From writer/producer James Cameron comes a spectacular sci-fi movie that’s based on a Manga series, called Battle Angel Alita. Manga for those who don’t know are Japanese comics or graphic novels. These are somewhat different from what you might find in the pantheon of American comics from producers like Marvel, DC, Darkhorse, or IDW. What you’ll find here is a refreshing reprieve from the run of the mill content of stories with muscle-bound titans fighting one another. Nothing against American comics, but sometimes you gotta say out with the boilerplate and in with the different. The story of Alita possesses such originality.
The year is 2563 and the world has been ravaged by a war – “The Fall” – that took place 300 years prior. This dystopian tale tells us about a cyborg girl called Alita (Rosa Salazar) who was saved from a salvage yard by a doctor, Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz). At first her origins are a bit of a mystery, but through psychological relays of martial artistry she gains back some memories and an idea of who she is. It comes to be known that Alita is an advanced warrior that uses an ancient martial art called “Panzer Kunst.” During this period of rediscovery, Alita gets a boyfriend, learns a violent new sport, and fine tunes her fighting skills. What we come to witness is nothing short of marvelous.
I really loved this movie because of the story, the characters, and the CGI mastery. Alita is but a small girl but she kicks more ass than your average contender. Her past is fascinating and her present maybe more so. Her future is yet to be determined, but it looks promising. If you’re a sci-fi junky, you will find redemption watching this movie. Check this out.
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5