Alita: Battle Angel |OT| Mobile Suit Gunnm.

[Cuburger]

I think what makes Alita better than Jupiter Ascending and most shallow, spectacle blockbusters in recent years is that I think it still manages to have heart. Maybe it lacks the resonance of certain scenes for some people in the writing and acting, but I think that overall the main character is well realized in a way that adds dimension that other ambitious, but ultimately superficial movies lack.

If Alita herself didn't work or fell flat, this movie would have struggled to pull some of the other elements together.

 

[KillerMan91]

That was best looking action I have seen in a while. Movie wasn't bad otherwise either. Really enjoyed it. Hopefully it finds its audience. If not in US at least globally (Asia coming to rescue). I need sequel.

 

[Ravelle]

It was based on a light novel. The manga was adapted from that around the same time the movie was being filmed, so it seems like a stretch to say it was based on the manga.

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Oh, I didn't know about the light novel. Only knew about manga but at it was at least more entertaining and improved on the manga.

 

[Seesaw15]

So, first good anime movie?

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If you haven't given Speed Racer a watch you should check it out. Its really good.

 

[Deleted member 29806]

...his back also looked extremely cool. Whoever designed that should get a raise.

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Is it based on an Aztec calendar stone? Was not sure, looked cool anyway.

 

[Bradford]

I think what makes Alita better than Jupiter Ascending and most shallow, spectacle blockbusters in recent years is that I think it still manages to have heart. Maybe it lacks the resonance of certain scenes for some people in the writing and acting, but I think that overall the main character is well realized in a way that adds dimension that other ambitious, but ultimately superficial movies lack.

If Alita herself didn't work or fell flat, this movie would have struggled to pull some of the other elements together.

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Totally agree, Alita pulls this movie together and its earnestness outshines its flaws. I do really, really hope for sequels because this is a very honest start for something that could be really special.

 

[maximumzero]

Rethinking tonight's showing. Might go for early Saturday instead.

 

[ShadowSoldier89]

I felt like the earliest parts of the movie struggled to find its pacing as it jumped through several plot points, but once it cleared that hurdle it was just a great movie. The action and world were phenomenal, and Alita's character was so well realized and she plays off the doc so well.

God I hope this movie pulls a miracle and reaches a big enough audience to get the continuation

 

[AzureFlame]

The movie blew me away, one of my favorite of all time now.

 

[hwalker84]

Pretty much loved this film. I hope it gains oversea legs and we get a sequel.

 

[Astral]

How would you guys rank it against Speed Racer? I fucking hated Speed Racer. I thought it was trash but you guys love so idk about this. It looks interesting at least.

 

[ClamBuster]

How would you guys rank it against Speed Racer? I fucking hated Speed Racer. I thought it was trash but you guys love so idk about this. It looks interesting at least.

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i'm pretty sure that if you go and see alita, at the absolute least, you'll walk out thinking 'yeah, that was alright you know'... and i don't even know you

;)

 

[Scullibundo]

How would you guys rank it against Speed Racer? I fucking hated Speed Racer. I thought it was trash but you guys love so idk about this. It looks interesting at least.

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They're very, very different movies.

I'd take Speed Racer any day of the week over this. Giacchino's score alone is worth the price of admission for Speed Racer, where as Junkie XL's score is entirely forgettable in this.

 

[Deleted member 21339]

Junkie XL is awful. He ripped himself off like crazy with Mortal Engines.

Btw, what was better Alita or Mortal Engines?

 

[Scullibundo]

Didn't see Mortal Engines.

The whole time through Alita, there is this very obvious case of missing scenes and setups and time spent with characters. Payoffs with no build up that feel unearned throughout.

Yet it's still enjoyable on a sensory and visual level. Just really makes me wish we could've seen the missing hour's worth of story that Rodriguez's lopped out of the script. Because you really feel that hole.

