Alita: Battle Angel (2019 Film) Review
"Alita: Battle Angel" takes place in 2563 within the futuristic Iron City. In its junkyard, Dr. Dyson Ido uncovers a broken female cyborg with a fully functional human brain. After repairing the cyborg and discovering that she has no previous memory, Ido decides to raise her like a daughter, naming her Alita. Everything starts out well until Alita discovers that she is no ordinary cyborg and that she's meant for greater things, so she sets out to fulfill that calling.
Rosa Salazar portrays the character of Alita via motion-capture. Christoph Waltz plays Dr. Dyson Ido while Keean Johnson, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, and Jackie Earle Haley round out the supporting cast as Hugo, Vector, Dr. Chiren, Zapan, and Grewishka respectively.
Robert Rodriguez directed "Alita: Battle Angel" while James Cameron and Jon Landau produced it. Adapted from Yukito Kishiro's "Gunnm," or "Battle Angel Alita" as it's called in English, "Alita: Battle Angel" was written by Cameron and Late Kalogridis. 20th Century Fox distributed the film.
Overall Thoughts
I don't read any manga and I'm not a fan of anime, so one might expect that I wouldn't like the Robert Rodriguez/James Cameron combo, "Alita: Battle Angel." Well, to my own surprise, this film, an adaptation of a manga, is actually a blast. It's full of heart, tells an interesting story, and dazzles with its special effects and sense of scope. The action sequences are full of energy and the music from Junkie XL is among the composer's best.
Rodriguez should be proud of himself with this film. With a budget of $175 million at his disposal, the director wastes none of it. Every scene in this film is drenched with his passion and eye for detail. The futuristic Iron City is brilliantly constructed. Now, being unfamiliar with the source material, it's hard for me to tell what Rodriguez merely adapted from the source and what he added to it. In either case, Rodriguez still deserves praise for his ability to present such a fantastical world through such a detailed and eccentric perspective. Nothing about the effects felt cheap or unoriginal. The inhabitants of Iron City look distinct in design. You could tell by looking at them that the director enjoyed playing with the many possibilities of what a cyborg could look like. He takes the concept into new territory, using visual effects that show off the varying designs of each cybernetic organism. Now, being teamed with James Cameron, it's no wonder why the CGI is as good as it is and the effects are a clear evolution of the technology used in "Avatar," making me curious as to the ways it could be advanced further. It is only because the effects are so stunning that I slightly regret not seeing the film sooner to have had the opportunity to see it in 3D.
Just with the subtitle of "Battle Angel" alone, the film promises amazing action sequences and it delivers just that. Paired with state-of-the-art digital effects, the set pieces fail to disappoint, providing one exhilarating action scene after another. Be it in a chase through Iron City or in the gladiator-type game called Motorball, I was riveted during each one. The action is mostly cyborg-on-cyborg, giving the film a loophole from which they can incorporate over-the-top violence. (Parents, be warned, this PG-13-rated film is definitely for people thirteen and up.) At first, they were effective because the emotional stakes were so high, but as the film pressed on, the crazy dismemberments served little consequence to the point of becoming unnecessary. That's only a small complaint I have though. Otherwise, I was still invested in the action scenes because of their visual artistry and the unique designs of each combatant, not to mention the investment that I had in the protagonist.
Having stunning effects and action set pieces is all well and good, but how are the characters? Honestly, they're better than what I anticipated. Going in, I thought the action sequences and CGI would entirely upstage the characters and plot. That wasn't the case. While many of the supporting actors by no means play deep characters, they succeed in being wildly entertaining in their respective parts. Actors like Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, and Ed Skrein brought enough charm to their roles that I remained interested in what part they played. Christoph Waltz was the one standout among them whose character had a compelling backstory that made him more entertaining than the others. In a film that embraces the odd, these actors could've delivered halfhearted performances. Instead, each of them took it seriously and managed to make an impression after the credits rolled. Not an everlasting impression, but an impression nonetheless.
Finally, we have the lead heroine herself, Alita. Rosa Salazar is what makes this movie so great. The enthusiasm, curiosity, joy, anger, and sadness that she infuses into her character is so infectious, you can't help liking everything about her and that makes the story so gripping. The actress is able to convincingly convey numerous emotions all while wearing a motion-capture suit. With James Cameron and Late Kalogridis' script and Salazar's acting, Alita is kind of the perfect and ideal lead hero. She has a fascinating personality and backstory and the relationships she shares with other characters play out in ways that you do not expect. There's something inherently captivating about a character like Alita that she never fails to hold your attention. Quite confidently, I'd say that Salazar's performance is almost on the level of an Andy Serkis motion-capture performance. The only area where Salazar is on shaky footing is with the digital effect that creates her character. Oh, Alita is a very convincing creation, big eyes and all, but there were a few times when her face had that uncanny valley to it and ended up serving as a minor distraction. Still, without Salazar's terrific work, this movie would've just been empty spectacle with a few fun supporting performances.
