Written by: Kevin Berge
Does this mean manga and anime can finally be mainstream in American cinema? Can I make a suggestion of what to adapt next? I'd be all for a live action Gundam movie. (Image Courtesy of: alienbee.net)
Quick Take: Alita: Battle Angel may be the most visually impressive spectacle in cinema and is an absolute blast as long as you can just sit back and enjoy the ride. The script is corny and sloppy with more than a few genuine missteps in writing and direction, but there's enough here to enjoy past the mess.
***This review will not contain spoilers beyond the basic set-up of the story for Alita: Battle Angel. Anyone can read ahead without worry.***
I'm usually fairly selective about the movies I go to see. I avoid films that look bad and get bad reviews because there's only so many hours in the day. However, a few times a year, there are movies that come out that I know I will go see no matter what. I just desperately hope they won't suck.
Last year, Mortal Engines was a prime example. I knew source material and loved the aesthetic. How could I not go see it? Unfortunately, it did not pass the fundamental bar. It was just flat-out bad without enough redeeming to have made it worth going out on a limb for.
Despite a few obvious missteps, Alita: Battle Angel does not suck, and that was enough for me. This live-action manga adaptation is the first to feel like it matters beyond its attempt to recreate the magic of its source material. You can enjoy the ride without having ever read the manga.
It helps that James Cameron (Avatar) continues to pioneer special effects techniques that are changing what can be done on the big screen. Beyond a few unsettling uncanny valley moments in this movie, this film is living and breathing. It sparks with life and vibrant color.
Moreover, it uses those effects to craft some of the most exciting action I've seen on the big screen in a while. Watching Alita run through a whole host of unique and fascinating threats feels like watching some of the finest scenes of anime action.
Unfortunately, this movie suffers from a fundamental flaw that tanks many a great idea. The screenplay is an absolute mess that hardly bats above mediocre throughout the run time. The lines these actors have to sell are embarrassing more often than affecting.
At least the film has its heart in the right place. There is a real story in the mix with some solid messages about identity and sacrifice. With a more refined run through of the script, it might have been truly a spectacular experience.
I'm usually fairly selective about the movies I go to see. I avoid films that look bad and get bad reviews because there's only so many hours in the day. However, a few times a year, there are movies that come out that I know I will go see no matter what. I just desperately hope they won't suck.
Last year, Mortal Engines was a prime example. I knew source material and loved the aesthetic. How could I not go see it? Unfortunately, it did not pass the fundamental bar. It was just flat-out bad without enough redeeming to have made it worth going out on a limb for.
Despite a few obvious missteps, Alita: Battle Angel does not suck, and that was enough for me. This live-action manga adaptation is the first to feel like it matters beyond its attempt to recreate the magic of its source material. You can enjoy the ride without having ever read the manga.
It helps that James Cameron (Avatar) continues to pioneer special effects techniques that are changing what can be done on the big screen. Beyond a few unsettling uncanny valley moments in this movie, this film is living and breathing. It sparks with life and vibrant color.
Moreover, it uses those effects to craft some of the most exciting action I've seen on the big screen in a while. Watching Alita run through a whole host of unique and fascinating threats feels like watching some of the finest scenes of anime action.
Unfortunately, this movie suffers from a fundamental flaw that tanks many a great idea. The screenplay is an absolute mess that hardly bats above mediocre throughout the run time. The lines these actors have to sell are embarrassing more often than affecting.
At least the film has its heart in the right place. There is a real story in the mix with some solid messages about identity and sacrifice. With a more refined run through of the script, it might have been truly a spectacular experience.
Sometimes I don't know what to make of the roles Christoph Waltz chooses to take on, but I'm glad he took this one. (Image Courtesy of: collider.com)
Still, the actors are good enough to rise above it all. Rosa Salazar (Parenthood) gives a real likable heart to Alita while Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds) adds gravitas to the processings even at their silliest. Mahershala Ali (Green Book) and Jennifer Connelly (Labyrinth) also do well in their roles to push the story along.
Cameron's name is attached to this movie as it was built of how he was inspired by the source material, but he did not end up directing only producing and working on the screenplay with Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island).
Instead, Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) took the helm, and his work is mostly solid here. He shoots beautiful action and keeps the pacing tight. Without spoiling anything, there are a few moments that the film genuinely misses the mark due to poor direction that could have been helped by a reshoot.
The elements at play with Alita: Battle Angel are hard to pin down. It feels very much like it takes heavy inspiration from its source material. While clearly not built from Japanese foundations, it has manga and anime influences in its thematic focus and dramatic ideals.
I have not personally read the manga, and I found myself enamored with the world all the same. It is quite likely the original material is far better than this, but I don't know that I would ruin my experience by knowing it. It might even make me appreciate the work more as it does not feel completely removed from that world.
Still, I find myself as a critic looking at Alita as a hard sell. It is poorly constructed, driven more by action than its drama. While it is more inspired than other limited action movies that have come out over the past few years, it is still not going to hold up for those in need of well though-out story.
As a fan of some of the influences that inspired it though, I loved watching this movie. I am excited about the sequel that could come, and I did not even mind this film clearly established that it needs a follow-up. I'm invested, and I think there is better to come if the creators learn from their mistakes and lean into the successes.
Cameron's name is attached to this movie as it was built of how he was inspired by the source material, but he did not end up directing only producing and working on the screenplay with Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island).
Instead, Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) took the helm, and his work is mostly solid here. He shoots beautiful action and keeps the pacing tight. Without spoiling anything, there are a few moments that the film genuinely misses the mark due to poor direction that could have been helped by a reshoot.
The elements at play with Alita: Battle Angel are hard to pin down. It feels very much like it takes heavy inspiration from its source material. While clearly not built from Japanese foundations, it has manga and anime influences in its thematic focus and dramatic ideals.
I have not personally read the manga, and I found myself enamored with the world all the same. It is quite likely the original material is far better than this, but I don't know that I would ruin my experience by knowing it. It might even make me appreciate the work more as it does not feel completely removed from that world.
Still, I find myself as a critic looking at Alita as a hard sell. It is poorly constructed, driven more by action than its drama. While it is more inspired than other limited action movies that have come out over the past few years, it is still not going to hold up for those in need of well though-out story.
As a fan of some of the influences that inspired it though, I loved watching this movie. I am excited about the sequel that could come, and I did not even mind this film clearly established that it needs a follow-up. I'm invested, and I think there is better to come if the creators learn from their mistakes and lean into the successes.