 

[Scullibundo]

Here's a pretty great new interview with Rodriguez on working with Cameron.

https://ew.com/movies/2019/02/14/robert-rodriguez-james-cameron-interview/

Funny that the reason the film doesn't take place in Texas like the manga is because Cameron didn't believe a space elevator would be built there, so he moved the entire story closer to the equator.

 

[Laxoon]

Saw it yesterday with my sister, as a diehard BAA/GUNNM fan I found there was some moments where I was laughing at how condensed or amalgamated some of the story had to get to fit everything in but the faithful stuff actually had me getting teary eyed. Overall I liked it for sure but my bias made it very hard to suspend my beliefs, like extremely hard. Also I can't get over how they made Anime Eyes it's own race.

Spoiler: end 'reveal'?

Seeing Nova awkwardly spliced into so many scenes had me trying to contain my laughter in theaters and seeing at the end that the Flan eating post-humanist mad scientist was played by Edward Norton got a huge wtf out of me and my sis.

Really happy to see so much positive reactions though, I want nothing more for this to do good and shine a spotlight on one of my favorite mangas.

 

[Curler]

A couple snippits on Box Office news:
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4486&p=.htm

Getting its start last night and bringing in $2.4 million from Wednesday evening previews (and grosses from Tuesday night fan event screenings), Fox's Alita: Battle Angel carries its lofty, $175 million production budget into 3,790 locations today.

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Fox is hoping for a five-day debut reaching $30+ million and the preview gross, along with some of the IMDb page view signals we've been getting, signal a good start toward reaching that number. At this time we're anticipating a three-day performance around $23 million and a five-day topping $31 million. There is a chance it goes higher, but with these numbers it's going to be a long road ahead for a film carrying such a large budget.​

Alita has already gotten underway internationally and brought in $35.6 million so far from 11 markets in release. This weekend it adds 74 additional markets including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, France, Netherlands, Mexico, Russia and Spain.​

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[THEVOID]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h...ta-battle-angel-captures-24m-previews-1186618

HR has it at 36 - 38.

Let's see what WOM does for it this weekend.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

So this might not be a complete bomb it sounds like?

Didn't see Mortal Engines.

The whole time through Alita, there is this very obvious case of missing scenes and setups and time spent with characters. Payoffs with no build up that feel unearned throughout.

Yet it's still enjoyable on a sensory and visual level. Just really makes me wish we could've seen the missing hour's worth of story that Rodriguez's lopped out of the script. Because you really feel that hole.

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Thinking about these missing scenes and setups made me wish we'd gotten a Netflix/Amazon Prime TV series. This movie felt episodic already as it was.

 

[nelsonroyale]

I think this ended up being a pretty darn good adaptation. Most of the main beats are there, although rearranged. The performances were pretty good, the aesthetic is excellent and true to the original, and narrative was easy to follow. I did think the speech in the bar and the subsequent brawl came out of nowhere, and seemed completely out of character. Who thought that was a good idea? also, the music was compeletely out of place. Should have been electronica...Otherwise, I think this film has been reviewed harshly relative to say Marvel films, which are the flavour of the moment. I hope they will be a sequel, although a TV series would work as well.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Is it based on an Aztec calendar stone? Was not sure, looked cool anyway.

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No idea.

 

[Old Man Spike]

Fox posted two new videos on Youtube: one about the score by Holkenborg, and one about the filmmakers' partnership with Open Bionics to create Alita -inspired prosthetic arms.

 

[LifeLine]

I don't know how to feel about this movie. I know nothing about the source material, but the way it rushed through so much could be felt throughout the whole film. They would've been better off cutting some characters, scenes,and story beats and focusing on what's left.

I really like Alita. So I do wish they make enough to greenlight a sequel so I can see it to the end.

Spoiler

The doc goes from being overprotective to basically non-existent in Alita's life.

Hugo dies and comes back to life and dies again within like 10 mins. Ruins any emotional impact

Shireen's turn doesn't feel earned

 

[Scullibundo]

I don't know how to feel about this movie. I know nothing about the source material, but the way it rushed through so much could be felt throughout the whole film. They would've been better off cutting some characters, scenes,and story beats and focusing on what's left.

