It took about 20 years for this movie to materialize. Now that it’s here, it does not disappoint.
Boasting a loyal fan base both in its native Japan and beyond, “Alita: Battle Angel” is firmly held as a classic, worthy of mention in the same breath as fellow cyberpunk anime brethren such as Akira or Appleseed. But even with that, the Robert Rodriguez-helmed adaptation has had as much going against it as it has in its favor.
For starters, any Japanese property adapted by Hollywood is met with either scoffs of disdain or groans of fretfulness and anxiety by fans, as, generally speaking, none of them have been seen as being very good. Even the Scarlett Johanssonled “Ghost In The Shell,” while far from a disaster, failed to reach the level of greatness the original anime achieved. And no one ever talks about “Dragonball Evolution.” The saying that books never translate well into movies is the same for anime classics into live action flicks. There will always be something the die-hard fans will be missing.
This has been delayed repeatedly, with James Cameron acquiring the rights for a live action film way back in the 1990s. Since then development has been stalled with Cameron devoting his time and resources to “Avatar” and its anticipated sequels.
Yet, in this sea of skepticism and cautious anticipation, the Rodriguezhelmed adaptation has incredibly managed to be pleasantly engaging, if not downright gripping at times. Staying as faithful to the source material as its two-hour run time can allow, the film follows Alita as she tries to figure out who she is and where she belongs in the world, while juggling young love and psychopathic cyborgs on the side.
The disproportionately large eyes sported by Alita, a source of dismay for some when the first trailers were released, prove to be easy to get used to and are not as distracting as some feared. In fact, they seem to help emphasize Alita’s innocence and naiveté. If the eyes are the windows to the soul as the saying goes, Alita’s are large and inviting cathedral windows, bearing all she is. “It’s all or nothing with me.” She says at one point. Add to that some very naturalistic motion and facial capture work by Rosa Salazar (“Divergent,” “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials”) and you end up with a genuinely endearing digital protagonist that quickly becomes worthy of your emotional investment as a viewer. In other words, though she’s made of pixels, she’s as real as they come.
Surrounding her are flesh and blood actors such as Christoph Waltz. The award-winning actor plays the fatherly Dr. Dyson Ido, the cybernetics specialist who initially found and cared for Alita, and serves as both her mentor and mechanic. He provides a grizzled, jaded perspective, and acts as a counterpoint to Alita’s unchecked optimism, always wanting to keep her free from the horrors of their severely brutal and unequal world. Rounding out the cast of well-known actors are Jennifer Connelly, and Mahershala Ali, who made waves recently with his Best
WHAT IF you had one last trip to be with the person you love before you end your relationship? How do you say goodbye?
Viva Films, the producer of “100 Tula Para Kay Stella” and “Sid & Aya (Not A Love Story),” in cooperation with BluArt Productions Actor Oscar nomination.
Visually, the movie delivers in spades. Part of the delay has always been Cameron’s view that special effects hadn’t matured enough to do justice to the world of Alita, with its glowing, gilded floating city of Zalem, gritty, industrial, cobbled-together town of the Scrapyard and overly saturated, high-energy Motorball stadiums. After percolating for two decades on the back-burners, the movie finally arrived and delivers more than what was initially promised. Though not as covered in neon as other cyberpunk shows like “Altered Carbon” or “Blade Runner,” the environments are nonetheless jaw-dropping.
The action however, is what will surely grip audiences. The fight scenes are highly acrobatic and intense. They are also surprisingly hard-hitting and visceral, considering the combatants are mainly cyborgs who can simply be repaired.
And that is probably why, despite the repeated loss of several body parts in major fights and other side skirmishes on the motorball circuit (Motorball being a cross between Quidditch and Nascar for roller-bladed morally-compromised cyborgs) that the movie was able and XL8, continues to redefine the romance genre in Philippine cinema with its special pre-Valentine offering, “Hanggang Kailan?”
Xian Lim and Louise delos Reyes star as Donnie and Kath, a couple who’s celebrating their second anniversary. But instead of looking forward to more years together, they agree that this is going to be their last even though they are still very much in love. to keep its PG-13 rating. No matter how disturbing the image, there’s not much blood going around. At any rate it will probably go way over the heads of kids who will see it undoubtedly cool and awesome. Cyborgs battling, what’s not to like?
Story–wise, it moves along at a good pace, taking its time to introduce the who’s and where’s and what’s, but its very vague on the whys. Some motivations are a bit unclear, and too easily at times for a protective father figure, but once you buy into the science of their 26th century world, there are no major flaws that jar you from the experience.
The ending felt like something you’d find in a young adult novel adaptation, and clearly shows that Cameron as producer and Rodriguez as director have plans of following up on “Alita” should they get the chance. And this reviewer at least thinks they should, and will be waiting when they do. Just please do not take another two decades for it to materialize.
“Alita: Battle Angel” has been a long time coming, but, in the end, shows itself to be well worth the wait. It proves that you achieve great things when you wait and do things right. The question now is, how long is the wait for the next one?
Before they totally go their separate ways, Donnie and Kath take a four-day/three-night vacation in Saga, Japan. Amidst picturesque landscapes, new memories will be made, hearts will break. And they’ve always known that this is bound to happen.
“Hanggang Kailan?” held its premiere night at SM Megamall a few days ago. The movie is now in cinemas nationwide.