Disclaimer: The views expressed here are mine alone and do not represent those of allgames.com.
Introduction to Alita: Battle Angel Movie Review by Ms. H
Were you looking forward to watching the Alita: Battle Angel movie as I was? When I posted the movie poster for Alita: Battle Angel on facebook, I recall thinking that this movie is one that may be worth watching. Now that the movie has been released, here’s my take on Alita: Battle Angel. As an added bonus, I’ll advise whether or not I recommend that you watch Alita: Battle Angel that is currently showing in movie theaters.
Timeframe of the Alita: Battle Angel Movie
The Alita: Battle Angel movie is set in the future. I’ve noticed that lately the future is depicted in movies as being a haven for junkyards filled with metals. Similar recent movies I've reviewed previously that displayed abundant scrap metals are Bumble Bee and A.X.L.as well as many others. The difference here is the main character, Alita, happens to be the product of some of the metal scraps that were found by a scientist or doctor of sorts. Through the creative art of animation, motion-capturing, movie-magic, etc., Alita appears to be very life-like in actions and motions, even though she is essentially a robot.
Plot of the Alita: Battle Angel Movie
The plot revolves around the robot Alita and her acclimation to perform super-human actions, mostly when she is fighting against her enemies. At the same time, she seems to suggest that she is actually human, which of course, she is not. She appears to have a human brain and can eat food just as regular humans, even though she is basically a robotic machine.
Focus of the Alita: Battle Angel Movie
There is a flying city that one of the characters, Hugo aspires to inhabit. In order to do this, he has to perform some sort of feat. The villain, Vector, is played by Mahershala Ali who “promises” to fulfill Hugo's aspiration for a price. The plot is muddled when you realize that there is another goal in the movie -- which is to win a sporting event called motorball. If Alita wins the sport, she will earn a certain amount of money -- enough to help Hugo played by Keean Johnson get to the flying city. The members of the opposing motorball team are not out to win against her -- but instead they intended to destroy her.
Alita: Battle Angel
The Alita: Battle Angel Movie Fails
The major fail I saw was how the writer/director cast the male character, Hugo as extremely weak. Spoiler Alert: Even towards the end of the movie after he was somehow changed to a robot, he continued to appear as lacking strength. This is happening while on the other hand, Alita seems to become even stronger -- especially after she receives a second new mechanical body after her first one was destroyed.
Another problem with the Alita: Battle Angel movie was the repetitive battle scenes. There were too many of the same backward flips, kicks and overall fighting choreography over and over again.
An additional fallacy of the Alita: Battle Angel Movie is the expectation that a robot can actually have feelings. Of course these scenarios are set in the future, but when it is all said and done, Alita is only a robot. Spoiler Alert: Her robotic state is further proven when she actually removed her mechanical heart, held it in her mechanical hands to offer to Hugo to use as barter to make the money he needed to get to the flying city.
On a positive note, the animated portions of the movie were on point and it did appear as if the Alita robot was performing actions in the movie.
Assessment of the Alita: Battle Angel Movie
I think from a technical - movie-making standpoint, the movie, Alita: Battle Angel was passable. But as a well-rounded movie with a solid entertaining storyline, I think this movie failed short. The fight scenes were worth watching -- but not the same or similar ones again and again. I liked the fact that they made Alita overly strong -- because after all she is a robot, but I disliked how they perpetuated her male friend as weak by contrast.
Regarding the plots, I think that if this movie concentrated on Alita being a battle superhero instead of adding the sporting event scenario -- the movie would have fared much better.
Should you watch this movie? Of course, you may see the movie and form your own opinions. However, I am unable to wholeheartedly recommend that you watch the Alita: Battle Angel movie for the reasons included in my movie review above.
Rating of Alita: Battle Angel
Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate Alita: Battle Angel 1 ¾ stars.