Battle Angel Alita

[Mazinger]

Took the wife. She liked it. I did too. Maybe a bit long, but it was fun. Better than I expected in parts, just as cheesy as I feared ok a few other parts.

[wwwmwww]

Thanks TehPW and Sanity is Optional.  I found this that I think appears to spell out the order:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Battle_Angel_Alita_chapters

 

A couple more questions...

(1) Is this the first nine volumes put into 5 books? https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Angel-Alita-Deluxe-Complete/dp/1632367114  The description states "This box set includes all five volumes of Battle Angel Alita plus a brand new book of short stories"

(2) Is this collection of short stories https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Angel-Alita-Stories-Deluxe/dp/1632367106 a subset of what is in the 6th book of the deluxe box set?  Or are these different short stories?

(3) Is the Battle Angle Alita Last Order Omnibus https://www.ebay.com/itm/222784590302 all 19 volumes put into 5 books?  The description calls them 5 volumes so I'm not certain its the whole thing. 

[M'Kyuun]

Just got back from seeing it. This is how an anime movie should be done in live action- loved it. Wish there was more blood and gore, like lots more, but I understand their toning it down to keep the PG-13 rating. Hope it does well enough to get a sequel.

[TangledThorns]

For those that saw it, did you see it in 3D and how was it in that format?

 

[AN/ALQ128]

11 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

Just got back from seeing it. This is how an anime movie should be done in live action- loved it. Wish there was more blood and gore, like lots more, but I understand their toning it down to keep the PG-13 rating. Hope it does well enough to get a sequel.

To give them credit, they really did push that PG-13 rating as far as they could.

[kajnrig]

18 minutes ago, TangledThorns said:

For those that saw it, did you see it in 3D and how was it in that format?

 

I haven't seen it yet (though the impressions I've gotten from friends/critics has been surprisingly positive and free of the usual anime-to-movie criticism, so that'll probably change soon). A friend who saw it in 3D said that the 3D is a must.

[technoblue]

I saw it today in 3D with someone who didn’t know the manga or the anime. We both enjoyed the film, and the 3D effects worked quite well during the action scenes and...

...that time when Alita is showing her heart to Hugo and planning a way for them to make a better life for themselves.

I still have to read the manga, myself. I’ve been waiting to start until after watching the movie. Now I can begin.

[Big s]

This is definitely one to see in 3D on the big screen. The action was a little watered down from the anime, but surprisingly for pg13 not by much. The complaint that I have is that it feels very crammed story wise. Everything happens almost in an instant and I feel like they could have done better as a franchise and spaced things out a bit. It’s kinda like they were very worried that sales at the box office would be so bad that a sequel wouldn’t get the green light, so they shoved as much as possible into one movie. There are a few cheesy moments as well, but overall it’s worth the extra cash for 3D.

 My daughter and both really had fun with it and hope there will be more sequels.

[wwwmwww]

I saw in it 3D IMAX and I can say the 3D effects were great.  Certainly worth a few extra bucks.

Carl

[Thom]

Saw this today, and I think it is a great movie.

For me, it didn't feel rushed at all or jumbled in the least. In fact, I wouldn't have minded it if they had added an extra twenty or thirty minutes to the run time. My bladder may have complained, but not me!  It came across as very direct and yes, fast-paced. The CG is outstanding, especially for Akira. Despite it all being computer work, Rose Salazar played right through it, and those big beautiful eyes were just so very expressive!

But despite all the CGI and cyborg fights, I feel that this is a love story at its heart, and that is romantically with Hugo and paternally with Ido. Both were very well done, though I feel the Akira/Ido dynamic came out the better of the two.

In the end, I was left wanting more, which is always a great thing.

Spoiler

I want to know what happened to Akira that put her in that rubbish pile? Had she been in there since the war or had she been active afterward? I want to know what happened to Mars?

I want to see her facing Nova and taking down the city! Which would be another reason for an extra half hour, as the ending felt a little too rushed and definitely had a TBC feel. I know that would be a lot, but if one is unsure about sequel potential, then the full story should be closed up as much as possible. I could deal with a little cramming if it completed it.

Basically, I want a sequel! So, anyone not sure or dragging feet, don't! Go see it, for me at least, cause I want to see more! And I will see more, as I am seeing this again!

 

[Mazinger]

I saw it in 3D despite not liking the format, but thought it was well executed, i.e. Cameron and crew understand how to properly make a 3D movie.

