Alita: Battle Angel is a slightly overstuffed, clogged mess of a film that is just too good to pass up. Gotch'ya, didn't I? Yes, this movie definitely feels like it was several books crammed into an uncomfortable runtime... but how does it manage to be so goddamn good? Well, I think it's because of the good writing from Cameron, the strong direction from Rodriguez, and the acting from everyone else in the film. Seriously, I cannot remember the last time I felt this conflicted about a movie that should be bad on paper.
Adapted from a Japanese Manga? Check. Adapted from an animated movie/series? Check. Crammed book series into a single movie? Check. Big CG anime, waifu eyes that look uncomfortable? CHECK. These things should have made this movie dumb, stupid, and downright unwatchable... So why does it work?
Well, if we include the things I mentioned before, we can also conclude that the reason this movie is good is because they cared. Everyone that worked on this movie clearly cared about the source material and did whatever they could to make it as faithful to it as humanly possible. Yes, the big anime, waifu eyes are a bit unnerving, but with the performance the actress gives, it becomes impossible not to love her. THE ACTION, OH LORD THE ACTION. The action is something straight out of a Japanese Big Eye Cartoon (yes, I know what I did), and is an absolute blast to watch. With all this in mind, it is a surprising bit of good filmmaking that allows us to forget about the bullcrap in our lives for a bit, for a grand spectacle with an awesome story and characters.
There are still massive flaws with the movie: the story is rushed, the pacing is off, and sometimes things happened that leaves us scratching our heads. But they can be forgiven as what we have here is the best anime adaptation yet. I loved watching it, and I plan on watching it again. And whatever sequel awaits, I welcome it with open arms.
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