I'd been looking forward to seeing this movie since the very first trailer dropped. The massive mangaverse seems to be a treasure trove of wonderful titles just waiting to be discovered. The adaptation process hasn't always gone so flawlessly (a la "Ghost in the Shell"), but less bad press seemed to follow this project around so it seemed like it was at least off to a good start. It helped that it was a passion project anchored by none other than James Cameron; this didn't seem like the usual fare for director Robert Rodriguez, but I was willing to bet that their partnership would yield a great movie.
The movie is set in a bleak dystopian future already alluded to so well in the trailers. It is a tale of two cities as the dregs of humanity congregate in Iron City while a select few live in the floating city of Zalem (very much similar to the dichotomy displayed in Astro Boy when it comes to "Metro City"). Within the scrapyard of Iron City, Dr. Ido (Christoph Waltz) discovers the core remains of a cyborg, whom he takes home and rehabilitates. Since she is basically a blank slate, struck with a severe case of amnesia, he decides to name her Alita and acts as her surrogate father. As expected, he is overly protective of her as Iron City is very much a lawless land; he is also aware that there is more to Alita than meets the eye, something that would make her an easy mark for people trying to exploit her.
A fair deal of the story was shown in the trailers that preceded its release, but that still does not detract from the experience of watching the movie. Its creators have excelled at the massive task of world-building, giving us both the scope involved, but also giving us that very lived-in feeling that makes the world seem all too real. As a totally digitally rendered character, Alita seems very real; forget what initial impressions there may have been concerning her larger-than-life sized eyes: she never has any "uncanny valley" moments and you will fully empathize with her as you delve into the plot, discovering things just as innocently as she does.
The crew really did a great job in getting the character design down for this movie. Alita might be a fully digitally rendered character, but a lot of the citizens of Iron City are mechanically augmented individuals, and they don't seem out of place at all. You only have to get a glimpse of the character Zapan (Ed Skrein) in motion to see what's going on. The amount of detail in his design, particularly that of his back, is astounding. This kind of wizardry is reflected throughout the whole world, reflecting different classes of individuals who are augmented to perform different functions.
The fast paced spectacle that is "Motorball" is yet another highlight of the movie. The "street" alternative that Alita first encounters seemed like a more competitive sport; the true version of the game is more gladiatorial with a basic kill-or-be-killed mentality behind it. Truth be told, this will not sway you in any way from enjoying every single moment of its fast paced turbulent energy.
The multilayered characters also serve the story well. Alita (Rosa Salazar), an amnesiac who basically has to find her humanity by doing the one thing she was designed for - fighting - is both innocent, simplistic, but utterly fearless; a true berzerker. Dr. Ido and Chiren (Jennifer Connelly) share a convoluted past, not fully explored in this installment, but events in their lives cause them to diverge along very different paths. Jennifer Connelly didn't have much material to work with, but she certainly makes Chiren a fascinating character. At this point in his career, Mahershala Ali has played his fair share of villains (can't forget his recent turn as "The Prowler" in Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse); he plays "Vector" in a style very reminiscent of his take on "Cottonmouth" from Luke Cage. Last, but not least, I have to highlight the villainous Grewishka voiced so menacingly by Jackie Earle Haley; rendered as a monstrous behemoth, he has a loud bark, but unfortunately gets to endure a lot more punishment than he usually deals out (making him more of a running gag).
What we have at play here is a wonderful unique story, told with spectacular visuals that will totally immerse you in the whole experience. The movie is well-paced, and its 2 hour run time seems well and truly earned. With all the uncredited megastar appearances going on in this movie, it definitely will be getting a sequel, and I will definitely be lining up to watch those sequels.
This was a masterclass in movie making. A+
God Bless
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