Year of Release: 2019
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Jeff Fahey, Idara Victor, Derek Mears, Edward Norton, Rick Yune, Casper Van Dien, Eiza Gonzalez, Leonard Wu
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review:
"Alita: Battle Angel" has been a passion project for writer/producer/director James Cameron, who has toyed with the project since the 90s. Since he was unable to direct the feature himself, he decided to pass the reins of the venture to director Robert Rodriguez, who hasn't directed a feature since the tepid response of "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For". "Alita" is an adaptation of the graphic novel by author Yukito Kishiro. The film takes place on Earth in the 26th century, following a war that destroyed and changed the layout of cities and social dynamics in society. The film focuses specifically on the story of a deactivated cyborg who is found in a pile of garbage. Doctor Ido, brings the cyborg back to life, gives her the name Alita (the name of his lost daughter), yet she hasn't much recollection of what her life was. Through a series of events, Alita and Ido, discover that she is a natural fighter, very unique in her construction and skills. That catches the attention of a series of groups, starting with the gentle Hugo, but also the nefarious Vector, who is himself, working for a darker figure going by the name of Nova. It's up to Alita to vanquish this considerable group of foes, regain her memories and save the life of her beloved Hugo.
"Alita: Battle Angel" is a film that once again marries a lot of different sources, visually, thematically and even filmic, but without creating a film that is sufficiently coherent and entirely successful in accomplishing its intentions (among them, adapt the remainder of the stories of the series to more films). There's an attempt from Robert Rodriguez of making a project that is his own, while also abiding to the tone and focus of James Cameron. The final result is a mix that isn't entirely one thing or the other. Rodriguez has been able to infuse a sense of humor and scrappiness into his projects, something that is barely visible in this film where the overall tone is for the most part, somber and ominous. There are some references from Steven Spielberg's "A.I." and even of James Cameron's own "Avatar", but what is more evident from this whole endeavor, is the blatant lack of soul in most characters. For all its pluckiness and charm, Alita feels painfully devoid of any backdrop and motivation, the same going for the more human characters, including the ones played by Christoph Waltz and Jennifer Connelly, two excellent actors, who for the most part, have nothing much to do, except witness the whole visual effect carnage take place. Visually the film is also a mix bag, with at times having references of Neil Blomkamp's "District 9" (without the grittiness), but also some references from George Lucas' "Star Wars" franchise, though the sets and production design feel a bit lifeless (and somewhat cheap). The visual effects are overwhelming and some quite impressive, but it's once again an odd mix of beauty and scrappiness that borderlines poor taste in how they're mixed throughout the action. It's a sadly missed effort for all parts.
"Alita: Battle Angel" is a film that once again marries a lot of different sources, visually, thematically and even filmic, but without creating a film that is sufficiently coherent and entirely successful in accomplishing its intentions (among them, adapt the remainder of the stories of the series to more films). There's an attempt from Robert Rodriguez of making a project that is his own, while also abiding to the tone and focus of James Cameron. The final result is a mix that isn't entirely one thing or the other. Rodriguez has been able to infuse a sense of humor and scrappiness into his projects, something that is barely visible in this film where the overall tone is for the most part, somber and ominous. There are some references from Steven Spielberg's "A.I." and even of James Cameron's own "Avatar", but what is more evident from this whole endeavor, is the blatant lack of soul in most characters. For all its pluckiness and charm, Alita feels painfully devoid of any backdrop and motivation, the same going for the more human characters, including the ones played by Christoph Waltz and Jennifer Connelly, two excellent actors, who for the most part, have nothing much to do, except witness the whole visual effect carnage take place. Visually the film is also a mix bag, with at times having references of Neil Blomkamp's "District 9" (without the grittiness), but also some references from George Lucas' "Star Wars" franchise, though the sets and production design feel a bit lifeless (and somewhat cheap). The visual effects are overwhelming and some quite impressive, but it's once again an odd mix of beauty and scrappiness that borderlines poor taste in how they're mixed throughout the action. It's a sadly missed effort for all parts.
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