Rodriguez should be proud of himself with this film. With a budget of $175 million at his disposal, the director wastes none of it. Every scene in this film is drenched with his passion and eye for detail. The futuristic Iron City is brilliantly constructed. Now, being unfamiliar with the source material, it's hard for me to tell what Rodriguez merely adapted from the source and what he added to it. In either case, Rodriguez still deserves praise for his ability to present such a fantastical world through such a detailed and eccentric perspective. Nothing about the effects felt cheap or unoriginal. The inhabitants of Iron City look distinct in design. You could tell by looking at them that the director enjoyed playing with the many possibilities of what a cyborg could look like. He takes the concept into new territory, using visual effects that show off the varying designs of each cybernetic organism. Now, being teamed with James Cameron, it's no wonder why the CGI is as good as it is and the effects are a clear evolution of the technology used in "Avatar," making me curious as to the ways it could be advanced further. It is only because the effects are so stunning that I slightly regret not seeing the film sooner to have had the opportunity to see it in 3D.
Just with the subtitle of "Battle Angel" alone, the film promises amazing action sequences and it delivers just that. Paired with state-of-the-art digital effects, the set pieces fail to disappoint, providing one exhilarating action scene after another. Be it in a chase through Iron City or in the gladiator-type game called Motorball, I was riveted during each one. The action is mostly cyborg-on-cyborg, giving the film a loophole from which they can incorporate over-the-top violence. (Parents, be warned, this PG-13-rated film is definitely for people thirteen and up.) At first, they were effective because the emotional stakes were so high, but as the film pressed on, the crazy dismemberments served little consequence to the point of becoming unnecessary. That's only a small complaint I have though. Otherwise, I was still invested in the action scenes because of their visual artistry and the unique designs of each combatant, not to mention the investment that I had in the protagonist.
Having stunning effects and action set pieces is all well and good, but how are the characters? Honestly, they're better than what I anticipated. Going in, I thought the action sequences and CGI would entirely upstage the characters and plot. That wasn't the case. While many of the supporting actors by no means play deep characters, they succeed in being wildly entertaining in their respective parts. Actors like Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, and Ed Skrein brought enough charm to their roles that I remained interested in what part they played. Christoph Waltz was the one standout among them whose character had a compelling backstory that made him more entertaining than the others. In a film that embraces the odd, these actors could've delivered halfhearted performances. Instead, each of them took it seriously and managed to make an impression after the credits rolled. Not an everlasting impression, but an impression nonetheless.
Finally, we have the lead heroine herself, Alita. Rosa Salazar is what makes this movie so great. The enthusiasm, curiosity, joy, anger, and sadness that she infuses into her character is so infectious, you can't help liking everything about her and that makes the story so gripping. The actress is able to convincingly convey numerous emotions all while wearing a motion-capture suit. With James Cameron and Late Kalogridis' script and Salazar's acting, Alita is kind of the perfect and ideal lead hero. She has a fascinating personality and backstory and the relationships she shares with other characters play out in ways that you do not expect. There's something inherently captivating about a character like Alita that she never fails to hold your attention. Quite confidently, I'd say that Salazar's performance is almost on the level of an Andy Serkis motion-capture performance. The only area where Salazar is on shaky footing is with the digital effect that creates her character. Oh, Alita is a very convincing creation, big eyes and all, but there were a few times when her face had that uncanny valley to it and ended up serving as a minor distraction. Still, without Salazar's terrific work, this movie would've just been empty spectacle with a few fun supporting performances.
Grade: B+
Through Rosa Salazar's performance and outstanding technical designs, Robert Rodriguez's "Alita: Battle Angel" is a delight for all and will leave you wanting more in the best way possible.
Time and time again, I've seen films come out will the goal of starting a franchise, only for that goal to be given up on because not enough people saw the initial film. While "Alita: Battle Angel" focuses on telling one story within the singular film, it does strongly hint at story points that could play out in future sequels. As we all know, a film needs to be profitable in order to justify a continuation, so with that, I ask you to please see "Alita: Battle Angel" in theaters. Even if you're not a hundred percent sold, take a chance on the film and I promise that you'll be surprised.
Though I urge you readers to see the film, "Alita: Battle Angel" is by no means a family movie. If you're a parent and have children under the age of thirteen, you may want to hire a babysitter because this film is not appropriate for them. If you have kids thirteen and up, go together and find out how great a film this is.
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