First things first, I have no point of reference for this movie going in. I haven’t read the manga nor watched the anime. I went in blank slate other than a couple of trailers and I enjoyed it a lot.
I didn’t expect the layered emotional stories of self-assurance and genuine confidence, and filial belonging, while weighing those concepts against the the more self-destructive ambition and the less positive form of grief one can feel having lost someone. The action sequences and fighting was great but used primarily to progress the story. This film is at its core a drama wherein a family builds itself from disparate beings working through various traumas and manages to move forward together. Of course, a story reminding of everything I’ll never have in my own life. Despite that I like how they handled that story balancing it well with the sci/fi, humor, and action.
Performance capture is progressing at an extraordinary pace. There are moments in this film when you see in the character of Alita glimpses of true joy and profound anguish. Rosa Salazar does a spectacular job of portraying a youthful vulnerability and an unrelenting will to live. Not just survive but to be happy. And to genuinely fight for what is right and win. I like this one a lot.
I recommend you see this movie. It’s set for release in theaters February 14 but showtimes are available today, the thirteenth. Enjoy the show.