[TehPW]

I doubt its necessary for domestic receipts alone to determine if future films will get sequels or not, not with modern considerations for overseas viewership. The sequels WILL happen.

 

what I do wish is that they go the TV route, preferably on something like Netflix where they can go full gore... 

[Thom]

26 minutes ago, TehPW said:

I doubt its necessary for domestic receipts alone to determine if future films will get sequels or not, not with modern considerations for overseas viewership. The sequels WILL happen.

 

what I do wish is that they go the TV route, preferably on something like Netflix where they can go full gore... 

I do hope it gets a sequel. If not that then I would love for Netflix or Amazon to pick it up. Not for gore, but I just want to see Alita's story continue.

[slide]

it hasn't opened in Japan or China yet...

I'm expecting it'll make its money back and then some.

[Dangard Ace]

1 hour ago, Thom said:

Saw this today, and I think it is a great movie.

For me, it didn't feel rushed at all or jumbled in the least. In fact, I wouldn't have minded it if they had added an extra twenty or thirty minutes to the run time. My bladder may have complained, but not me!  It came across as very direct and yes, fast-paced. The CG is outstanding, especially for Akira. Despite it all being computer work, Rose Salazar played right through it, and those big beautiful eyes were just so very expressive!

But despite all the CGI and cyborg fights, I feel that this is a love story at its heart, and that is romantically with Hugo and paternally with Ido. Both were very well done, though I feel the Akira/Ido dynamic came out the better of the two.

In the end, I was left wanting more, which is always a great thing.

  Hide contents

I want to know what happened to Akira that put her in that rubbish pile? Had she been in there since the war or had she been active afterward? I want to know what happened to Mars?

I want to see her facing Nova and taking down the city! Which would be another reason for an extra half hour, as the ending felt a little too rushed and definitely had a TBC feel. I know that would be a lot, but if one is unsure about sequel potential, then the full story should be closed up as much as possible. I could deal with a little cramming if it completed it.

Basically, I want a sequel! So, anyone not sure or dragging feet, don't! Go see it, for me at least, cause I want to see more! And I will see more, as I am seeing this again!

 

I envy people who are reading this manga for the first time.  Hint: read the manga.  

[JetJockey]

12 minutes ago, Dangard Ace said:

I envy people who are reading this manga for the first time.  Hint: read the manga.  

I was going to read the manga afterwards I think. Usually I check the wiki on series and start from the beginning. I might see the anime first.

[Sanity is Optional]

9 hours ago, wwwmwww said:

Thanks TehPW and Sanity is Optional.  I found this that I think appears to spell out the order:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Battle_Angel_Alita_chapters

 

A couple more questions...

(1) Is this the first nine volumes put into 5 books? https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Angel-Alita-Deluxe-Complete/dp/1632367114  The description states "This box set includes all five volumes of Battle Angel Alita plus a brand new book of short stories"

(2) Is this collection of short stories https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Angel-Alita-Stories-Deluxe/dp/1632367106 a subset of what is in the 6th book of the deluxe box set?  Or are these different short stories?

(3) Is the Battle Angle Alita Last Order Omnibus https://www.ebay.com/itm/222784590302 all 19 volumes put into 5 books?  The description calls them 5 volumes so I'm not certain its the whole thing. 

1. Looks like it, but I can't confirm as I only have the original English release.
2. No clue
3. It's vol 1-15 of Last Order, missing vol 16-19. I have 4&5 of the ominbus, and they're each 3 volumes equivalent.

[Hikuro]

after watching the film today, I gotta give props to Cameron for getting it super close. Yeah, there were things I didn't like that strayed, but for them to pack in so much content in 2.5 hours is an achievement. I had my doubts after the flop of Ghost in the Shell, but this worked out well.

[Big s]

So far the box office numbers are a bit low, so I’m really hoping the foreign releases do better. Maybe word of mouth will give it some cash for the holiday and for it’s second week. I really want a sequel.

[hachi]

Looks like reviews here are better than expected. I've gotten my pay now so maybe if it's still in the cinemas this weekend I'll watch it.

[M'Kyuun]

13 hours ago, Thom said:

Saw this today, and I think it is a great movie.

