Everything GREAT About Alita Battle Angel!

Alita-style fox logo light beam wipe! Switching to 26th century and the implication that no matter where this statue exists, in the future it's gonna be surrounded by a city. Because cyberpunk grime. By no means will I be pointing out every difference or similarity to the manga or OVA, Gunmu or Battle Angel, which I'm just gonna be calling the anime from now on. But there's a certain continuity that all three start in exactly the same way. Right down to Ito collecting the robot eye. And at the same time the movie sets itself apart as a little more consequential, let's say, by not having Ito dance around like he does in the other two versions. And we get some new beginning score to get your blood pumping. You're dreaming, little angel? Fair question, since her eyes are showing signs of REM. Look, I have a complicated relationship with Alita's face. I think the eyes occasionally uncanny valley her down to, like, clue levels in my brain. But I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like the performance slash motion capture isn't astounding. That lighting on her skin is phenomenal. From the scar on her nose, creases in her lips and peach fuzz on her cheek, care and time were very clearly taken. I'm Dr. Dyson Ito. Dyson, Daisuke, I'm with you. And even if she looks weird, having Christoph Waltz physically interacting with her face is starting to ease my brain in. The level of detail and color that went into Iron City contrasted with the Zalem above. Alita. I love it! Hugging and naming. Set aside! Just push it down some stairs. Saving the cat, or dog. It's the last act in Scrapyard you'll ever need. Ito found me in the scrapyard. The scrapyard? But that would mean... There's Hugo's entire motivation in one scene. Pretty cyborg? Yeah, maybe, but now he knows she's from Zalem. And that's all he really cares about. One other interesting difference between the three versions is the taming down. For this scene, the manga is black and white, but a complete head explosion. The anime was some splatter, and now the movie is just a sound effect. I'll claw my way there with my bare hands if I have to. Yeah, they'll be bare, all right. Bare of your body. Sportsmanship. Sportsmanship returned. Also a fan of Alita's almost sinister look as if the check triggered something in her. You're not usually nervous about what the protagonist is going to do. That is so great! Fun fact, all of Iron City's chocolate is laced with the green drink Brenda drank at the Scorch. Best view in town. Really cool. No, look. Great example of Alita's optimism juxtaposed with Hugo's grass is greener philosophy. If I was as strong as you, I'd climb that tube to Zalem right now. And your first mistake will be thinking you're as strong as her. Of all the weapons you'd think maybe they'd redesign, it's outstanding that they built a realistic and functional looking version of Ido's hammer. Alita, run! I mean, the movie is called Alita Battle Angel, but it was still a fun misdirect to make it briefly seem like she was running away rather than towards the fight. That look of amazement and confusion. Rosa Salazar keeps proving why she was a perfect cast. That's brutal. Don't hate the addition of the moon flashbacks. In fact, more please. And there is something so satisfying like Jason Bourne before her in realizing that not only can she fight, but she's the freaking best at it and in this case the most powerful. Gives a new meaning to the expression wide-eyed. But this is your heart. Rosa brings a childlike purity to Alita that even while she's decapitating people, it allows us to connect with her. And her empathy makes you love her. You built her a pair of fast legs. The woman in my memory called me 99. 99 is her number for motorball in the manga, but also Gruishka had 99 in him in the anime. Obligatory point where I talk about how this scene is entirely elevated by Junkie XL's phenomenal score and Alita's realization and acceptance of herself as a warrior makes the hairs on your arms stand up. I need someone to score my life. And Makaku's maggot body form. Also a reminder of that scene in the Robocop remake that still gives me an existential panic attack just thinking about it. I strongly suggest you listen to Dr. Shirin. Let's have a little adulation for Jackie Earl Haley. Rorschach for being Gruishka, pretending to be Edward Norton being Nova. Claymore attacks! Motorball had the potential to be a massive CGI and mind-numbingly look at the tech. But they designed striking looking unique robots with different techniques and power levels. As Jai Courtney's last remaining fan, take a win for a cameoing in a movie just for a potentially more significant role in the future. Can you get back okay? Yes, sir. Even a lying smile comes through from Rosa onto Alita's face. Vertical waterfall barriers. I'm into it. Wait, are those just fountains? What's outside the city? Oh, you know, it now takes a giant multi-million dollar machine to automate hay baling. Future's looking bleak, man. Situational awareness? Like from her hand? This body, it has the power I