I really like Alita. So I do wish they make enough to greenlight a sequel so I can see it to the end.

Spoiler

The doc goes from being overprotective to basically non-existent in Alita's life.

Hugo dies and comes back to life and dies again within like 10 mins. Ruins any emotional impact

Shireen's turn doesn't feel earned

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You can really feel the one hour's worth of script being lopped off in this one.

 

[Ocean Bones]

I enjoyed it quite a bit overall. The action, some of the back story and lore in particular.

But jeeze did a lot of Chiren, Hugo and his friends suck. And that sequel bait ending. The longer the movie went the more off the rails the story went.

Seen the movie with a total of 6 folks in the theater.

 

[Ometeotl]

There was a good number of people in the theater for this. I thought it was good, albeit with some pacing issues in the beginning and end.

 

[Cuburger]

Fox posted two new videos on Youtube: one about the score by Holkenborg, and one about the filmmakers' partnership with Open Bionics to create Alita -inspired prosthetic arms.

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The cynical side of me sees how the prosthetic arms were at least partially a sort of promo for the movie, but if, like they say, it's able to get more affordable prosthetic arms/covers for people, that is pretty awesome.

 

[Owlowiscious]

As someone whos' been a fan of alita since 96 or 97, I find this movie... acceptable? I guess after transformers and most of DC I have a very low bar for movie adaptations. Good job on not making me hate the movie I guess. Liked it.

 

[Darkmaigle]

I enjoyed it quite a bit, the action was really good and easy to follow.

 

[Tux_]

New benchmark for visuals? New benchmark for visuals.

 

[Deleted member 32822]

Just saw it in IMAX 3D. Holy freaking cow. That was amazing. I need a sequel!!

 

[Violence Jack]

I just read that it brought in $8 million on Thursday. I will be so glad if this surpasses expectations and brings in $40 million by the end of the weekend.

 

[Zackat]

Not bad. Pacing at the end was so fast. Like whoa.

I hope it gets a sequel.

 

[Akainu]

Saw it awhile ago as a fan of the manga I thought it was alright.

Spoiler

They really toned down Hugo shittiness. Also not a fan of them killing off one of the few black people

 

[StarCreator]

I'm glad I went to see it. My theater was super empty though...

 

[Akainu]

Also is it just me or were alita's eyes constantly changing sizes?

 

[Cuburger]

How would you guys rank it against Speed Racer? I fucking hated Speed Racer. I thought it was trash but you guys love so idk about this. It looks interesting at least.

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I think it's head and shoulders above Speed Racer.

As someone who really liked Speed Racer cartoons as a kid, who was a big fan of the Wachoski's coming off the Matrix trilogy and was eager to see what they directed next, who loves stylistic films, and who enjoys anime in general and have been open and excited towards a live action film getting anime right, I thought people overhype the fuck out of Speed Racer. It's the most Westernized way possible of adapting an anime, like if you got Zack Snyder and told him to make a live action Scooby Doo sequel that is a an action film in the vein of Green Lantern. I really didn't care for the designs and aesthetics,

Alita is Westernized as well, like all Hollywood anime adaptations will be to at least some degree, but it's better executed with a cohesive vision that I feel works. I really can't understand why people hold up Speed Racer as the best anime adaptation. Maybe at the time when there were pioneering how it could even be done, but it hasn't aged well.

 

[Mazzo]

I liked it a lot. It has some awkward, expository dialogue and the plot seemed a bit contrived, but the action seemed weighty and convincing, the performances are pretty good, and the world building is engaging. I'm a fan of the manga so you might take this with a pinch of salt ;3
7/10

I enjoyed it quite a bit, the action was really good and easy to follow.

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This, too! The camera is stable and doesn't shy away from the action.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Movie could have just been called Murder Ball.

The action set piece toward the end was great, but it just this really awkward focus on some made up game. It would be like if Pod Racing made up 80% of the Phantom Menace. It felt REALLY strange to me.

