I saw Alita: Battle Angel on February 16, 2019! I have been excited for this movie since I saw the first trailer 8-9 months ago, and I can honestly say that I liked it even more than I expected to. It's been a while since I wrote a formal review, and I feel this is the movie to do another one for, because it deserves it. This is why I go to movies! Based on the manga series Gunnm, this movie runs full speed ahead in such an exciting manner with incredible visuals, good characters, and an incredible plot with so much interwoven within it.
Rosa Salazar gives one of the best performances I've seen in the last few years as Alita. She's a cyborg trying to find her identity and purpose in the world. The emotion she shows through each step of the movie feels natural. Even though she's a cyborg, she feels more than most humans. She's got an incredible heart (in more ways than one). She's an absolute bad ass. She's legitimately one of the most layered, well developed, overall great female characters that we haven't seen for a while in a movie. The visuals for the character add to the emotional depth provided by Salazar to complete the picture. I just love this character.
There's great world building discussing the Sky Cities (particularly, Zalem), Iron City, and even the underworld of these cities. There's many memorable scenes. Favorites of mine include: the Collision in Kansas, the battle with Grewishka, and the motorball sequences. The chemistry with Rosa and Christoph Waltz (who takes on the role as an adoptive father) feels natural, and works well, providing both dramatic and comedic moments. Waltz is a fantastic actor. His work in Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained really cemented him as one of the premiere actors in the industry, and his performance here as Dr. Dyson Ido showed a man suffering from things in his past, but, through Alita, he's able to pick up the pieces and move forward. Great work by Waltz!
I also really liked the romantic subplot with Alita and Hugo. Rosa and Keean Johnson worked well together. It reminded me a little bit of Rachel and Rick Deckard's relationship in Blade Runner in some ways. These subplots help shape Alita into an even more well rounded character, showing what her purpose is and, most importantly, who she is. Also, the motif of sacrifice for one another was on full display in their relationship, which is really what sold me on their subplot.
James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez really did well creating this world and these characters for a live action environment. Two of my favorite people behind the camera really made something special here. Cameron is known for creating some of the strongest female characters in movie history, and, along with Rodriguez, he did it again. Robert's film making style has always been impressive, and I liked seeing a lot of familiar faces from his movies and shows, such as Michelle Rodriguez and Eiza Gonzalez, who played She in Machete and Salamanca in From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series respectively. This is a combination that hopefully gets to create more movies in this universe, because it's such an intriguing story.
I really liked Mahershala Ali's work as well as Vector/Nova. Ali's voice and demeanor showed a man that knows how to play either the hero or the villain. It shows versatility as an actor, and it was fully on display here. Rosa's interaction as Alita with him were well done as well. That scene with them in his office was well done, and created tension for future installments if they choose to make them (which, they definitely should). Keep your eyes open for a cameo at the end of the movie! I think this cameo will fit in well in this world (just based on performance), and work to create even more intriguing possibilities between Alita and her battle with Zalem.
This movie is a definite 5/5 for incredible characters with a phenomenal performance by Rosa Salazar as the awesome Alita, a fantastic story with many layers in the past, present, and definitely future, incredible action sequences demonstrating speed, and artistic, athletic battle strategy, a solid supporting cast that help shape Alita, and, the incredible combination of James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez creating something truly special for movie audiences everywhere!
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