Alita: Battle Angel movie review - A new hero arises!

It has been quite some time since I had last written a movie review... I can't even remember the last review I made, but all thanks to this movie Alita: Battle Angel that has sparked my desire to once again write this movie review.

Amidst the slew of superhero movies that has been killing the box office, for the past few years, well most superhero movies that is, from DC to Marvel, 2019 seems like another year for the slaying of superhero movies, as DC and Marvel roll out their respective line-ups with the likes of Shazam, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, 2019 looks to be a very promising year indeed.  But it all has to start somewhere, alas Alita: Battle Angel.

Alita: Battle Angel is based on the manga "Gunnm" by Yukito Kishiro, taken into fruition with producers and director John Landau and Robert Rodriguez.  Alita: Battle Angel brings to us an action-packed hero movie much to the delight of manga fans.

Although much of the movie is in CGI, it's very near to reality that sometimes you actually forget you are indeed watching a CGI movie, Alita portrayed by Rosa Salazar, has a face feature so human like, to the point, I see her as the real Rosa Salazar's face minus the bubbly big round eyes of course, (taking reference to the manga version of Alita).  For most of the cyborg characters in the movie, they were just there to support the story, so expect nothing else but action, action, action!

Set in a post apocalyptic future, the movie starts with Dr Ido (Christoph Waltz) finding Alita in the scrapyard, damaged, but finds hope in rebuilding her to somehow replace his lost daughter, not expecting Alita's discovery of her true self.  The movie tries to inject a bit of humor, and packs a lot of tenacity, action, violence, as well as emotions as the main characters Alita (Rosa Salazar) and Hugo (Keean Johnson), hit it off like regular teenagers, just enjoying each other's company, though a cyborg Alita, has a big heart and breathes confidence as she discovers more of her true identity and what she was before she was found in the scrapyard, she is stubborn and selfish, which is her charm, overall Alita is the hero you would have always wanted to be.

While Alita has made strides in being the hero in the movie, the other characters lack the passion and rigor that the movie also needed, from Christoph Waltz to Jennifer Connelly, they are top caliber actors that did not live up to their true potential for the movie, maybe the movie was centered on Alita alone, but the supporting cast is also as important for the movie to have the perfect balance of a great movie... but apart from that Alita: Battle Angel lives up to the hype with amazing stunt and action sequences that leave you at awe, the martial art sequences in the movie is enough to bring me back to the theaters and watch it all over again.

Overall, Alita: Battle Angel is not a perfect movie, but a movie that promises to give you a great movie experience, from the martial art sequences to the motorball scenes, you will surely have your money's worth and will definitely have a good time.  

Alita: Battle Angel is directed by Robert Rodriguez, written by James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis, starring Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley and Keean Johnson.  A 20th Century Fox production.  Alita: Battle Angel will be showing in theatres nationwide on February 6th.

Catch Alita: Battle Angel at SM IMAX theaters and experience a bigger and better cinematic experience.

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