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rankakiu · 6 years

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Thoughts of the Droid: Alita Battle Angel (2019)

Hello, people of Tumblr! How life treats you? As always, I hope very well. Finally, I had the opportunity to see the movie I most expected from this 2019: Alita Battle Angel

It is another Hollywood effort to adapt a Japanese franchise, being the turn of the series "Hyper Future Vision GUNNM" by the author Yukito Kishiro, which has become over time a reference and classic of the genre of science fiction and Cyberpunk, at the same time having gained the status of cult work. And this time, Hollywood, with the help of James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez have brought us their live-action version, which has given to talk in the middle of the cinema and among fans of anime/manga.

WARNING: NOT SPOILER-FREE. Read at your own risk

Entering already in the review, what did I think about the movie? Short answer: Entertaining, but could give a little more of itself. Now let's analyze the movie in more detail.

Characters: In my opinion, the strongest point of the movie. The interpretations of the actors could not be more accurate and you can see the effort they have put into playing their respective roles. I particularly emphasize the actress Rosa Salazar in her role as Alita and Christoph Waltz as Dr. Dyson Ido. Salazar has done an impeccable job and I, as a spectator, felt that I saw Alita in all her personality and glory. A kind and innocent girl who discovers and marvels at a world that is unknown to her. In this part, they knew how to perfectly balance her surprise and innocence, without Alita looking ignorant or silly. We also have her other side represented perfectly: a lethal soldier who possesses the soul of an entire warrior, with touches of arrogance, whose combat techniques make her a formidable adversary. And whose memories are unlocked little by little making use of their main weapon: the martial art of the Panzer Kunst.

Christoph Waltz, on the other hand, makes a very solid interpretation of Daisuke Ido ... sorry, Dyson Ido, a father figure for Alita. In fact, that aspect pleased me a lot about the movie, which at all times shows an authentic relationship between father and daughter that gets stronger as the story progresses. We see a Dyson Ido, who despite not agreeing with Alita in some circumstances, supports his adopted daughter unconditionally.

I also highlight the actors Keean Johnson and Ed Skrein in their roles of Hugo and Zapan, respectively. They also show that they studied their characters and represented them quite well. We have a Hugo here, who, like his previous incarnations, has the dream of going to Zalem in search of a better life. On behalf of Ed Skrein, he gives us an arrogant and vengeful Zapan, ready to defeat and humiliate Alita.

In general, the rest of the cast works pretty well inside the movie. (By the way, very good detail of those involved in keeping the surprise of Edward Norton as Desty Nova, since seeing him there in the film was a real surprise, and a nice to finish XD).

History: Ironically, this was the weakest point I found in this movie. At first, the story progresses well, but after a few minutes, the story feels rushed, presenting a huge number of characters in a very short period of time, apart from that they explain their characteristics, instead of showing them in the scene on the big screen.

However, I firmly believe that what it plays against was that they tried to make a perfect amalgamation between the first three volumes of the Japanese comic and the two existing OVA’s of the franchise. I recognize that there are scenes of this style that really work, but a good part of them feels that they pass too quickly and does not allow a real conflict between the characters to be generated. In addition, I also believe that Cameron and Rodriguez did such a good job of pleasing the fans, that they almost completely forgot to include more people, that their adaptation was more universal for the entire audience. I understand that in a movie the time is quite limited, but they could make an effort to deliver a more cohesive story. By the way, the violence in the film, although very reduced and soft compared to the original material, is appreciated to see it.

Something that seemed unjustifiable to me in the movie was that they removed all the history of Hugo's past, is essential to understanding his motivations. They kept his dream of wanting to go to Zalem, but you never understand why he wants to go to Zalem. Of course, long before the premiere, I read the volumes of the original Japanese comic, so, even when they missed that part, I understood the reason for Hugo's dream. But someone who approaches the franchise for the first time with this movie will never understand why. Also, you have the scene where Hugo climbs up one of the cables that hold the floating city of Zalem. In the Japanese comic and OVA, you understand that he climbs as a last and desperate alternative to fulfill his dream of belonging to that city. On the other hand, the movie goes up because the hunter-warriors know that he is still alive. Partly it is justified, but it feels forced and taken out of nothing.

