First of all, for the record let me state this: I do not, in any way, like anime. I will never understand it, I think I'm way too old for it and even as a kid the only I really watched was pokemon
I don't know much about Japanese media culture in any way for the matter, so I came in with 0 expectations and not to see a good movie but just to have some laughs
Instead I got surprised in a positive way
Alita battle angel isn't a very story driven movie, it will tell a story that has been told before countless times, it mainly is a movie about good versus evil, with a few twists here and there
Also mind you that this movie is, by everything pointing at it, a first in a series, meaning alita battle angel 2 will most likely come out, maybe even a trilogy
The plot is simple, it's about 500 years in the future in what first seems as a very star wars esc galaxy, however looks may be deceiving, it's an universe that stands well on its own. It's a post war world set in what is seemingly the last city on earth
Enter alita, a teenage cyborg that is being put back together by a parts doctor that will act like a father figure to her through the movie, however with a few twists as he is not who he says he is, but no spoilers on that.
However, alita learns that she is not so much a teenager as she thinks she is, and her thought of her being just a nobody also gets scrapped later in the movie. Her origins and improvements is also something I don't wish to spoil
That's as far as I go for the plot
The visuals were something different. At first I joked how the movie looked like it was set in some star wars knockoff and how the character looked like she came from a video game with her weird eyes bugging me somewhat. However it wasn't more than ten minutes into the movie that I found myself not talking and rather enjoying the movie as it was
The world created is visually beautiful, every scene and every frame is appealing, with lots of things going on in the background
The world feels alive, the cgi and the acting comes together as everything is Alive. No frozen frames, no boring scenes, it's all fun to watch at
And that's what the movie is, it's not the most story driven movie, it doesn't have a deep plot besides some small twists, it's a familiar story, but it's fun, the movie is simply enjoyable to watch, you will be entertained for 2 hours and 50 minutes in this 2 hour 55 minute movie
The action is great, the visuals are great, the acting is good
As said, alita seemed like a character from a video game at the start, and I wasn't buying it. I wasn't excited for her to have this teenager attitude as well as we know how annoying this can be on screen, and I was afraid with a female lead that we would get a narrative pushed on to us as that is what is expected from a lot movies with female leads.
I was greatly mistaken
Alita is charming, from the first scenes you will instantly like her. Innocent to the dangers of the world and seemingly a free spirit. However as the movie progressed and she learned the undeniable dark side of the world, she became more serious and less innocent as well. And as she remains good, and mostly innocent, she does turn into a hardened warrior. The great part of this is that it feels extremely human and real
I could agree with the emotions she was feeling and showing, I could relate to how she would act and it felt incredibly sincere.
As for the villains, most of them are just the evil, I'm evil because I'm evil, James bond esc villains however as said, it's not a story driven movie, it's just incredibly fun
If you're just in for a fun ride, and are looking for a movie to enjoy, see some action, and look for some enjoyably pastime, this is the movie for you
Visuals:9/10
Screenplay: 10/10 (it is James Cameron after all)
Story: 7/10
Acting:7/10
Sounds and soundtrack: 7/10
Overall I give alita battle angel an 8/10 fun movie, very enjoyable, and action packed throughout the ride
MOVIE REVIEW 