOW in this format.

To address the elephant in the room, yes, Alita's eyes DO remind one of a cross between a high tech sex doll (not that I would know) and Margaret Keane's "Big Eyes" waifs. (Cristoph Waltz was in that one too) Yet, here, you quickly become so immersed in the story that you no longer notice. The story begins with Waltz's Dr. Ido discovering Alita's discarded torso in a dump, while he is scavenging for parts to fix up the neighborhood cyborgs, which are plentiful, and not trying to assimilate anyone. Apparently in THIS world, if a body part breaks, gets diseased, or hijacked (yes I said hijacked) it can be replaced, much like a crumpled bumper in a fender bender. Dr. Ido just happens to have a teenager sized cyborg body handy which is explained later in the film, and, a little JB Weld here, and a couple of stitches there and Bobs your Uncle, .. instant Teenage Mutant Ninja Angel...., (sorry) Alita awakens, but has no memory, and, as many teenagers are, is all questions, curiosity, and hormones, all at once, especially when she meets the "polite, hard working", and, all around handy guy Hugo, who IS teenage, but NOT mutant.

A visit from Ido's Ex, Chiren, gives us some (slightly disturbing) back-story and we meet her boss, Vector, played by Mahershala Ali, once again being chauffeured around by Viggo Mortensen, (just kidding) but who IS apparently a big deal, with connections to the sky city of Zalem, which floats above them, and is "the place were the cool hang out, the SWASS like to play, and the rich flaunt clout!" This is where everyone wants to someday go, "by any means necessary", yet Dr. Ido and his ex were apparently exiled from there, no backstory given.

Thrown in are a nice mix of teenage discovery and bonding, combat sports, bounty hunters, robot dogs, robot bounty hunters, set piece fight scenes, featuring robot dogs and bounty hunters of the meat and robot varieties, vivisection, nanobots, betrayal, heartbreak, and general cinematographic carnage....., and just when it was getting REALLY good, the credits ran, and NO ONE MOVED, hoping for one more glimpse of this world, or a Marvel Comics style peek at what is to (hopefully) come.

When I got home, I immediately looked up Alita, both the Anime and the Manga, and found a 2 part 1990's era Anime, which the movie, with a few minor changes and liberties, seems to have followed almost shot for shot in places. So, Kudos for at least partially following the source material, even if changes were made to make a coherent, box office ready story.

Was it perfect for those with the baggage of their own expectations? That's up to them to decide. Did I find it to be an entertaining movie that allowed me to suspend disbelief and immerse myself in Alita's dystopian hive of scum and villainy, and root for her to be victorious in the end? Yes sir!! So, May we have another??? PLEEASE????
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Reply by mamashann
5 years ago
@paladin5150 omg windbag! Who wants to read all that crap!
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Reply by Paladin5150
5 years ago
@mamashann - I know, I know, it must be really stressful to be functionally ILLITERATE in this day and age when the most stimulating thing you've ever read is 40 characters or less long. I feel for you. Blessings!
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corruptednoobie
5/10  5 years ago
Having the unique crowded style that is Robert Rodriguez's flair, this movie suffers from two great creator's tales forming into a clouded mess. James Cameron, known for his epic scales, and Rodriguez's small budget work don't mix well here. In fact, if it wasn't for Rodriguez's understanding of the importance of the world here, it might not have worked at all. But with the fluidity that he brings to the streets of Iron City, it breathes life in a chaotic marvel of special effects and set design.

Which is the standout aspect of this movie, the world design. Crafted with care as you can see this is a story that the creators want to be told right. Unfortunately, it left the characters and plot short. The environment is a lovely thing to admire, and to wonder about. But once again, it is sad to see the wonder be all that you get.

This film is a build up that never completes itself. Sure, Alita has an okay arc, and other characters have _some_ motivation. But it falls flat when you build and build that you don't focus on this story as it's own, and instead let it be a setup film for potential sequels. It has great ideas and wonderous action. However, it leaves ideas behind as fast as it gets there. Built up to be a big thing, but then getting a tangent to something else. Leaving me feeling unsatisfied. Though, the main moral fixated with Alita is actually quite good and gives that unsatisfied feeling some meaning, but not enough to justify it.

