In Retrospect: Alita Battle Angel

I love this movie!

I have great respect for Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron for doing this story properly. They took it seriously, and wanted to make a good movie based off of something most americans wouldn't go for. It's a risk but I think it payed off to bring an adaptation of a influential and beloved manga to western audiences. I took a step back as the movie played and I asked a simple question, could anybody enjoy this film? And as the film progressed and I really looked at how they handled everything, I really do feel that anybody could. The world has evolved since Blade Runner, that movie was a hard sell for audiences and wasn't very successful but it grew to be one of the best science fiction movies in history and even it had fans when it came out. The movie knows how to connect us to our main character, they make her so charming and lovable you are with her every step of the way, and the way they handle her story makes you interested and invested. They got Alita so right, not just from a character point of view but as the driving force for the audience. They explain the world but still leave intrigue to where anyone can come to terms with it and wants to know more. The romance works, the characters are still believable and have their charms, the world is interesting and cool, everything works just right. But they don't play all their cards at once, and I very much hope they make the rest of the series because they handled this first chapter incredibly well. This could be a great film series, hell in a weird sort of way I kind of associate it very much with films like Ladyhawke or The Last Starfighter or Big Trouble In Little China, this could be a kid's favorite movie growing up. It could make a kid's imagination run wild and they would love every second of it, they could put it on anytime and have a ball. It's understandable to a kid, kind of relatable, has a fascinating story, good characters, and action that gets them fired up and makes 'em want to play some motorball. I would have loved this movie when I was 8 years old! It really does harken back to the more underground films of the 80s, and I know it's right up some kid's alley. I mean it has a straight up F-word like any true PG-13 movie from the 80s, it just fits that mold perfectly. I would totally rent this movie on VHS if I could from a video store. The setting is dystopian but is still pretty and visually striking, all the effects are done expertly and Alita looks damn near real. I mean you don't even notice it's an effect early on because the movie grabs you and you roll with it. And I'll level with you, Alita Battle Angel was the first manga I actually read, and it's a great story! Sure it has some tropes in it that a lot of anime take note from but it works, it throws you for twists and curves and you want to see what the end goal is and how it ends. I know that series can make damn good movies and I really hope people give it a chance. It's worth the rental and you may want to see what happens next, but for me this is a definite buy. I mean let's face it the western culture isn't screaming for adaptations of japanese media, and they screw up sometimes. I mean poor Dragonball man and we won't even mention the atrocities of Netflix, but they did Ghost In The Shell very well and I still stand by my views on that being a good movie, they did Alita well and have a fantastic opportunity for more, friggin' Detective Pikachu was pretty much set for success due to my generation being Pokemon maniacs and the time was right, movies based on anime or manga is something different but when they get it right they get it very right. And I don't know about you but I'm in the mood for some more kickass lesser known and valued movies. I think I know just the one to see too.

Alita Battle Angel

Boy this is tough.

It is not bad, in fact Alita Battle Angel is a good movie but I think I finally know how all those people who read the book first feel. The book series if you have followed my Twitter, was on my reading list last week and it's really good stuff! Not for the younger folk, if anything be at least 18 if you read it but anywho, I never heard of this Alita but I heard a bit of the reputation and standing it has since it's inception in I believe 1986 or 87 in literally this month so I had to check it out. And the movie does mighty fine recounting the first volume of the story, of course with liberties taken but none of them are out of place or betrayal worthy, it all works very well. The special effects including Alita are done very, very well and fit the style of the book maybe not much the tone but to be honest the books series has a tone problem a little so we'll forgive that! I really like the casting, Rosa Salazar is damn good as Alita, and I don't care I like the big eyes they are very impressive, she gets the character she has her cute moments, her badass moments, her questions of who she is and where she's from, so it is hit after hit across the board with her. I thought the casting of Christoph Waltz as Alita's dad figure Ido wasn't bad but honestly I couldn't think of anyone else better for the part, and he really goes into dad mode a bit and I love it, so big thumbs up from me. If there was one thing I almost entirely dislike about the movie is the PG-13 rating, cause this series is not known for it's availability for everyone. I've never seen so many brains outside of the human skull so much in one work, ever. It's brutal in those books man! But it's more an adult story and a great one at that so it has my respect and love. Now granted I love the pure F-bomb used in the movie just like the good ol' days! But it doesn't like, work with the style of this story. It feels reigned back a bit. In the book, the city is absolute dumpster fire, like imagine Gotham but even worse and with cyberpunk architecture but with this movie it seems like a decent place minus the junkyard in the center of the city. Fine whatever, a new take on a old story. But there is a clear distinction between movie and source material. So if you haven't read the books, you're gonna dig the movie and if you have you can appreciate the movie for what it did. I think of this more the same way of Ghost In The Shell, a basic telling of the story with great visuals, basic characters, and an introduction for those who haven't travelled abroad in terms of entertainment from the land of the rising sun. Good movie, great series, no doubt going to buy both.

And that is all for today, but tune in tomorrow for more movie adventures.