need. You seem to have plenty of power. You've always known. I've got my issues, but sometimes the CGI and Rosa's performance just meld together like butter. Biggest problem is having enough left to identify after. I get that you're trying to make him scary, but anyone who chooses to take care of multiple dogs is just a big old softie. Let's band together and defeat him once and for all. Yeah, yeah, that's fair. We can't all be Bill Pullman. I heard some people complain that she's just too good and you never feel like there's much risk for her. But goodness is it satisfying when no one expects it, especially against a guy who gave Deadpool so much trouble. It's the no pain thing. Everyone knows. Yes, I did. Honesty. And there's just nothing to complain about in these action fighting scenes. Well choreographed and entertaining all around. I think we all just want to see her kick butt. Thanks, Hugo. Politeness, even when preoccupied. So innocent. Keanu, Keanu. Wait, we have another one for you. Oh, she's got it. I do not stand by in the presence of evil. Man, that line could be so cheesy. But each time Alita goes all, this is serious, I'm an ancient weapon that is going to end you, it gives me chills. You do not deserve such a weapon. Look at how bloodshot her eyes are with this visceral anger. Which, limb removal can do that to a person. What is it that you are not seeing? Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter, Sean Connery, Michelle Rodriguez. All would have the same effect. No doubt whose voice is behind Gelda. I'll turn you into a living pendant to adorn my chest. Would that make her locked in here with you? Lock it, lock it here with you? I have to give them credit for going back to so much from the manga that the anime left out. Ruhwishka, Makaku, being from the sewers, Nova being the one who made him and now wanting to wear her as a pendant. All that determination and persistence. Also brutal. And a solid usage of the one allotted f-word. What a strangely triumphant moment when she's basically taunting him to destroy her. He wasn't a dog lover. I hate that. Truer words, McTeague, truer words. Looks like she's a little older than you thought. One of those details I almost wish they'd drawn more attention to. But going back makes it clear that Ido's body for Alita was quite a bit shorter, making her appearance younger, not to mention Rose's portrayal of the naive younger version. Is this motorboat? All Ido's fears about what she'd do with the Berserker body. Her first act is a graceful yet powerful ballet-like movement, and then she lays her head in his chest like a promise that she's still in control. Mahershala Ali is always a win. Even without being given much to work with, he's still a presence. I give Vector a little credit for trying to push Hugo to stay in Iron City since the only way up to Zalm is in a box. Multiple boxes. All right. King Johnson's workout routine. Do whatever I had to for you. I'd give you my heart. I like that even though they made the love story more two-way than in the manga, it's still Alita who's head over heels. Hugo's true love is still Zalm. That was pretty intense, huh? More honesty. Ali. Ali sounds like galley. Hey, Zipan's nose is still slightly broken. Through one nose. Okay, now that's brutal. Hardcore parkour? Just noticing that while, yes, Ed Skrein's face is beautiful, those may not even be his ears. They aren't attached to his face. Junkie XL finally flexing his EDM muscles for his track aptly named Motorball. What is everyone so mad about? Motorball are sponsored by Makita. And I'm thinking Huskavarna and DeWalt? Even if you're not totally here for the story, the Motorball sequence should get your blood pumping. I have to give Rodriguez and, let's be honest, DP Bill Pope credit for always keeping the point of focus clear and giving the appearance of incredible speed and power while never sacrificing perceptibility. Well, the commentator now confirms that the Motorball rules are sort of loose. Partially because they had to combine it with a coliseum from the manga. She ended up ripping off that guy's arm and beating the other dude with the wet edge. Because you can rip my arm off and beat me with the wet edge. Mirror's edging on wheels. Some double comeuppance. Like a child swatting a fly. I'd give up my life if I could. Maybe you can. You know how I feel about self-sacrifice. And she ended up sort of giving him her heart after all. I'd give you my heart. And a little more comeuppance. Hilarious. Apropos comeuppance. I've removed it myself. I'm surprised that swastika came out so easily. I'm a mother and somehow I forgot that. Jennifer Connelly is always a win. She's got top 10 cry eyes. That'll get you in the tear ducts. Which, when you think back, her initial reaction to finding out about Alita 1.0 was a typical teenager response. I'm not your daughter. And now as more of an adult, she understands the importance of what he did for her. Ooh, Alita has a Godzilla power-up sword. And a Deadpool-level ricochet. Yep. Jennifer Connelly is such an always a win actor, she doesn't even need a face