As I said above, the story feels rushed and this is more noticeable in the inclusion of Motorball sports scenes, which I would have preferred to have been in the final part of the film and the other two rooms focusing on Alita in her role as hunter-warrior. We have another case, where the final confrontation between Alita and Zapan is hurried and one can barely enjoy the scenes. Almost has no impact on the viewer and to top it off, the change of heart of Chiren, now determined to help Alita feels too forced. It also happens in the case when Zapan loses his face at the hands of Alita, where the scene does not have enough impact to astonish the spectator.

But what intrigues me the most is: how in the end, Alita stays as a Motorball player if practically scenes ago she made rebellious acts against the Factory? Practically entering, dismantling machines, destroying facilities and killing a person (Vector) is enough to put a price on the head of our protagonist. And yet, there you see her at the end very removed from grief and the Factory does not put any reward for her.

But not everything is bad. In favor of the film, I will say that the inclusion of Hugo at the beginning of the story was a success since it allows the romance between Alita and Hugo to unfold naturally. You also feel that in truth chemistry between the actors, which makes their romance more tender and therefore more credible. I highlight two scenes in particular: the first where Hugo teaches Alita to play Motorball and the second where he gives her chocolate to taste for the first time. In the first, they spend more time together and therefore you can feel that their romance is born little by little. It is in the second scene where you see more the innocence of Alita that causes you to die (not literally XD) of tenderness, without forgetting that also this scene has its comic touches well achieved.

It is also fair to mention that the scene of Hugo's death is very emotional and finally we see how Alita is affected by that event. We see her mourn, her sadness, anguish, and despair to witness the death of the man she loved. As a spectator, it moved me a lot.

On the other hand, the justification of Dr. Ido to be a Hunter-Warrior is perfectly raised, since the loss of his biological daughter affected him so much that he decided to make his own justice. In general, it is a very valid reason and the proposal of the film goes further, by presenting an Ido, who after achieving his revenge, did not leave him satisfied, but even worsened his feeling of emptiness. It is quite similar to what the Japanese comic raises originally where Daisuke Ido, to prove the experience of killing, could not leave that profession, being a declared murderer. Something similar also happens with the end of this movie. I will also mention that here it makes more sense that Ido and Chiren have been a couple and their subsequent separation is equally well justified. Here Ido, with Alita, has again the opportunity to return to be a father, and the viewer sympathizes with Ido in that aspect. In general, the scenes that narrate the good doctor Ido's past are brilliantly realized.

If I had to highlight a scene that combines the Japanese comic and the OVA and if it works to perfection, without a doubt it would be the scene of the Bar Kansas and the subsequent fight between Alita and Grewishka. Interestingly, here if you feel a perfect amalgam between both formats and brought to life for the big screen. We have Alita who goes to the Bar Kansas for two reasons: one, seek to prove herself as a warrior hunter, and two get help to stop the evil Grewishka. It turns out to be an impeccable scene, where in spite of giving some events in a different way, it also preserves the essence of both previously mentioned formats (especially the japanese comic). It is here that the arrogant, but charismatic part of Alita is observed, humiliating the other hunter-warriors by telling them the painful truth, accompanied by a beating of epic proportions. On the other hand the sequence of the fight in the bar is very well achieved, reminding us of the fights that occur in the bars of our world XD.

