Playing out more concept than story, Alita: Battle Angel has some fascinating ideas and a look that dips into the dystopian future theorised in films like Blade Runner and Akira. The characters are based on a Japanese manga series by Yukito Kishiro.
Christoph Waltz plays Dr. Dyson Ido, a Geppetto like character who finds some cyborg remains in a scrap heap that is formed by the castoff rubbish of an Emerald City called Zalem. This city floats above the squalor that makes up the area called Iron City. Dr. Ido soon uses these parts to build a complete cyborg that he names Alita.
Alita (Rosa Salazar) has no immediate memory of her past and starts her new life doing things teenagers do, like disobeying her parental units, hanging out with a rowdy bunch and falling in love with boys. As she learns more about her past, her life become more noble.
With an ending that makes the proceeding 122 minutes feel a bit like an extended trailer for part two, Alita: Battle Angel still wins you over with solid conceptualisation and strong character development. Director Robert Rodriguez has a solid track record and it will be interesting to see how he builds on this with episode two.
Rob Hudson
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