Weak Story Doesn’t Slow Down The Fun In Alita: Battle Angel
James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez are two men in the film industry that exude the very essence of what it means to be an auteur. And they have joined forces to adapt the cyberpunk manga masterpiece, Battle Angel Alita or as it is known in Japan Gunnm by Yukito Kishiro.
This film has been a passion project for writer/producer Cameron for more than 20 years and I have personally had vested interest in this since he announced it.
To be frank, given my love of anime and manga, I initially approached this with great trepidation; because Hollywood has proven time and time again that it will miss the mark when it comes to adapting Japanese media, especially for a largely unfamiliar audience.
But after seeing the initial trailer with its intriguing use of motion capture for the titular character, my fear transformed into cautious optimism.
Does this machination fulfill its directive, or did it have a major malfunction?
Alita: Battle Angel follows the story of Alita (Rosa Salazar), a disembodied “core” (just a head) who awakens with no memory in a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by a technological fall. Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) finds her and gives her a new body. They later discover that Alita is more than what she seems and has an extraordinary past. As she navigates her new life, she battles other machines who are empowered with skills.
This movie was an experience, and I am not using that term lightly; director Robert Rodriguez has always had a gift for bringing 2D worlds into a 3D plane, and his rendition of Iron City in Alita: Battle Angel is no exception. Every single scene looks believable and lived in, allowing the viewer to feel a greater connection.
The writing was a bit touch and go, simply because James Cameron is a better character writer than he is a storyteller. The plot is barely there due to its lack of cohesiveness, but I found that largely forgivable because this story has always be been character-based. It’s always been about Alita’s journey to discover who she is, who she was, and who she will become. Cameron allows us to witness her take a metaphorical journey to adulthood, through her eyes. And I am glad to have witnessed such an organic-feeling experience.
The cast was filled with some strong talent; Christoph Waltz as always gives a solid performance, believably portraying all the concern of a father who only wants their child to be happy. Jennifer Connelly didn’t disappoint either — her commitment to Chiren’s character arc was very convincing. Ed Skrein and Jackie Earle Haley were extremely fun foils for Alita. Keean Johnson as Hugo, Alita’s love interest was fine. Mahershala Ali showed some superb character acting in this film, but to go into detail would be a huge spoiler. Rosa Salazar’s dedication to the character of Alita is one of the strongest parts of this film, she was able to make Alita feel like a real person which evoked a number of emotions in me as a viewer.
The funky cyberpunk-inspired soundtrack suited Alita’s journey very well, but I would expect no less from a collaboration of this caliber.
Many had strong opinions on the look of Alita: Battle Angel using motion capture to make Alita look more anime-inspired; it never bothered me though, mainly because I was able to trust the geniuses of Rodriguez and Cameron.
An important thing to note is that Cameron has stated that he intended to adapt “the spine story” from the original manga, with a specific focus on the first four books. He especially wanted to include the fictional sport “Motorball” from the third and fourth volume. In the narrative, the sport played an important role in the Alita story arc because it was part of her development as a character.
Alita: Battle Angel is not perfect, but I enjoyed the overall execution. This is how an adaption should work, you take into account what the originators and the fans had in mind and make it your own. Zack Snyder, I hope you are taking notes.
I give Alita: Battle Angel (PG-13, Twentieth Century Fox, 122 mins) a 3.5 out of 5.