to emote. Didn't notice until just now that Gruishka must have been an MMA fighter before becoming a cyborg. Haha, more fly swatting. I get the Superman complaint, but we saw her dismembered? I'm good with her crushing her enemies now. Or splitting them, as it were. Which, also more comeuppance. There's a lot of comeuppance in this movie. Funny how Nova shows no fear of the sword since it's not threatening his body. They never exactly mirror this image from the manga, but they capture the scale stunningly. We belong up there, Alita. We don't belong anywhere except together. We'll always be running. Together. That'll also get you the tear ducts. Saving your boyfriend temporarily. Even if their love isn't the most celebrated love story ever told, Rosa becomes this emotion. All her power and speed and expertise mean nothing when she's out of options. So I'd actually call this the second battle she loses. Thank you for saving me. Double or even triple meaning, since she saved him with her heart, saved him from falling, and saved him from his obsession, even if it was only for a brief moment. Fantastic time lapse. Another piece of music to wrench on your sad lovers. Okay, now that's Deadpool skill. Or should we call that a tears sign? I really enjoy the imagery either way. A tear falls from her face, making her feel out of control, like the grief is taking over again. So to focus, she proves there are no limits to her precision and speed. Or she's just punishing that tear. Also, maybe a nod to when she faces Joshu Gan? Definitely the tears of an angel. This sign says Alita, heads were rolling. I'm good with that. Hey, Edward Norton is always a win. Three in this movie. Is she just calling her shot like the babe? Nah, it's a personal threat to Nova. Hmm, not sure what makes Tom decide to use his real name versus Junkie XL, but fun fact, that's Junkie XL's real name. A testament to the enthralling nature of this film is that Alita's uncanny valley really bugged me in the beginning. But I completely forgot about it after about 20 to 30 minutes, and on subsequent viewings, I really didn't mind. There are shots where the pieces of her face don't seem to be working together, but once the movie gets going, you become invested in Alita and her story. A lot of that is thanks to Rosa Salazar, as well as the people around her. She has this deer-in-the-headlights innocence that makes her first fight seem jarring in a good way. Once she gets her berserker body, it's like she feels at home and at least physically remembers who she is. Christoph Waltz brings so much heart to a relationship that could be strange and fills the role of a sometimes odd character. This movie is a good example of always a win actors, since both Mahershala and Jennifer are pretty one note in this movie, but still bring something special even if it's just their beautiful faces. I know, it's a personal bias. Sue me, I love them both. But I can't pretend like the fighting and action and chase scenes aren't a huge part of what we love about this movie. From slow-mo knife-hand dodging to the creepy and unique robots with the various types of blade appendages attacking to the pure mayhem of motorball, Alita is fun to watch in a different way from what we're used to. It's live-action anime, which rarely works, but they nailed it here. Yes, I did. I don't usually spend a lot of time talking about the differences between the book, or the manga in this case, and the movie I'm covering. But with three different versions of the story, it's fun to look at how certain types of storytelling work for different mediums and why I believe they made the right choices for the movie, even surpassing the anime for a shorter time frame. If you've seen the movie, the first two volumes are pretty much spoiled, but they're still worth reading. Same goes for the anime. If you love 90s anime, well, you've probably already seen Battle Angel. The movie borrowed a lot from the anime, probably for continuity to connect with people who only watch the anime. There are some nearly exact shot recreations, just sans the 90s anime nudity. But there are quite a few changes to the movie. Koyomi is originally a baby, Nova's only briefly mentioned, but the biggest changes come with Guruishka and Shirin, who are both original characters from the anime. Shirin was added to more clearly define the sides of the conflict. The actor isn't really a bad guy in the manga, but reducing Shirin to parts, it's a bad guy stamp for you. I'm not saying audiences can't handle nuance and that good and evil need to be binary. I'm saying that in a two-hour movie where the main goal is to teach us about Alita and the world she's trying to figure out, we're drawn to her much quicker. In the manga, there's time to get to know her. There are no flashbacks in the first two volumes. We learn about her through inner dialogue, but much more time is spent with Alita learning about the other characters. We're along for the ride with her. Make no mistake, she's our stand-in in all three versions, which is really a great twist on the Born Hot Yesterday trope. Then there's