Alita is the best character here, I found no others to be compelling enough to care for. This may be a factor of pacing shifting too fast or slowly in many cases, as I don't get the feeling enough time was spent with the right characters. Doctor Ido's arc is completely finished by the first half and is left behind for the remainder of the film. Others are just there for filler and have no impact on the story.

Alita: Battle Angel is good for action, as it is directed decently and has little to no shakycam. The main character is a strong female lead and has a very unique world and backstory. If a sequel does happen, I only hope they make it a contained film and actually give us a fascinating plot.

**5/10**
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Reply by Xir
4 years ago
@corruptednoobie Thanks for translating my feelings into words. I don't think I could have said it as well.
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LarZieJ
7/10  5 years ago
Alita: Battle Angel is one hell of pretty looking movie. The world Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron build looks amazing. I loved the character design, the action scenes, Christoph Waltz was amazing, I really liked Rosa Salazar as Alita! The story was interesting and the ending looks like they have more planned. (Especially with Edward Norton showing up at the end, you don't give him a role to just stand there for 10 seconds unless you want him back later). The other good thing is that this movie never drags. You are invested for the whole 2 hours. At least I was!

I found out after the movie that this is based on a manga called Gunnm. Which I know intend to read because there is such a big world above Iron City we haven't explored yet! That defense system is brutal! I also want the story to continue with a sequel, we need more Ed Skrein as Zapan! Hopefully he can repair is face.

Anyway I do think if I read the manga I will see some different choices but that might be because making a movie is different in pacing than a manga. But I'll have to read it to find out! Alita: Battle Angel is a great blockbuster with fun action, a fun story and fun characters. Not everything is perfect but it is 2 hours of popcorn fun!

Ps. I'm glad Hugo is gone!
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Saint Pauly
CONTAINS SPOILERS7/10  5 years ago
_Alita: Battle Angel_ is like inviting all the coolest people to a Sunday afternoon kid's party.

Because the cast is there, but they get stuck in the muddy story lines and overshadowed by the monumental effects, which is a pity, really, because it's quite a cast. Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Christoph Waltz, Ed Skrein... and a cameo by Spoiler Alert!? In a movie directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by James Cameron!?

You'll go for the CGI but you'll stay for the CGI because that's really all there is. The story, as is often the case with Rodriguez films, is a little all over the place and the plot changes more often than a model in a cheap fashion show. Then, once he's finally decided on an ending, he has to rush to get there before the film ends so the last 20 minutes has to hold all of the plot developments before giving up and deciding to prepare for the worst and hope for a sequel.

PS [and minor spoiler alert]: [spoiler] I did have some questions concerning the human boy and his relationship with with the cyborg teen. Because we saw her naked enough to know that she's as anatomically incorrect as a Barbie Doll, so... she has no port into which he might insert his flesh drive? [/spoiler]
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Reply by Trevskie
5 years ago
@saint-pauly Perhaps her ‘port’ opens up when she requires it to, like her chest when she held out her heart!
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Reply by pygospa
5 years ago
@saint-pauly [spoiler]I was wondering the same thing, actually :D I ended up accepting that if she doesn't have the parts she probably doesn't need the pleasuring, and the other way round there are lots of other ways to pleasure a guy ;) [/spoiler]
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Edward Boxler
/10  5 years ago
Definitely a Robert Rodriguez movie, but a Robert Rodriguez movie made with that James Cameron money.

The world building was incredible. Rosa Salazar, Christophe Waltz, and the rest of the cast do a great job. The technical wizardry, not just with the visual effects but the use of 3-D and IMAX was nothing short of dazzling. The action is exhilarating. I'll also take Motorball over podracing or Quidditch any day.

Yes there are problems with the script because James Cameron has never been a strong writer. There is also way too much sequel baiting for my taste. But for a movie like this to come out in a time when all the profitable IPs are getting tedious, Alita Battle Angel was refreshing and tons of fun. Easily the best live action anime film adaptation to date and a kick ass sensory overload.

James Cameron, I would rather you devote time to make more Battle Angel and less Avatar.
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