Sci-fi fantasy action drama in which a disembodied cyborg with no memory receives a new body and tries to discover who she really is.
An extremely charming adventure epic powered by a superb lead performance.
Rosa Salazar stars as a cyborg killing machine brought back to life in Robert Rodriguez’s oddly tame postapocalyptic future.
It's perfectly serviceable huge screen escapism, but is so full of visual effects that actors risk seeming redundant.
Impressive VFX and bursts of action can’t mask the fact that this is a tonally confused start for a sci-fi franchise hopeful, made up of scrap parts you’ve seen put to better use elsewhere.
Best enjoyed for the fun, slick action and the astonishing, super-expressive realisation of Alita herself, because elsewhere it’s cyberpunk business as usual, marred by some sloppy plotting.
There's something of a YA adventure about it all, and maybe that demographic is where the film will find its biggest audience. But even if her journey lacks substance, Alita herself makes a truly splendid adolescent action heroine.
Sadly, whatever appeal a live-action manga film might once have had has been rendered obsolete by two decades of Matrix rip-offs that have more to offer than this derivative teen fantasy.
The eyes! The eyes! Why does Alita: Battle Angel look so creepy?
General release. Check local listings for show times.