'Alita: Battle Angel' big hit in China, but with mixed reviews

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The American cyberpunk action movie "Alita: Battle Angel" hit Chinese theaters on Friday, topping the daily film box office with a total intake of 88 million yuan (13 million U.S. dollars) in China so far.

It received a high 9 out of 10 stars on Maoyan, and a 7.6 out of 10 on Douban. Both are important film review platforms in China.

Special effects receive praise

Reviewers applauded the film, saying it was "stirring," a "great representation of the original manga," "an impeccable masterpiece in its visual effects" and that it "won't let you down."

A poster of "Alita: Battle Angel." /VCG Photo

The film, sporting cutting-edge special effects, was directed by Robert Rodriguez, and co-produced by Jon Landau and Oscar-winner James Cameron.

The protagonist Alita is a CGI rendering of actress Rosa Salazar. The movement capture technology is considered even more advanced than that of "Avatar," the 2009 sci-fi blockbuster with stunning visual effects directed by Cameron.

Positive reviews of the film's special effects. /Screenshot via Douban

Alita's big, expressive eyes have 9 million polygons in each iris, undergoing months of work before finally hitting the big screen.

Moreover, the facial expressions and body movements of the cyborg girl were made by Weta Digital, down to the pore.

On the special effects of his major masterpieces, Cameron said in a statement, "As in 'Avatar,' we push the bar to a higher level through the facial performance capture with CG (computer-generated) characters. And of course, the big challenge in 'Alita' was to take Rosa's amazing performance and to project it through the character via the CG process without any loss whatsoever because she's the vitality at the center of the film."

Some negative reviews over plots, core

However, not everybody is a big fan of the refined visual effects. Some said the film is "nothing except for its special effect, while the special effect is no better than 'Avatar.' "

At the same time, many of the critical voices focused on its inner story line, saying "it's a bunch of scattered clips," "The rhythm is so stiff," "the foreshadowing could be guessed out in advance."

"The film fails to build up an unforgettable Alita. The flat and empty American style heroine, has undoubtedly set the film in a dilemma of high anticipation but low fulfillment," a Douban viewer commented.

A douban viewer's comment, saying the character Alita is empty and flat, which set the film into a dilemma. /Screenshot via Douban

The movie had garnered lukewarm reviews upon its release in the UK and the U.S. in early February.

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The sci-fi films and their future possibilities

Set in a futuristic world after a catastrophic war in 2563, the Japanese manga-inspired sci-fi tells a story of Alita, a female cyborg with a human brain, having lost her memory when she is found by cyborg scientist Dr. Dyson Ido. Ido rebuilds her body and she starts a journey to find her identity and talent as a warrior.

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Firstly announced in 2003, the film has gone through 16 years of development and was delayed many times till it finally came to the theaters this year.

On its premiere in China on February 18, director Robert Rodriguez, manga author Yukito Kishiro, co-producers James Cameron and Jon Landau, actress Rosa Salazar, and actor Christoph Waltz came to the promotional event in Beijing.

As another Chinese sci-fi film, "The Wandering Earth," is still a hit right now, it's natural for movie-goers to make comparisons between the two. On the premiere, Liu Cixin, the author of the novella of "The Wandering Earth," talked with Cameron at the event.

James Cameron (L) talks with Liu Cixin (R) during the premiere of "Alita: Battle Angel" in Beijing, February 18, 2019. /VCG Photo

Cameron praised Liu's "Three Body Trilogy," and they discussed how it could be presented on the big screen in the future.

On the first day of its release, "Alita" takes the top spot for its daily box office intake, surpassing "The Wandering Earth," which has dominated daily box office rankings for more than two weeks.

But what's next? Let's wait and see.

(Cover: A still from "Alita: Battle Angel". /VCG Photo)