We saw Alita: Battle Angel right before it’s world premiere and while trying to hold back what we think about the movie I totally forgot to post our his and her review. I’m glad it will be showing February 7 and February 14 2019 in other countries so this is not late at all, although normally we post the day after! Hah!
Should you watch it? What to expect? Read our no spoiler review now!
What Marcus thinks of it? His POV
I try to go into a movie without knowing much about it, so that I can enjoy the surprises to their fullest. I did pretty good about avoiding information about Alita, so it was pretty much all new to me. One of my surprises didn’t come until the end of the movie, during the credits. As I was watching I couldn’t help but compare it to Avatar due to Alita being an entirely digital character. What I enjoyed about this over Avatar, was that this digital character was interacting with the real world. In Avatar, digital characters were in a digital world, essentially making it a cartoon. And I also saw a scene that reminded me VERY much of Titanic. (Can’t say what it was because that’s a spoiler). But these two things made a lot of sense at the end when I saw that James Cameron wrote the script. He was behind both Avatar and Titanic. I don’t think this means that if you’re a fan of Titanic that you’re automatically going to like this, but if you like Avatar, chances are you will.
As when I was watching the first Lord of the Rings movies, I was disappointed to only get a part of the story. I can only assume that this is a part of a bigger story that we will get in sequels. So be ready for that not-so-fulfilling, sudden ending. And because it’s only the beginning of the story, we really don’t get into the main conflict until near the end, and even then, we don’t know much. This whole movie is pretty much just an introduction to the world. But it’s a fascinating world. But you might feel like Earth and I, in that the story wasn’t that exciting. We don’t see the heroine interact with the main villain. Just some small-time villains with personal vendettas. There is no “I need to save the world” stuff…..yet.
Technically speaking, this movie is amazing. I think most people will be going ga-ga on how realistic the main character is, even though she’s entirely digital. But that was a negative to me. I mean, when she does amazing stuff, it is less thrilling, because I know it is just a computer graphic. Graphics can do anything. But where this movie excels is in the integration of that character with the real world, and with real world items (faces) on computer graphic elements. Often time when there is contact between a digital character and the real world, there is a odd look/feel to it. But that was not the case here. The characters touched items and people touched her, and it all looked real. Best composite work I’ve seen. Some parts do look a little cartoony, like the motorball, but that is so foreign to my brain that maybe it isn’t possible to look real to me.
You will be amazed while watching this movie. Even if you’re not impressed with good computer graphics, just the fascinating machines and scenery will keep you fully engaged. The ideas the movie brings up are also worth thinking about. How is a society where limbs are easily replaced? Or even a whole body? Turns our bodies into property and not something as deeply sacred as we feel about it now. Speaking of sacred…Alita has no vagina. (oh, is that a spoiler?)
What Earth Thinks of it? Her POV
Marcus is crazy! I just read the end of his review! So sexist! But don’t get mad this is actually a his and her movie review so he is showing the male brain here.
Anyway, I saw the trailers, unlike Marcus I like watching trailers. I loved the innovative way they did with the graphics and the live action mash up. The story looks promising. Then we watched the movie.
It was entertaining , no dull moment and another breakthrough movie indeed but I feel it felt short with the storyline like there was something missing.
Was it a video game? I’m sorry I’m not a gamer. Will there be a part 2? What did I miss?
Don’t get me wrong it was a very visually pleasing movie but it lost me with the end goal or like ok now what?
If you want to see nother breakthrough by James Cameron (Avatar) and Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) go ahead and watch. But don’t expect too much like you will walk out of the theater breathless with the storyline like you did with Avatar or Son City. I hope there’s part 2 to fill in the gaps.