Guruishka. He was created to bypass Kanuba by combining him with a character called Makaku, who he mostly resembles with the exception of some dietary requirements. But that's it. In the anime, he and Alita fight twice, but she kills him for good during their second battle. In the movie, Guruishka also incorporated Tsuriki, who originally is the champion of the Colosseum. It's a whole thing. There's a rollerball, but also a battle arena. It doesn't matter. But that was an inspired choice. Not because it was a super important fight, but because he's a foe that Alita has a history with, and therefore we're far more invested in the outcome for her. Not to mention people would have been confused as to why there was another giant robot guy with a weird head just showing up at the end. And then even a step further in the manga, Makaku has this whole backstory that, while very well told and interesting, would have taken away from Alita's character building. The manga doesn't really care about her mysterious origin that much, at least in the beginning. Beyond that, I think the bigger change is giving Alita more agency. She's proactive rather than reactive. In the manga, she's basically forced to follow Makaku into the sewers because he kidnaps a baby. It's still a choice, and everyone thinks she's crazy for going after him. But now, now it's a matter of principle. It's her choice to fight what she perceives as evil. She also takes it upon herself to go into the urn ship and find the Berserker body, whereas Ido just has it in the manga and gives it to her as a matter of necessity after Makaku destroys her first body. It's also an example of being able to look ahead to use stuff you find most compelling since so much of the manga is already written. Motorball doesn't show up until later, but it's important, and using it as a means to an end, the end being Zalem, works as sequel bait and creating an overarching story. They can tease and foreshadow stuff that probably wasn't even thought of when the first story was being told. So it's not so much one big change as it is a collection of smaller ones that all lead to a more coherent two-hour story. The double-edged sword of this situation is that with already written characters, it's hard when they do things outside of what was intended for their personalities. They tried to have Hugo care more for Zalem than Alita while still loving her, and it's one of the harder sells of the movie. And maybe the books don't matter. But when you create a movie that is specifically designed for the fans of the original, you run the risk of alienating some of your audience. This is a live-action anime, from some of the dialogue and character interactions to the action to these dang anime eyes. It's been said that Alita doesn't have a firm plot structure and is just another big, dumb action movie. I think it's great even if you walk away feeling that, but I believe the movie is less about the plot because it's actually Alita's coming-of-age story. Her power is sort of ancillary. The manga and the movie, and even some more deliberate ways, are about Alita finding out who she is. You'd made the biggest mistake of your life, underestimating who I am. Not so much her backstory, but who she is as a person. That part's up to you. And a huge hurdle for young people is dealing with their first love. That young, naive obsession we're all familiar with. Don't just do things for people. This scene is deliberate. This is teenagers in a nutshell. Here's my heart. Sell it if you have to. Don't worry about me. I'll find another one. Love, lust, infatuation, obsession. But Alita isn't the only person obsessed to an unhealthy degree. Hugo cares only about getting to Zalem. Even when he turns over a new leaf, it's still his primary goal. It's more on the nose in the manga, so the ending ended up pretty much the same, but has a slightly different feeling. Either way, watching Hugo die was a huge lesson for Alita about obsession and its destructive power. She was at peak performance. Level 999 had just dispatched her greatest foe in the movie with ease, and there was still nothing she could do to save Hugo. Sadly, there's no guarantee of a sequel since American box offices weren't spectacular, but overseas may have been enough to get one. Hopefully this will end up as a movie with a solid cult following that gets more mainstream audiences needing to see what all the fuss is about, and we'll get a sequel. I want a sequel. The movie mostly stands alone, but I gotta see Zalem, man. So that's Alita Battle Angel. Curious what everyone thought about this movie, especially non-manga slash anime fans. The next two weeks are gonna be loosely structured. I have some more vacation beach days with Julia and Jude, which we just can't get enough of right now, and a lot of other stuff going on. So I'm gonna try to get a 60 second review done here or there, but no new traditional, at least, everything great about videos for the next two weeks. Thanks for always understanding and sticking with me. Personally, I'd rather rule in hell than serve in heaven. Sure, why not?