Finally, finally, finally... Battle Angel Alita live-action.

[Casual Shinji]

After what seemed like years upon years, that James Cameron Battle Angel Alita movie is finally happening, though he's only producing it with Robert Rodriguez directing. And a trailer just hit.


And yes, those eyes are... questionable. They're obviously doing this to give her kind of an anime look, and to remain close to the original design, but it comes off kind of distracting. For one, she's seemingly the only one in the movie with frog eyes, and secondly, they didn't even do anything stylistically with the eyes other than simply enlarging them.

Other than that it looks pretty neat, and it's amusing to recognize characters and action scenes from a 20 year old OVA, which it looks like they're sticking quite close to. I reckon a lot of people are going to accuse this movie of ripping off Elysium though, dispite the opposite being true.

Anyway, whadda ya'll think?

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

What do I think?

I think its sad this obscure Manga is getting a big blockbuster movie adaption before Lone Wolf and Cub does. And no those old 70s movies never recreated that increadible ending that still makes me tear jeak.

What the hell is Battle Angel Alita?

 

[Natemans]

Looks alright though the big eyes think is bizarre. It doesn't look awful; its just weird.

 

[bluegate]

Every time that face came up in the trailer it just yanked me out of it and made me think; "lol, I'm watching a bad cartoon that can't get facial proportions right with its cgi models.". Looks like a decent watch on Netflix in a year or two.

I wouldn't mind the eyes if they were a consistent style for everyone in the film, like for example in a Disney animated movie, but like this it's just too jarring.

 

[Wintermute_v1legacy]

I know this one because a weeaboo cousin of mine knows it, and that's about it.

Anyway, I'm no movie expert but I hope this movie didn't have a big budget, because I think this one will flop hard. Let me google. Holy shit, 200 million dollars.

That character looks so out of place, why not make the whole thing cgi?

Edit: I just saw some pictures of the actress, and why not use her actual face? She's pretty. And I knew I saw her before but I wasn't recognizing anything on her IMDb page. Then I saw this and yes, this is where I saw her:


And probably where they got their idea for the huge eyes.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

That's horrific! Is that what anime fans want?! Weird mutant humans with dead, doll like eyes?!

I feel like she should be a BloodBorne boss, such is her monstrous other-worldly nature.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

As an owner of the original manga, I am looking forward to having a chance to watch this one... and not being let down too much. Hope dies last.

I quite liked Alita's storyline, general morals, dialogue and action. I hope they put some love and care into translating some of that into a movie.

Yes, the design of movie Alita struck me as odd at first. But it's all about (not) being human, being different and wanting to be normal... while being a killing machine. It's Alita, cut her some slack.

 

[BreakfastMan]

Man, I loved the manga, so I really would like this to be good... But those fucking eyes man. Those god-damn fucking eyes, holy shit.

Also judging from the trailer, this probably won't be as fucked-up violent and filled with unhinged body horror, like the manga was. So... Thumbs down all around.

 

[Fox12]

Ignoring the elephant in the room a moment....

I would like to remind everyone that this is the director behind Machete, Spy Kids, and Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Well it looks interesting enough. I haven't read the manga or seen the OVA so I have little to compare it to. Although I do have to agree that the eyes look kinda freaky and have to wonder what the thinking was there.
Apparently James Cameron is a big fan of the manga so I doubt he would let this go too far astray.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Yes, the design of movie Alita struck me as odd at first. But it's all about (not) being human, being different and wanting to be normal... while being a killing machine. It's Alita, cut her some slack.

Might've been better if they went for a different visual distinction. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who saw the thumbnail for the trailer and thought it was going to be an all CGI affair in the vein of Spirits Within. I think simple lenses with some prostectics would've created a better artificial and less jarring effect.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Oh good god, why would they think those eyes could be anything other than a creepy, disturbing doll alien parasite monstrosity?? I can't...I can't even bring myself to watch.
Does kinda reminds me of this video;
But that seems somewhat less unsettling because they're not expecting you to fall in love with their twisted 'enhanced beautification'. It's definitely a deal-breaker, personally. A glaring issue.

 

[Cicada 5]

Looks okay. Not sure if I can get used to the uncanny valley affect for Alita. Hopefully it's better than the last western adaptation of anime that revolved around a cyborg.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Heh, so they finally making that manga into a film eh? I mean I read about they were planning to developed that into a film over ten years ago (I read it in this film magazine which was several years ago)!

Ok trying to ignore the eyes (I get they were trying to be faithful but making them anime eyes, isn't the way. I mean imagine if the Scott Pilgrim movie had those big olde eyes like in the comics?), everything else is lackluster at best.

Sure I don't know much about the series other than watching the ovas years ago unlike GiTs (I'm a fan) but I already seen it doesn't look cyberpunch enough (and this is just looking at some of the manga images) and the track they used is underwhelming at besst.

 

[Bobular]

I've been watching the news on this one for a while and when I saw the trailer last night I thought it looked quite good, I have hope. I will agree with everyone about the eyes thing, they are creepy and I wonder how much the general public will be accepting of that as they're not going to make their money back from just the fans of the original going watching it.

 

[Zhukov]

I honestly can't decide if the eyes are good or bad.

On the one hand, using special effects to give a flesh-and-blood actress anime eyes is obviously a terrible idea.

On the the other hand, them making her look obviously inhuman and doll-like is an interesting decision. It was clearly deliberate. After all, it's not like they gave Christopher Waltz a weird pointy nose to match his character.

I'm told that in the source material her face is supposed to look like a normal human.

Lastly, Christopher Waltz with that fucking scythe or oversized lucerne hammer or whatever it's supposed to be looks utterly ridiculous. It looked shit in the cartoon and it looks even worse in live action.

 

[Zhukov]

I reckon a lot of people are going to accuse this movie of ripping off Elysium though, dispite the opposite being true.

Ha.

Here's a recent quote from Neil Blomkamp's Twitter:

I didn't rip off battle angel alita in Elysium moron. I have never read/seen battle angel. I come from a country with the largest rich poor gap divide on earth. It's a film about that topic. Don't @ me clown.

 

[Major_Tom]

My reaction to the eyes is kinda torn between "AAAAAAAAAAAAH" and "kill it with fire". Uncanny valley? More like Uncanny Kola Superdeep Borehole.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I reckon a lot of people are going to accuse this movie of ripping off Elysium though, dispite the opposite being true.

Ha.

Here's a recent quote from Neil Blomkamp's Twitter:

I didn't rip off battle angel alita in Elysium moron. I have never read/seen battle angel. I come from a country with the largest rich poor gap divide on earth. It's a film about that topic. Don't @ me clown.

I don't mean that in an accusatory manner, it's just one of those weird instances where a movie based on a source material that inspired an earlier movie gets released. Like the recent Ghost in the Shell live-action movie feeling derivative of The Matrix despite the latter being inspired by the original animated movie.

Lastly, Christopher Waltz with that fucking scythe or oversized lucerne hammer or whatever it's supposed to be looks utterly ridiculous. It looked shit in the cartoon and it looks even worse in live action.

I don't think I can take Christoph Waltz serious with any sort of melee weapon -- He doesn't strike me as someone with a fighter's physique in the slightest. Maybe they should've just given him a big gun.