Alita by SHINYGOODGUY

CINEMA

Alita

POSTED BY: SHINYGOODGUY
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 6, 2019 17:54
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 2859
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Friday, March 1, 2019 9:06 PM

I just got back from seeing Alita: Battle Angel and it's everything I thought it would be and more. An origin story worth seeing which combined just the right amounts of spectacle and elements of Ellen Ripley, Crouching Tiger and
Astro Boy.

She is a super hero that is both familiar and new. Alita is Dark Angel on steroids; a super charged hero with an extraordinary human heart. Sure, there was some predictability, and some scenes were a bit emotionally awkward
(with a tiny bit of schmaltz and sappiness thrown in). But, for me, it gave the movie it's heart and why we, the audience, rooted for Alita to not only save the day, but infuse the story with great heart. Rosa Salazar, with Rodriguez's direction, reached out and gave us a big hug, unapologetically so.
She took this movie and lifted it up onto her small shoulders without breaking a sweat, all the while holding out her heart for all to see. Make no mistake, this is Salazar's movie from start to heroic end. She is it's emotional and spiritual core - much like her heart.

I was not as impressed with Kristoph Waltz as Father, but I was pleasantly surprised by Jennifer Connelly as Mother and, of course, Mahersala Ali as Vector (I thought he should have been the main villain), but overall everyone
committed and did well to convey a credible story. I bought everything, but I was a bit distracted by all the cyborgs (but that was a minor annoyance).

If you expected action, you got it with a capital A. The action sequences were
spot on and riveting. Alita kicked ass. Again, I can't stress this enough, Salazar (Alita) was fantastic, very committed and wonderful as the child/teenager. Everything revolved around her and she (Salazar) didn't disappoint. It was her believability and vulnerability that had me at hello.
The story unfolded like a flower as the sun rises and warms the landscape. I was truly impressed by this young actress. She showed such a range of emotion that few older actresses possess, much less that of actresses her age. I saw the normal screen size version, and I'm planning to see it again, but this time in IMAX.

I'm sure that there's more to be said, but for now this is what I got. I was truly impressed by this movie, despite some minor flaws, and I really want to go back and see it again.

By the way, if you guys have small kids, bring them...there's little in the way of inappropriate - except of course the violent action sequences. But it's
something that most video games have these days, so don't sweat it.

4 out of 5 stars.

SGG

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Monday, March 4, 2019 2:13 AM

WISHIMAY

Hubby saw it tonight and was impressed. The kid and I saw Bumblebee, since we had already seen How to train yer dragons 3.

I think Bumblebee was written with an A.I. scriptwriter program. I don't see why people liked it other than visually. Once again, kid with dead parent and an issue to overcome that is improbably written in several times in improbable ways. Plus robot battles to keep the adults awake in what felt like a generic kiddy movie, even more than HTTYD3.

HTTRYD3 felt rushed and forced. Another unlikely villain to take down and then marriage... and then babies 5 yrs later. It was always going to be a sad movie but it managed to just make us numb instead.

Maybe I should have gone to see Alita, but it just didn't seem like it was up my alley...

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Monday, March 4, 2019 4:12 AM

SHINYGOODGUY

Hi Wish,

Thanks for the head's up on HTTYD3. I liked the first two and thought, where could they go with this franchise, and sure enough they introduce a "she" Toothless and probably marry off Hiccup...I picture both he and the dragon having little ones.

What I liked most about Bumblebee was Hailee Steinfeld.

Alita, as I stated above, had some sappy moments of awkward teenage love. But, for some reason, I found Rosa Salazar's performance rather charming. The actor who played her love interest couldn't keep up, she totally overpowered him. Salazar was awesome and is a star, no doubt about it. Overall I liked it a lot, despite some flaws in the storytelling (full disclosure: I am the biggest sci-fi/fantasy geek and love this stuff).

Some of the dialogue and mushy love stuff had me cringing a bit, but the action and Alita's discovering of her past is well done (unlike the mess that was Mortal Engines). Alita is a bit uneven, but I was in geek heaven with the noble warrior fighting evil and doing it with a heart of gold. It's Pinocchio with a Samurai sword.

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by WISHIMAY:
Hubby saw it tonight and was impressed. The kid and I saw Bumblebee, since we had already seen How to train yer dragons 3.

I think Bumblebee was written with an A.I. scriptwriter program. I don't see why people liked it other than visually. Once again, kid with dead parent and an issue to overcome that is improbably written in several times in improbable ways. Plus robot battles to keep the adults awake in what felt like a generic kiddy movie, even more than HTTYD3.

HTTRYD3 felt rushed and forced. Another unlikely villain to take down and then marriage... and then babies 5 yrs later. It was always going to be a sad movie but it managed to just make us numb instead.

Maybe I should have gone to see Alita, but it just didn't seem like it was up my alley...

