More like Bad-tle Angel; the new Robert Rodriguez is a classic case of style over substance as the impressive visuals fail to overshadow an over-ambitious, messy attempt at adapting the source material.
Rosa Salazar stars as the titular Alita, and the supporting cast includes Christoph Waltz and Mahershala Ali, and for the most part they do the best with the script they have been given; Rosa is great as Alita under all those CG effects on her face (those eyes never get any less distracting) and Mahershala is suitably menacing as the evil Vector.
The plot of Alita is very, very predictable, with Alita being ‘the last of her kind’ and slowly begins to recover her memories after she is awoken from a long sleep. You get the drill. There are some really beautiful scenes and a few touching moments as well as soe gritty action scenes but none of it really gripped me.
Once you get past the visuals, which again it must be said are really spectacular at times, the movie comes across as a bit like a grown up, less funny Spy Kids with a bit of Wall-E and Real Steel thrown in for good measure. Disappointing.
40%
