Despite Some Issues, Alita: Battle Angel Is A Fun Popcorn Flick
Movies can have outstanding visual effects and be average. That’s the situation with Alita: Battle Angel. The effects are awesome, the story is intriguing, and it’s a true popcorn film. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Alita. There are a lot of issues that keep this from being more than average.
If you know of Alita: Battle Angel from the manga series, you’ll know the basic story very well. For someone who didn’t know any of the source, it’s hard to comprehend. It seems pretty straightforward. There are a lot of sub-plots to Alita Battle Angel.
For starters, the relationship between Alita and Hugo. You don’t really have any connection to them. Everything between the two just seemed a bit off. The writers and directors didn’t make anything seem believable about their romance. Things felt forced and rushed.
What about the other characters in the film? Christoph Waltz (Dr. Ido) was wasted as the main character. His acting is usually such a highlight of any film he’s in. Alita: Battle Angel wasn’t his best work. The same can be said for Mahershala Ali (Vector) and Jennifer Connelly (Chiren). To have three Academy Award winners and not use them to their full potential is a real bummer.
I’m picking at straws with Alita. I really wanted to find things to hate about it. My main gripes were the Alita and Hugo relationship and the cast. The other problem I had was the ending needing to be a lot stronger.
They leave Alita open for a sequel. I’m not a fan of movies that make it too obvious a second part is on the way. If the first fails and a second isn’t made, you’re left with an incomplete film. Alita: Battle Angel will have a 50-50 shot of getting a sequel. Although, who knows what the real chances are.
The ending left me wanting more. That can be a good thing and a bad thing. I’d say if the story is concluded on the big screen, and we knew that a second was coming beforehand, I’d like Alita: Battle Angel a lot more. Without a clear direction of finishing the story, I’m just a bit let down.
There’s just something to this movie that keeps it from being above average. Perhaps I just expected more from the cast. There was definitely a lot going on in this film. There was just too much being thrown at you. The director crammed a lot into a 2-hour movie. Still, the film itself wasn’t too bad. It’s worth checking out at your local theater.
Image Source: 20th Century Fox
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