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Monday, March 4, 2019 8:35 PM

WISHIMAY

Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:

Some of the dialogue and mushy love stuff had me cringing a bit

SGG

One thing I always appreciated about Joss was the dialogue. So much cringe in everything these days. Too much texting and reading romance novels, they don't know how to speak like PEOPLE anymore...

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Monday, March 4, 2019 9:37 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Mushy, cringy comments are what come out in first love moments, in real life. For all the wit and cleverness you get from some Joss stuff , it's never real life. That's what makes it so enjoyable. It's the smart things we WISH we could have said, at the right time, but didn't think of, in the moment.

I really liked the ' take my heart ' scene, because of how it played out. Now THAT was fun !

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Tuesday, March 5, 2019 12:04 AM

WISHIMAY

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:
Mushy, cringy comments are what come out in first love moments, in real life.

Maybe for other people...if we had anything mushy to say we wrote it down, they read it, and then threw it away. That way you don't have to live anything down for the rest of your life.

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Tuesday, March 5, 2019 3:18 AM

SHINYGOODGUY

It was the kind of lines you would see in a 50s movie....but I'm with you Rappy....the "take my heart" scene was something special - she made it special
Salazar as Alita. I don't know how to explain, you just felt her genuine heartfelt vulnerability.

Also in the "Father" scene.

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:
Mushy, cringy comments are what come out in first love moments, in real life. For all the wit and cleverness you get from some Joss stuff , it's never real life. That's what makes it so enjoyable. It's the smart things we WISH we could have said, at the right time, but didn't think of, in the moment.

I really liked the ' take my heart ' scene, because of how it played out. Now THAT was fun !

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Tuesday, March 5, 2019 3:44 AM

SHINYGOODGUY

For the most part Wish, you'd be right, well you are right...but in several scenes in Alita, gorram it...you just rooted for her because she showed us a
touching vulnerability (see my response to Rappy above).

She is the hero with a Heart of Gold (now where have I've seen this before).
Salazar made it so gosh darn believable. The actor playing opposite her was, not so much! That's one reason why I gave it a high mark, the movie ran the gambit of emotion and, at times, was note perfect. Mainly because of Salazar.
She made me believe her and sold it. Some critics threw a penalty flag on the mushy stuff because you need to believe the couple are truly in love, but too,
that it didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the movie. Hence the awkwardness I bring up in my pocket review.

Some critics couldn't get past that awkwardness, but I looked at the overall story...and it won me over. Again, bare in mind that I'm a sucker for fantasy/sci-fi movies (well, within reason. They have to be well done).
Now, knowing all of this going in, I think you might enjoy it with the kid. Just let it wash over you and keep in mind we're not talking 'Macbeth.'

Quote:
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Now that's entertainment!!!

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by WISHIMAY:
Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:
Mushy, cringy comments are what come out in first love moments, in real life.

Maybe for other people...if we had anything mushy to say we wrote it down, they read it, and then threw it away. That way you don't have to live anything down for the rest of your life.

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Tuesday, March 5, 2019 7:12 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

It was far from perfect. I don't know why writers / directors make some of the decisions they do... when clearly, the audience can pick up on some very blatant flaws.

And yet almost every movie has them. Maybe minor ones, others more glaring, but they're there. They don't break the movie, usually, but I would love to ask...

" Why did you DO that ??? What were you thinking , and why couldn't you have done things a different way, and still made the point you were trying to make. Just more believable "

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Wednesday, March 6, 2019 3:56 AM

SHINYGOODGUY

I guess: once a movie buff, always a movie buff.

Okay, this is getting weird. We agree again. All movies do have flaws both major and minor...but it all depends upon the story and whether the audience is willing to suspend their belief.

But you ask a very important question, one that sometimes is answered in the "extras" in the dvd or digital release (or sometimes in panel discussions).

What were you thinking? (a great example of this is: Suicide Squad or
Annhilation - one good movie and one not so good).

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:

It was far from perfect. I don't know why writers / directors make some of the decisions they do... when clearly, the audience can pick up on some very blatant flaws.

And yet almost every movie has them. Maybe minor ones, others more glaring, but they're there. They don't break the movie, usually, but I would love to ask...

" Why did you DO that ??? What were you thinking , and why couldn't you have done things a different way, and still made the point you were trying to make. Just more believable "

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Wednesday, March 6, 2019 5:54 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Didn't see Annihilation, but I was intrigued a bit at the story. Still sorta kinda interested. I'll Netflix it, eventually.

Only thing I liked about Suicide Squad was Margot Robbie.

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Wednesday, March 6, 2019 5:54 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Didn't see Annihilation, but I was intrigued a bit at the story. Still sorta kinda interested. I'll Netflix it, eventually.

Only thing I liked about Suicide Squad was Margot Robbie.

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