For me, it didn't feel rushed at all or jumbled in the least. In fact, I wouldn't have minded it if they had added an extra twenty or thirty minutes to the run time. My bladder may have complained, but not me!  It came across as very direct and yes, fast-paced. The CG is outstanding, especially for Akira. Despite it all being computer work, Rose Salazar played right through it, and those big beautiful eyes were just so very expressive!

But despite all the CGI and cyborg fights, I feel that this is a love story at its heart, and that is romantically with Hugo and paternally with Ido. Both were very well done, though I feel the Akira/Ido dynamic came out the better of the two.

In the end, I was left wanting more, which is always a great thing.

  Hide contents

I want to know what happened to Akira that put her in that rubbish pile? Had she been in there since the war or had she been active afterward? I want to know what happened to Mars?

I want to see her facing Nova and taking down the city! Which would be another reason for an extra half hour, as the ending felt a little too rushed and definitely had a TBC feel. I know that would be a lot, but if one is unsure about sequel potential, then the full story should be closed up as much as possible. I could deal with a little cramming if it completed it.

Basically, I want a sequel! So, anyone not sure or dragging feet, don't! Go see it, for me at least, cause I want to see more! And I will see more, as I am seeing this again!

 

I didn't think it felt rushed, either. I think they used the 2.5 hours to good effect. The love story actually felt like it developed rather than just existed, like many action movies where the leads barely say ten words to each other and suck face at the end. Honestly, it didn't even feel that cheesy to me- watch anything on Hallmark for just five minutes; you can spread that sh!t on crackers. I agree the story was fast paced, and there were a lot of story elements taking place, but I think it all flowed logically, told a good story reinforced by some amazing visuals and some good acting by the leads. Rosa killed it; she makes Alita a real person, and I'd assume as part of her MoCap work, her facial expressions informed those of Alita. Anyway, I was sold. Ed Skrein, Francis from Deadpool, does a very entertaining turn as a cyborg character. I thought Christoph Waltz, who generally plays eccentric characters, played Ido very straight and true to the character(as I know it from the anime, anyway), and watching that relationship develop, while not as focused as that of her and Hugo, was no less satisfying. Even the gritty world they created was a character, as it's made the people what they are. From start to finish, I enjoyed it, and that ending just leaves you wanting to see more, as they drop breadcrumbs throughout. Hopefully this will make oodles of cash , and demand, in the Asian markets, and in a couple years we'll be watching the further adventures of Alita.

[TehPW]

5 hours ago, hachi said:

Looks like reviews here are better than expected. I've gotten my pay now so maybe if it's still in the cinemas this weekend I'll watch it.

DO. IT. the majority of us, who have said Bravo Zulu for A:BA, are fans who are well familiar with the manga, specifically, and probably have a moldy VHS *coff* (Maybe DVD?) of the anime somewhere.... at their dad's house. *ahem* When I saw it, it beat my expectations of what it should look like, either as a movie or TV series. The problem is, modern millennials? maybe the eyes freaked people out? *shrug* they should have spammed the clip 'I'll give you my heart' more, maybe? I don't remember that being in either the anime or manga (

Spoiler

Alita calling Ido 'father' certainly wasn't but it's still awesome sauce...

) but it was MY hook into the movie, for shizels!

[M'Kyuun]

50 minutes ago, TehPW said:

 I don't remember that being in either the anime or manga (

  Hide contents

Alita calling Ido 'father' certainly wasn't but it's still awesome sauce...

) but it was MY hook into the movie, for shizels!

I liked that part, too. It wasn't maudlin, but just simply stated, and a nice sentiment towards Ido.

[nghia59]

Man, I hope everyone in the group goes to see it.  If we're to have legit live action translations of anime, this is the first one to really do it right and unapologetically, we should really support it as much as we can.  If it flops the only lesson these execs in Hollywood are going to think is that there's no market for such material.  Something like this could lead into other legitimate franchises and scale into the size of the MCU.

[Thom]

4 hours ago, TehPW said:

DO. IT. the majority of us, who have said Bravo Zulu for A:BA, are fans who are well familiar with the manga, specifically, and probably have a moldy VHS *coff* (Maybe DVD?) of the anime somewhere.... at their dad's house. *ahem* When I saw it, it beat my expectations of what it should look like, either as a movie or TV series. The problem is, modern millennials? maybe the eyes freaked people out? *shrug* they should have spammed the clip 'I'll give you my heart' more, maybe? I don't remember that being in either the anime or manga (

  Hide contents

Alita calling Ido 'father' certainly wasn't but it's still awesome sauce...

