The metanarrative I'm carried away with after seeing Alita: Battle Angel belongs to the one I walked into the theater with. I think the film does a very good job of establishing the four corners that are the foundation of storytelling interlocked with the four intermediary points that mark both the map of chaos and its counter-position, the imposture of order by an ever power-hungry humanity. In this mecha-mirror humankind looks into its soul only to be reflected in the face of the cyborg. Although the premise of this film may be interpreted as deeply or shallowly as its various degrees of viewers might care to plumb, nevertheless its root sources go back way farther than the most likely criticisms are equipped to acknowledge. For instance the similarity with part of its premise to Neill Blomkamp's 2013 movie Elysium (not to mention District 9, in some ways) remains an inevitability when contrasting both directors' futuristic visions against a common backdrop of cinema under which they each grew up at different periods in time. Their dates of birth being separated by eleven years speaks at least a decade's worth of volume, and to the elder director's credit, it shows in this film, sparkling with zest and executed with finesse. At least ten years in the making, the James Cameron produced 2019 film, smartly helmed by the very talented Robert Rodriguez, was inspired by Gunnm, a Japanese manga by Yukito Kishiro, which was made into an anime of two episodes released in June and August of 1993 (as Battle Angel) serving as a preview for the forthcoming manga.
In a complicated sense that I'm trying my best to capture in this review, the motifs inherent to this 2019 movie have been long established by an enmeshed variety of sources not even close to being limited to the Gunnm manga itself, but arrow back through cinematic history through box office classics like Robocop ('87) and Terminator 2 ('91) and to cut to the chase (even as it slices through such established visions of the future as Ridley Scott's 1982 core movie Bladerunner as well as the aesthetic of the 80s cyberpunk scene at the time) this movie has a helluva lot of fun with taking the aforementioned genre classics and spinning them along their axis into a singular PG-13 epic sure to please the majority of the range of target demographics it's dead bull's-eye aimed at. I know because I am one and I loved virtually every minute of it, right down to its occasional silly moments and very few misfires; these brief instances offered a sort of comfort, oddly enough. Any misgivings I had going in disappeared relatively quickly. The deeper the viewer is immersed into Alita's post-symbolic ravaged future world, the better and more startling its surprises, considering how spot-on they are toward building its series of escalating reveals.
No matter how you slice it, this movie delivers the goods for me. Incorporating a richer wisdom of film references that only a seasoned pro like Rodriguez would even dare attempt, he manages to effortlessly send a nod of appreciation to the Wachowskies who gifted the world with the Matrix in '99 (coinciding with the numeral Alita scrawls on her shoulder) and incorporates more than a passing gesture to 1975's Rollerball. Pardon the mild spoiler to follow here, but this director manages to expand upon the basic concept of that future sport into an amalgamation of arena excitement purposefully constructed to appeal to a mass common denominator in our society's expectations of bang-up gladiatorial wish-fulfillment. Known as Motorball in this hewn-down future, exactly how this #1 sport plays into the superstructure of the unfolding plot is something best left for the movie-going audience to discover for themselves. The action sequences are filmed with a sure and steady hand which allows the audience to perfectly capture every moment of the high-tension, ballistic acrobatics with crystal clear clarity. The way these scenes are filmed borders on and occasionally surpasses the exhilarating.
However, none of the aforementioned nuances detract from the straightforward storyline that Alita: Battle Angel manages to deliver. Rather, they work in service to the movie, enhancing it and adding a strange depth of dimension that you'd have to be cybernetically wired into my brain to understand. (That is what I'm trying to approximate in the ancient form we call writing here, which has now transformed itself into a sort of digital scripture.) This film is for anyone willing to surrender to its charms and underlying sense of vengeful bravado, and it offers wonderful moments to all viewers regardless of their years of experience or lack of them in this sort of thing. Newcomers to these age-old motifs and weary, hardened veterans as well should all walk away satisfied.
That the romance occurs between a female cyborg and male human whose dealings in secretly being a bounty hunter scavenger (harvesting body parts from cyborgs) are sure to catch up with him serves the movie well in regard to establishing an emotional core between its two main characters. Rosa Salazar brings perfection to her performance as the battle-hardened protagonist, while Keean Johnson brings an endearing portrayal as the boy who shows her the streets and how the dispossessed youth of Iron City aspire to either become Motorball superstars, or fall to the darker dealings of the underground bounty hunter scene. Christoph Waltz is a welcome addition as the dear Dr. Ido who brings her to life from a salvaged scrap heap, and Jennifer Connelly fits in just fine with the film's underlying sense of nostalgia. Mahershala Ali brings relevance to his portrayal of Vector, and Jackie Earle Hailey lifts his renegade cyborg Grewishka to a higher level than would otherwise have been possible. All of which is to say Cameron and Rodriguez did a great job casting this film, with at least one more very cool surprise in store for sharp-eyed audiences. I'm relatively certain it will come as a delight to many.
Alita: Battle Angel delivers the goods on all levels, as far as I'm concerned. There's a lot more going on than meets the quick-witted eye as the movie begins, and while its chapters unfold, more of Alita's past is revealed leading to her mysterious true identity. So you're still wondering if Alita: Battle Angel is worth checking out in the movie theaters before it hits every streaming platform and DVD vending machine in your city? You best believe it's every fanboy and girl's wet dream. Ten years in the making, this cinematic event has proven to be well worth the wait. Loaded with more surprises than this review has room for, I'd go check it out on the big screen as soon as possible, if I were you. It lays down the foundation for what promises to be an even more terrific followup. Just trust me on this and go check it out for yourself. If you're disappointed, I'd really like to know why. I suppose some will wish it had dared to venture into a harder, more violent R-rated territory. Well too bad for them. It earns its PG-13 status with a smattering of the old ultraviolence, but because it's highly stylized and really downplays the gore, I consider its themes to be universal enough for virtually all ages to enjoy. Maybe I'm only okay with this aspect of the film since I'm a dad now. But I think it more than makes up for that with superlative action sequences and plenty of heart. In fact, I'm thinking about seeing it again. I saw it alone, but I recommend seeing it with someone you love. It's a throwback to a more fun, action-packed time at the movies we don't really get to see that much of these days. Besides, what you are witnessing just happens to be a really cool and already legendary director coming into his stride with his first A-movie, and I, for one, couldn't be prouder of him. There's a lot of history, there. And there's a universe of history behind this manga brought stunningly to life for movie theaters. With the advent of this film, Robert Rodriguez can now be said to have officially added a new silver lining to the screen. You'll just have to watch the movie yourself to see what I mean.