The first 30 minutes move at a steady clip, and the last 30 minutes are pretty great. But the middle is pretty boring/slow while at the same time feels like it moves WAY too fast to truly build anything up or have me invested in the characters.

The bad guys feel like they're bad guys just cause they want to be bad.

CG was surprisingly great. I laughed hard at Alita exclaiming, "I'm GETTING THIS" literally three seconds after trying Murder Ball in the beginning.

Saw it in Dolby Cinema and it was hella loud and super crisp. 3D was solid but not worth a $19 ticket (I have A List so w/e).

Mechanical Dog guy was the best character. The actor reveal at the end was stupid. I don't really understand what was accomplished by killing off the real bad guy's pawn as the hero's accomplishment in the film, but there are more problems with characters' motivations than that.

Really pleased with the action. Good spatial choreography. Everything had weight. No quick cuts or shaky cam. Some of the best action I've seen in a couple years, maybe.

5/10.

 

[Sonicbug]

Man, they crammed a lot into one movie. I am sorta impressed by how much they stuck some of the elements from the source material. It felt like an Alita movie.

There was only a handful of people at the 2D 6:20 showing tonight at my theater (Yeah, yeah, I don't like wearing glasses over glasses for 3d.) Hopefully, decent word of mouth spreads and gets more people in.

 

[Cpt-GargameL]

Just got back from watching it in Dolby. I loved it. The trailers don't spoil the movie at all. Great visuals and story.

I hope it does well enough for that sequel.

 

[mreddie]

Action wise, great.
Character wise, Salazar aced it.
Story wise, a chore.

It's like I do care about the setting but the plotting felt eh to me. I never read the manga so I went blind.

It's ok just not great.

Theatre was spacious though, same with Happy Death Day, I think the weekend and WOM will help.

 

[element]

I didn't know the source material at all. I was expecting a cyborg ninja who kicked ass to protect the people she loved.

Ended up having flashbacks of Death Race, Rollerball and Speed Racer.

Some very nice visuals. Story was inconsistent. Characters/Actors were uneven. Not a bad movie, but far from a great one. Pretty average.

 

[Astral]

About the story, is it basically because of the run time? I imagine it would be difficult to make a cohesive story if you're trying to cram in a lot from the source material.

 

[Skade]

Funny that the reason the film doesn't take place in Texas like the manga is because Cameron didn't believe a space elevator would be built there, so he moved the entire story closer to the equator.

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Honestly, i don't think the location is relevant any way. I always thought that it was taking place in Israel/Palestine because the place that you know as "Tiphares" in english is named "Zalem" for the rest of the world and the "Star City" is "Jeru". "Zalem" and "Jeru"... My conclusion was wrong but you can hardly blame me for it (even tho the Kansas Bar should have been a hint).

It's a post apocalyptic world so the the location isn't really important for the story in the end.

 

[Keylow]

I think what makes Alita better than Jupiter Ascending and most shallow, spectacle blockbusters in recent years is that I think it still manages to have heart. Maybe it lacks the resonance of certain scenes for some people in the writing and acting, but I think that overall the main character is well realized in a way that adds dimension that other ambitious, but ultimately superficial movies lack.

If Alita herself didn't work or fell flat, this movie would have struggled to pull some of the other elements together.

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I just got back from the movie and liked it a lot. It felt like I was watching g a live action anime and I'm surprised that this movie was pg13. I also agree with a lot of this and it somes up why I like it. The action was dope too. Hope it does well.

 

[Donos]

Thread convinced me to get IMAX tickets for saturday (18,50 € though -_-). Looking forward to it. Also bought tickets for C. Marvel premier for the 7.3 (IMAX too).

 

[senatom]

Watched this tonight, we enjoyed it. However we were ready for the final act and the credits rolled, pretty unsatisfying.

 

[Rocket Schnauzer]

I really liked this, but it certainly won't blow anyone away. First half hour was so clunky but it picked up. I wish the score was more synth based, though.