) but it was MY hook into the movie, for shizels!

That was a really nice little scene. The feelz!!

Spoiler

At the end, I wish they had shown Ido even though the imagery was obviously all about Alita looking forward in her mission to stop Nova. I really hope we get a sequel, if only because I want to see a smile on my girl Alita's face. She was so sad in the end...

 

10 hours ago, hachi said:

Looks like reviews here are better than expected. I've gotten my pay now so maybe if it's still in the cinemas this weekend I'll watch it.

Do go see it!! It should still be playing. Grab a bunch-a-friends!

 

Edited February 18, 2019 by Thom

[technoblue]

Myself, I'm a Gen-X'er, but I will say that Alita's eyes didn't bother me in the least, And I can say the same for my friend who went with me since she said as much. It was one of the few CG things that impressed her. She doesn't get impressed by much effects-wsie (HaHa!).

Technically, I was floored with how seamless Alita's CG eyes worked in this movie, especially while watching the 3D version. Compared to Cameron's Avatar, where it did feel a bit uncanny valley for a brief moment until I adapted to it, I didn't have any similar sensation this time out. For me, the whole experience just shows how much things have improved and how well it was all put together. I hope the movie does pull in the numbers to get a sequel or two, because I would love to spend more time in the cinematic universe.

Edited February 18, 2019 by technoblue

[Thom]

And I just prepaid for the 1/6 figure from Hot Toys through Sideshow...

[David Hingtgen]

Pretty good, enjoyed it more than most movies I've seen lately.  And yeah---the eyes don't bug you after a bit.  (And there is an explanation why hers are "uniquely" big----it's never blatantly stated, but it's very clear from a scene or two). 

[Sanity is Optional]

There's really only a few things that bugged me, aside from those it was a good movie.

Spoiler

The scene at Kansas when Alita asks for help from the bounty hunters. After just signing up 5 minutes prior, and against some random dude who has no bounty on his head... That made very little sense, and the other hunters were completely justified telling her to pound sand.

The scene in the manga made WAY more sense, as she had been a bounty hunter for some time prior, and the target had a huge bounty on his head, the other hunters were just too scared to go after him.

Spoiler

Nova being mustache twirling evil, rather than the agnostic agent of chaos he was in the mangas.

In the manga, Nova's goal is to empower people to do whatever they want to, and watch as the consequences of their actions come back to them. He isn't trying to kill people, he's not really even evil, he's an amoral enabler.

Spoiler

A DISTINCT LACK OF FLAN

 

[TehPW]

8 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

There's really only a few things that bugged me, aside from those it was a good movie.

  Hide contents

The scene at Kansas when Alita asks for help from the bounty hunters. After just signing up 5 minutes prior, and against some random dude who has no bounty on his head... That made very little sense, and the other hunters were completely justified telling her to pound sand.

The scene in the manga made WAY more sense, as she had been a bounty hunter for some time prior, and the target had a huge bounty on his head, the other hunters were just too scared to go after him.

  Hide contents

Nova being mustache twirling evil, rather than the agnostic agent of chaos he was in the mangas.

In the manga, Nova's goal is to empower people to do whatever they want to, and watch as the consequences of their actions come back to them. He isn't trying to kill people, he's not really even evil, he's an amoral enabler.

  Hide contents

A DISTINCT LACK OF FLAN

 

He might still go that route. He's still in Zalem. He could very easily be kicked out... and thus go his traditional route?

 

[Thom]

8 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

There's really only a few things that bugged me, aside from those it was a good movie.

  Hide contents

The scene at Kansas when Alita asks for help from the bounty hunters. After just signing up 5 minutes prior, and against some random dude who has no bounty on his head... That made very little sense, and the other hunters were completely justified telling her to pound sand.

The scene in the manga made WAY more sense, as she had been a bounty hunter for some time prior, and the target had a huge bounty on his head, the other hunters were just too scared to go after him.

  Hide contents

Nova being mustache twirling evil, rather than the agnostic agent of chaos he was in the mangas.

In the manga, Nova's goal is to empower people to do whatever they want to, and watch as the consequences of their actions come back to them. He isn't trying to kill people, he's not really even evil, he's an amoral enabler.

 

For the Kansas Bar scene...

