There are ideas taken from source materials like a book or animated feature that rarely make a successful transition to the big screen, let alone a live action adaptation of a popular Japanese Manga/ Anime property that is unique and had concepts that, at that period, were literally are ahead of its time. Yukito Kishiro's "Gunnm" or better known as "Battle Angel Alita" is one good example - a 1990 manga turned two-part OVA in 1993 that explored the themes of cyberpunk and a post-apocalyptic future where a great war has divided classes and humans and cyborgs co-exist together.
Long developed and produced by veteran Hollywood director James Cameron who wanted to adapt the manga, "Alita: Battle Angel" finally gets its time to shine - with Cameron attached as producer alongside Jon Landau and Robert Rodriguez now at the helm as director. After seeing several delays and improvements made to the visuals and CGI effects, the film has finally arrived in theaters - and what a festive treat this film is to anyone looking for some impressive effects and world-building storytelling. This movie could arguably be considered the first big step in Hollywood's attempt to properly adapt Japanese Manga/ Anime properties, and that is saying a lot considering so many others tried and loosely did those concepts right in the past.
Thanks to 20th Century Fox Philippines, I got to see Alita: Battle Angel last week at a special advance screening on IMAX 3D - and I literally walked in blind and unsure of what to expect from the film. I can safely say this movie is a luscious visual spectacle - with actress Rosa Salazar putting everything in her being to bring the lovable cyborg heroine Alita to life and just making her one of the most endearing characters to remember in cinema.
Without giving away much of the plot, Alita: Battle Angel sees Alita begin her journey as a disembodied core that is found in the scrapyard by cyberologist Dr. Dyson Ido (played by Christoph Waltz). Reassembled and with no memories of her past, this young cyborg slowly starts to remember fragments of her former identity while building new relationships as viewers discover a dystopian planet Earth that is divided between the rich and the poor - with the privileged living in a utopian land above the clouds called "Zalem". As cyborgs, bounty hunters, and a sport called "Motorball" quickly work into her new life, Alita eventually become the driving force for a change that will affect everyone in this brave new post-apocalyptic world.
Here's my quick impressions of the film from the premiere via IG:
With a powerful supporting cast that includes the aforementioned Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, and even Edward Norton, Alita: Battle Angel is just the shot of Cyberpunk action and anime style Hollywood flavor moviegoers need. It personally feels like a Final Fantasy concept brought to life with Robocop aesthetics inserted, and that's never ever a bad thing. While the movie considerably takes its time building itself up and there are themes and tropes that have been seen time and again in the past, this is a film that will not disappoint in presenting something visually stimulating.
Alita: Battle Angel is now showing in cinemas courtesy of 20th Century Fox Philippines!
Rating - 4/5
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