‘Alita: Battle Angel’ Review Roundup: Manga Movie Lacks Story But Has Heart

“Alita: Battle Angel,” based on Yukito Kishiro’s manga series, “Gunnm,” opens in theaters on Thursday after first being announced over 15 years ago.

Directed by Robert Rodriguez and co-written by James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis, the action flick follows cyborg Alita (Rosa Salazar), who’s found in a junkyard and fixed up, only to find herself without any memory of who she is or the world around her. Throughout the movie, she discovers more about her past, as well as the dangerous world she’s now living in.

Will you like the film? The reviews for “Alita: Battle Angel” are finally here. Keep reading to find out what critics are saying about the movie.

Forbes - Scott Mendelson

“More so than any of the fantasy effects or action sequences, ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ is enjoyable because Alita is enjoyable. She has a specific personality, offering up something a little more fleshed out than the conventional barely-adolescent female warrior that has itself become a trope.”

Variety - Guy Lodge

“‘Alita’ is most fattily enjoyable, then, when the plot mechanics hit pause and the clanking, sparking, metal-on-metal spectacle of it all goes into berserk overdrive — abetted by a shrieking, high-kitsch score from Tom Holkenborg.”

Comic Book Resources - Alexandra August

“Important moments feel as though they’ve been checked off a list as opposed to organically developing out of circumstances and characters. So while the film features stellar performances by everyone including major talents like Ali, Connelly and Waltz, at no point will the story capture more of your attention than the technical achievement.”

Entertainment Weekly - Darren Franich

“This manga adaptation is a tired science-fiction odyssey, with bland digital effects piled onto a sappy non-story that feels like a two-hour elevator pitch for a 70-film franchise.”

San Francisco Chronicle’s Datebook - Mick LaSalle

“‘Alita’ is an action movie, and some of that is who-cares. But the bigger thing about this film is that it makes us think about humanness, what it means, what it is, and what it might be in the future.”

IndieWire - Michael Nordine

“The two central mysteries — Alita’s past and what exactly is going on up there in Zalem — are, of course, connected, but even when adhering to familiar tropes (which is often) ‘Alita’ carves a unique space for itself on the strength of its endlessly likable protagonist.”

Newsday - Rafer Guzmán

“‘Alita’ doesn't look that great as a movie — it's half live-action, half digital, neither real nor ideal — but Rodriguez (‘Sin City’) delivers several nifty action scenes (the bar brawl is the highlight) and keeps the pacing swift. Most viewers will probably find the whole thing a confusing mess. As for manga and animé fans, ‘Alita’ is for your eyes only.”

“Alita: Battle Angel” releases in theaters on Thursday.