The fight between Alita and Grewishka is the best achieved, having a great intensity in action. It is here where they also took many scenes from the Japanese comic and knew how to transfer them to the film. Here we see an Alita whose inner warrior reappears with more strength than ever, and despite the difference of powers and abilities, she knew how to stand up to her opponent, even when, in a peak scene, her Doll Body is destroyed, Alita never surrendered in the fight. Fortunately she was saved by the help of Hugo, Dr. Ido and the hunter-warrior McTeague. Particularly the scene where Dr. Ido carries the battered body of Alita is moving to see, as one as a spectator feels the affection and paternal care that Ido shows at that time with his adopted daughter, in addition to recalling a classic scene of the Japanese comic . Certainly a maximum point is reached when Dr. Ido rebuilds Alita with the Berserker Body, where he understands and accepts the warrior soul that is inside Alita.

To finish this point, I will say that the scene that I liked the most was precisely the one at the end, where Alita unsheathes her Damascus Blade and points to the sky. We also see Edward Norton in his role as Desty Nova, accepting the challenge of his enemy, a sublimely performed scene, where Alita accepts herself as a warrior, promising the destruction of Nova with a will of steel. Extra points for the design of Nova, where it really looks like its Japanese comic counterpart, without looking like a bad cosplay. In general, Nova's dialogues, along with his brief appearance, left me asking for more of this iconic character.

Visuals and special effects: Simply great. In truth here I recognize the effort they made to present the world of Alita. We see the floating city Zalem in all its corruptive glory, and the Iron City, with its people living as pleasantly as possible, but also presenting their constant problems to survive in an environment too hostile, full of poverty and murder.

The strongest point is the design of Alita and her cybernetic bodies. I still remember the controversy (which fortunately did not happen to major) that generated the fact that Rosa Salazar made her interpretation with the Capture Performance technique and above all, the decision to make the eyes of Alita enormous. To the relief of the majority, that was only a minor detail, since, in the final product, Alita looks pretty good. In all the scenes It looks totally beautiful, besides that, in spite of being a Cyborg, its movements are quite natural and fluid, like those of any other human. The designs of the cyborg bodies are really beautiful, in addition to offering some contrast to differentiate them. We have the Doll Body, whose design is simple, but close up it has ornaments that make it feel empty, in addition to its color palette is warm, ideal to represent the innocence and kindness of Alita. On the other side, we have the Berserker Body, whose design is more elaborate, but not saturated. And their colors are quite indicated to represent their warrior side.

Action: There is not much I can say, except that it is really very good and very well done. It's a frenetic action, but you can clearly see the fast movements of the characters. Once again I highlight Alita, whose movements are not only fluid, but also note that these movements, when attacking, dodging, pirouetting in the air, kicking and punching, you notice a huge physical force in her attacks and above all, her movements are more by instinct, as would be expected of her character, who instinctively recalls her training in the Panzer Kunst. The Motorball scenes are fast, you feel the intensity of the sport and in general, it feels like in its counterpart of the Japanese comic: a sport full of adrenaline and without mercy. The action does not disappoint.

In conclusion, Alita Battle Angel is a decent and acceptable film and adaptation. It is entertaining to watch and one can get to enjoy the experience. However, one also feels that the film had more potential, which unfortunately did not come to fruition at all. This film would recommend it more to Die-Hard fans of Alita or as a way to have a good time to get rid of boredom. For my part, I will say that this movie has become a guilty pleasure. No doubt I would see it again, but with certain reservations. For now, I give this movie 2.5 out of 5 Damascus Blades.

I'll finish my review by saying this: In part, I'm glad to see Hollywood keep trying to make adaptations of foreign franchises. As far as I can see, this industry is taking more seriously to rely on the source material and represent it in the best way they can, in addition to dealing with more some respect to the franchises. In fact, they still have a way to go, but I feel that they have already taken the right path. It is only a matter of time before they finally deliver an adaptation that is universally acclaimed. I count that it will be like this in the future.

Greetings

Rankakiu

Edit: I added my thoughts on two more scenes of the movie. So, I feel that my review is at last complete.

