Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
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A cyborg with no memory of her past must navigate a dangerous world to uncover her true identity.
The story
In the year 2563, following a catastrophic war, a scientist named Dr. Dyson Ido discovers a disembodied female cyborg with an intact human brain in a scrapyard. He restores her to a new body and names her Alita. Awakening with no memories, Alita befriends a local named Hugo and encounters the mysterious Dr. Chiren. As she navigates the gritty environment of the Iron City, she is introduced to Motorball, a high-stakes sport for cyborg gladiators. Alita soon finds herself caught in a web of intrigue as she seeks to reclaim her lost past while facing the dangers of the surrounding urban landscape.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the year 2563, Dr. Dyson Ido finds a disembodied cyborg with a human brain and restores her to a new body, naming her Alita. She awakens with no memories and befriends Hugo, a scrap dealer. While exploring the Iron City, she meets Dr. Chiren and learns about Motorball, a sport for cyborg gladiators. After being ambushed by the cyborg Grewishka, Alita discovers Ido is a 'Hunter-Warrior' and she possesses the 'Panzer-Kunst' combat art. She eventually finds a 'Berserker' body, which she realizes was her original form. Alita joins the Hunter-Warriors and eventually enters a Motorball tournament to help Hugo reach the wealthy sky city of Zalem. After a series of betrayals involving the villainous Zapan and the corporate ruler Vector, Alita faces off against Grewishka and eventually defeats Vector. The film concludes with Alita becoming a rising star in Motorball, seeking revenge against the forces of Zalem.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 122
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Rodriguez
- Writers
- James Cameron · screenplay; Laeta Kalogridis · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Rosa Salazar · Alita; Christoph Waltz · Dr. Dyson Ido; Jennifer Connelly · Dr. Chiren; Mahershala Ali · Vector; Ed Skrein · Zapan; Jackie Earle Haley · Grewishka; Keean Johnson · Hugo
- Genres
- cyberpunk; action; science fiction
- Themes
- identity; memory; transhumanism
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; gritty
- Setting
- The year 2563 in the Iron City and the nearby sky city of Zalem.
- Premise and plot tags
- cyberpunk; action; science fiction; coming-of-age; dystopian
- Source material / true-story basis
- Yukito Kishiro's science fiction manga series Gunnm
- Franchise connections
- Gunnm
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but has garnered a cult following since its release.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 53 · scale: 100 · review count: 49; PostTrak · score: 78% · scale: 100%
- Awards and nominations
- Best Visual Effects · Academy Awards · not shortlisted
- Production trivia
- The film was based on a manga series that was also adapted into a 1993 original video animation.; The film's production was delayed for years due to James Cameron's work on the Avatar franchise.; The film's title was changed from the original manga title to allow for potential sequel titles.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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