Spoiler

It being a movie, pacing has to suit what time you have.  I've never read the manga, so going in cold I just thought Alita was 'defaulting' to a more platoon-like mind-set. She was trained to fight with a unit, and she had heard that Hunter-Warriors go after murderers and her only close association with one was Ido himself. And he was actually trying to stop the 'demons' as he calls them and just collecting the money for his clinic and not personal gain. Through him did Alita get a grander view of the Hunters than was actually warranted. She even called them 'comrades' which is another throwback to her early days as an URM Berzerker and fighting with a team. I think, however unknowingly, she was trying to recreate that supportive team structure.

In fact, my only problem with the Kansas Bar, was when Hugo and his team took down that Rollerballer just outside. We know that the players are often Hunter Warriors as well, and that is where they 'party.' So I thought it was very risky to take him down at that spot when any other HW may show up.

 

As to Nova...

Spoiler

We never got to see much of him or his current activities. We know he harvests body parts from Iron City through Vector for use in his experiments and that he wanted Alita's antimatter heart. Other than that, he is wide open for further development into his more manga-like activities - should a sequel be made...

 

 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Thom

[spacemanoeuvres]

I forgot about BAA and I’m surprised at all of the positive reviews. I don’t know why but I thought this would be another GITS level take on the source material.  

I will definitively make a strong effort to check it out in the theater

[wwwmwww]

11 hours ago, David Hingtgen said:

And yeah---the eyes don't bug you after a bit.  (And there is an explanation why hers are "uniquely" big----it's never blatantly stated, but it's very clear from a scene or two). 

The eyes didn't bother me at all.  I thought it was a very well done effect.  I have seen the movie but I haven't read the manga yet.  That said I'm not certain what the explanation is that you refer to.  But this does lead me to a question... is the only human part of her, her brain?  I think the eyes could be explained by assuming they are the state of the art cybernetic eyes.  I'm just not certain where we are suppose to assume the human parts stop and the machine parts begin.  Visually one might also assume everything from the neck up is human but the two big problems I have with that are...

(1) One needs another in-movie explanation for the eyes... and I think there may be a couple.

Spoiler

The next most obvious reason to me seems to be that she is from Mars and everyone else is from Earth.  Is this the explanation that you refer to?

(2) You'd be forced to wonder how an essentially decapitated head survived for 100s of years in that scrap pile.

Carl   

[M'Kyuun]

Spoiler

The scenes I believe David refers to are those showing Alita fighting alongside her fellow Berserkers, as they all have similar eyes, and the reasoning for such, I infer, is to facilitate adaptation between differing atmospheric conditions between Mars and Earth. Nothing is stated, but that's my own thinking on it.

I've not read the manga, either, so again, I'm making inferences just based on the OVA and the live action. My thinking is that she's a complete construct, artificial from head to toe, but the makeup of her brain, similar to the cyberbrains from GitS, is still somewhat organic, hence her need to eat. However, her brain and other pseudo-organics can survive hundreds of years, even without nourishment. We know that her head is a construct, as one can see bits of her metallic skull peaking through holes in the skin when Ido finds her in the scrapyard. Considering she's likely been there for some time and there seems to be no normal decomposition, that to me indicates that everything is artificial even if it has organic similarities. I assume Shirow-san took inspiration from Gunnm when he created his cyborg society in Ghost in the Shell, such are the similarities.

[Sanity is Optional]

From the manga:

Spoiler

There's two different backstories, one from the original series in the very ending, and one from the continuation series (Last Order) that ret-conned the whole ending, including the backstory bit.

In the original she was part of an attack fleet attacking Ketheres, the space-city on the other end of the orbital elevator that Zalem (called Tiphares in the manga) hangs from. She was thrown into a nanotech space-suit bubble thing right as the ship was blown up (losing her body below the chest from shrapnel) and the nanotech let her survive re-entry and put her into stasis. (300years prior)

In Last Order she was a saboteur that uploaded a virus into the AI that ran Ketheres, and was sentenced to execution via atmospheric immolation, which she survived and was found by Ido. (also 300 years prior). The continuation also stated that her brain has a shock-hardening polymer rather than water in it, with no explanation as to why.

In both backstories she was an agent of Mars. Original series as a soldier, the continuation/ret-con as an operative of the Panzer Kunst school (think of them like a ninja village kinda?)

In both manga series, there is no artificial brain that looks like a brain. The artificial brains are "bio-chips", flat hexagons of black plastic that take up far less space and are obviously artificial.

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Sanity is Optional