#hyper future vision gunnm #alitabattleangel #alita battle angel #live action #rosa salazar #keean johnson #christoph waltz #ed skrein #movie #adaptation #review #opinion #thoughts #thoughts of the droid #rankakiu

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ramajmedia · 5 years

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Alita: Battle Angel: 12 Hidden Details Everyone Completely Missed

Earlier this year, Hollywood finally broke the curse of making terrible live-action adaptations of anime with Alita: Battle Angel – the American remake of Gunnm aka Battle Angel Alita. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by James Cameron, Alita: Battle Angel followed Alita’s rise from a forsaken robot to the greatest cyborg warrior of Iron City.

Being an adaptation of both the manga and anime, Alita is overflowing with references and visual tributes to the beloved cult source material that many people would miss on their first viewing. Now that the movie is available on video and streaming, here are 12 things you may have missed while watching Alita: Battle Angel to look out for.

12 The Swamp Thing Is Alita’s First Opponent

Alita’s first opponent and kill is Romo, a cyborg with bladed hands who’s also the weakest of Grewishka’s gang. Romo is portrayed by stuntman Derek Mears, who is better known for some monstrous roles that cover his face.

Two of Mears’s most famous monster roles are the Swamp Thing in the canceled streaming show and Jason Voorhess from the Friday the 13threboot. As of now, he’s the ninth actor to portray the famous slasher killer. He was also the super-villain Dwarfstar in The Flash, where he framed Big Sir for murder.

11 Madam M Is The Robed Cyborg

Right after dispatching Romo, Alita faces Nyssiana, who previously lured Dr. Ido into the dark alley. The mantis-like assassin is portrayed by Eiza Gonzalez, who was recently seen in Hobbs & Shaw where she portrayed Shaw’s femme fatale associate Madam M.

Gonzalez is an actress and singer who’s best known for starring in popular Mexican soap operas. Previously, she took up the roles of Darling in Baby Driver and Santanico Pandemonium in the televised remake of From Dusk Till Dawn. She inherited the latter role from Salma Hayek.

10 Captain Boomerang Is A Motorball Champion

Alita: Battle Angel has a lot of high-profile cameos, including Jai Courtney who appears as one of the Motorball players being repaired on in the pitstop. Best known for being Captain Boomerang in Suicide Squad, Courtney’s character Jashugan may play a larger role in a hypothetical sequel.

Jashugan is a major character in the manga’s Motorball arc, most of which is being saved for a tentative sequel. Of Alita’s many Motorball opponents, Jashugan – who is hailed as the greatest Motorball champion of his time – is the only one she truly respects as a rival and equal.

9 Frank From Lost Is McTeague

When Alita drops by The Kansas Bar, she sees a host of Hunter-Warriors who all laugh at her call to war against Grewnishka. The only one to answer the call is McTeague, a hunter who uses a pack of cyborg dogs to do the killing.

RELATED: Lost: 10 Storylines That Were Never Resolved

McTeague – based on Murdock from the manga – is played by frequent Rodriguez collaborator Jeff Fahey, making this his third appearance in the director’s works. Previously, he managed a gas station/barbecue joint as J.T. in Planet Terror and the devious political advisor Booth in Machete.

8 Johnny Rico Killed Dr. Ido’s Daughter

Midway through Alita: Battle Angel, Dr. Ido reveals that his daughter was inadvertently killed when a rabid Amok – a cyborg junkie – ransacked his clinic for drugs and painkillers. Amok is also portrayed by Casper van Dien, who is best known for being the hero of Starship Troopers.

Casper van Dien portrayed Johnny Rico in most installments of the Starship Troopers franchise, with his time in the original movie recognized as the highlight of his career. He also took up the role of Johnny Cage in the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy.

7 Letty Is Gelda

In a previous life, Alita was referred to as “99” and was a member one of the feared Berserkers – the United Republic of Mars’ (URM) deadly shock troopers from The Great War. Her commanding officer was Gerda, who is last seen fighting alongside Alita in a flashback.

