Minutes after watched this movie, I learned that this movie is adapted from manga titled Battle Angel Alita. From its trailer, I expected a Harry Potter-like movie but in cyborgs universe due to the appearance of Motorball, a sport that seemed have similar rules with Quidditch. However, it’s quite far from that wizards’ fiction. Until the first half of the movie, I thought this adaptation movie would brought similar issue and conflict with Elysium.
This action movie narrates a world after a great war in 2563 almost destroy Earth. At the current world, there are two inhabitations of the remaining population. One is Iron City, where the story will take place, and the another is Zalem, a wealthy city above the sky, which is the dream place for almost the characters here. The story itself is begun with Dr. Ido who found only head of a female cyborg at a junkyard. Her brain was fully working even though not attached in a whole body. Then Ido, a generous doctor and engineer built her a body and named her Alita.
After Alita met her love interest, Hugo, who introduced her to Motorball-like sport, the character development started to be complicated. We couldn’t guess what is the main conflict will be presented here, also who are the good guys and who are actually don’t, including Dr. Ido itself. Every characters who we stated as a protagonist before, has their character twist respectively. However, the character twists given here gave another thrilling aspect while we are delivered into conclusion of the background of each character.
The thrill that related to the main storyline is started when the movie reveal an important role, a Hunter-Warrior. It’s because not only Ido was revealed to be one of them, but also help Alita to recover her memories and identity during battle with them. In addition, we would know why Ido named her Alita. This role introduces more conflict because the most successful bounty hunter might go to the dreamed Zalem.
The second half of the movie basically tells how Alita recollected her true identity with the help of her friends. The appearance of real Motorball also made fun but thrilling scenes. Besides of how Alita does “Panzer Kunst” against big cyborgs as well. Here the love story between Alita and Hugo added the complexity of the story as the truth of Hugo is revealed and twisted quite dramatically. We couldn’t classify each protagonists and antagonists until the movie is over. Like what I said before, there are quite many character twists in the movie. The main villain, Nova, which is revealed by Alita’s memory, only appeared as whole once. The confrontation between them is promised at the sequel of the movie.
As an action movie, I like how this about-cyborg-movie bring social gap issue like Elysium did. To live in Zalem seems to be Iron City citizens’ dream which caused conflict by conflict among the characters. We could see that the Hunter-Warriors and Motorball athletes were fight so that they can have enough money to go to Zalem. They fought and competed in either good or bad way to be eligible to go to Zalem. Included one of the key character that used to be a Zalem citizen but was sent to Iron City.
The story aspects are quite complete because in the end Alita is shown to fight based on her love, faith, and initial mission. However, some plot might not explained clearly due to duration constraint or would be elaborated further at its sequel. It success enough in making the audiences and its manga readers want to wait for the sequel. Overall I rated this movie 7 of 10.
Notes of Hobbies 