Alita: Battle Angel sequel better happen
I have been using the virus shenanigans to catch up on films and Alita: Battle Angel was high on the list. I can’t remember why I missed it because it’s exactly the sort of thing I enjoy. I got very excited by the trailer.
Here is a quick recap of the story – a fellow called Dr Dyson Ido finds a cyborg head in a dump site with a fully working brain. He calls the cyborg Alita and it turns out she is a double hard combat cyborg from before ‘The Fall’ – some kind of apocalypse. There are various baddies and evil cyborgs and excitement. You’ve probably seen it, so there is no need to go into too much detail.
What I liked
Alita looks great. I’m not just talking about Rosa Salazar, the actor, I mean the whole film. The action, in particular, was brilliant with some great fights and a superb Motorball sequence. The acting is also top-notch with
What I didn’t like
There are two principle things I wasn’t hugely enamoured with.
One was the romance story. I get the need for it but it made the whole thing feel a bit YA. Not too bad, as I said, but it was teen romance. However – SPOILER ALERT – maybe it is being set up for Hugo to return in the sequel. Alita fell from the floating city and lived, so maybe he will too. I haven’t read the manga but maybe that will be irrelevant.
The other was that it is far too set up with a sequel in mind. I mean, it is a complete story to an extent, but there are so many things left hanging that it just doesn’t feel complete.
These problems could be be fixed. Which leads me on to my final and main point.
Why there needs to be a sequel
If Hugo comes back then the romance would, I guess, be kind of ok. The main reason there needs to be a sequel is that the first Alita is just left hanging with Alita vowing to get to Zalem to confront the enigmatic Nova, revealed as being Ed Norton. I assume Mr Norton will return for the sequel and the reason he had no speaking role wasn’t just because he’s famous for wanting to rewrite the script himself but because he will be the big bad of the sequel.
I guess what I’m saying is that I enjoyed Alita: Battle Angel but I will enjoy it a hell of a lot more if there is a part two that wraps things up. Right now it feels unfinished. Sadly there is no evidence that that will happen yet. None of the actors has been contacted and there is no one, as far as I am aware, writing a script. It took twenty years for Cameron to get this movie made and he seems keen for more. Ideally in a shorter time span. I think Rodriguez would be up for directing another.
The film may have broken even financially but the figures are strangely unclear. Alita made over $400 million but it may have cost around that to make and publicise. The other problem is that Disney bought Fox, so it is now up to them.
If like me, you’d like a second Alita film then you need to buy the Bluray or get it online. If Disney makes enough cash then they will ok a sequel. This is like the time I saved the Expanse. Save Alita!
As you have probably seen the film, here is the Honest Trailer instead. Enjoy.