DIRECTOR: Robert Rodriquez
WRITERS: James Cameron & Laeta Kalogrids
PRODUCERS: James Cameron & Jon Landau
PERFORMERS: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Kenan Johnson, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali
This film is nearly unlike anything I've ever seen in recent years, on the other hand it does take me back to when they were done well. Taking place in a dystopian and desolate time in the future, it was a time of yearning, courage and acceptance. Humans and Robots have always been known to be set apart from each other, but in this they share the world together as they co-exist alongside one another.
In the year 2563, a reconstructed female cyborg sets out on a journey of self-discovery. Through the magic and beauty of motion capture performance and the acting of Rosa Salazar as the title character, she made me believe that she looks just like a 21st century android with the face of an angel and the strength of a warrior. Not only that, but there's something about her presence on screen that grabs your attention. As her creator/adoptive father, Christoph Waltz gives a stunning performance for his part. When his other side is revealed you see his humanity and his need to fight the oppressed because of a past experience that has haunted him ever since.
When it comes to change, the supporting characters usually take the cake... In this case, it's Hugo (Kenan Johnson), who is the first human Alita meets on the outside. Their relationship is actually a pure one as he refers to Alita as "the most human person" he's ever met, such a beautiful moment between them that you can't help but wish it were happening to you (1 CORINTHIANS 13:13). Who knew we were getting a love story within a film like this? From Mahershala Ali to Ed Skrein and Jackie Earl Haley as the villians to Jennifer Connelly, who's come a long way from her child star days, they have all brought something to the table and it doesn't fail to please.
The settings in this film are amazing, the fight sequences are beyond breath-taking as well and being able to merge innovation and imagination are beyond comprehension. There are very few scenes that stood out to me and one of them was Hugo and Alita together, Alita fighting her enemies (PROVERBS 31:25) and the last scene (PSLAMS 46:5). Even reminded me of an episode I once saw on the 80's sitcom "Small Wonder" in which the household robot (in the form of a 10 year-old girl) sheds real tears for the first time after being rejected by her inventor's elderly father. What was so emotional about that was robots are known having no feelings nor emotions, but she did through development of both of them. Alita does the same things as the film progresses. WETA does an excellent job bring the robot characters to life without the thought of them being over three centuries old, so one would think... they could get another award for this one!
From 'The Terminator' to 'Avatar', James Cameron has never failed his audience and has given us what we want for over 30 years. And in this one, Cameron shows he can give us a good film without even directing it, in fact all the groundbreaking films he's given us are written by him and this film is a definite exception. The direction of Robert Rodriquez is also incredible making this worth the effort, especially if you've seen his earlier films (DESPERADO, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN & THE FACULTY). Once again, he proves that what makes a good film is that you can have one thing going on and you never know what's going to happen next. It's empowerment is inspiring, the choreography is out of this world and the love story is very touching (despite what happens in the end). All in all, this is a MUST-SEE and therefore... NOT TO BE MISSED! ***** #filmreview #filmsof2019