Because Gelda is a CGI character, it’s easy to miss that she’s being portrayed by Michelle Rodriguez. Best known as Letty in the Fast & Furious movies, Rodriguez is one of the most recognized actresses in the action genre. She also took up the role of the revolutionary Shé in Rodriguez’s Machete films.

6 Edward Norton is Desty Nova

Alita: Battle Angel ends with a cryptic shot of a scientist living in Zalem, who’s shown to be watching and controlling the events of the movie. This man is none other than Dr. Desty Nova, the central antagonist of the Alita manga.

RELATED: 10 Ways That The Incredible Hulk Ties Into The Wider MCU

Portrayed by Edward Norton in a cameo, Nova is the mad scientist who created most of Alita’s cyborg enemies. Driven by his futile quest to define good and evil (aka Karmatron Dynamics) through science, Nova is willing to put people’s lives at stake just to get the next variable in his equation.

5 Iron City’s Location Is Geographically Correct

In the manga, Iron City was built in what remains of Kansas City. It also sits under the space elevator connecting the Scrapyard to the floating city of Zalem. Geographically speaking, this is inaccurate since a planetary elevator should ideally be built near the equator.

It’s for this exact reason that James Cameron moved the city Alita calls home to Latin America. This explains why the cinematic Iron City is defined by old Spanish colonial architecture and is found near a rainforest. The city’s original location is referenced through The Kansas Bar.

4 Grewishka Is A Combination Of Two Characters

Though he’s not the main villain, Grewishka is still a gigantic and intimidating force of nature who Alita takes a while to defeat. For curious viewers, Grewishka does exist in the manga and anime but as two separate entities.

The most obvious inspiration is his name, which is derived from the anime’s first main antagonist Grewcica. His appearance and initial purpose are based on Makaku from the manga, where he also threatened to turn Alita into a living pendant. A major change is his employment as Vector’s chief thug, since he originally answered to Desty Nova.

3 Alita’s New Body

Even Alita’s Berserker Body wasn’t impervious to all the punishment she took throughout the movie, which could be why she wears a new body by the movie’s end. In the manga, Alita has a separate body that’s exclusively used for Motorball while her Berserker Body is saved for combat purposes.

However, her third body also allows her to channel blue plasma fire into her Damascus Blade – something only hinted at with her Berserker Body. This is a feature that she constantly used in fights when wearing her Imaginos Body, which was crafted by Desty Nova.

2 The Movie Condensed A Lot Of The Anime And Manga

Given the number of chapters and spin-off materials, it’s simply impossible to adapt all of Battle Angel Alita or Gunnm into one film. This is why Alita: Battle Angel does its best to condense the manga’s characters, themes, and major events into a two-hour runtime.

For example, Alita originally spent entire arcs as a Hunter-Warrior and a Motorball champion. She does both in the movie, but her bounty hunting job was overshadowed by her athletic career. Whole subplots were also omitted to focus the story, losing the likes of McTeague’s/ Murdock’s hatred of Zapan and Desty Nova’s direct involvement.

1 The Mangaka Creator Loves The Movie

It would be an understatement to say that Hollywood doesn’t have the most glowing reputation when it comes to adapting manga and anime to live-action but Alita: Battle Angel is the exception.

RELATED: 10 Anime That Should Be Made into Live-Action Films (After Alita: Battle Angel)

Not only is it considered to be the best American anime remake, but series creator Yukito Kishiro – who disowned the anime – absolutely adores it. He’s seen the movie more than once, finding something new in each viewing of what he calls “the greatest movie in the world.” He even created new artwork for the movie’s release, depicting Rosa Salazar in his manga’s classic style.

NEXT: Alita: Battle Angel Star Rosa Salazar Wants To Return For Sequels

source https://screenrant.com/alita-battle-angel-hidden-details/

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