'Alita: Battle Angel' First Reactions Surface Online

Alita: Battle Angel has a little over a month left to go before dropping, but it seems some critics have gotten the chance to see the film early. Over on social media, a smattering of first reactions to the adaptation have dropped, and they’re more optimistic than you may have guessed.

Taking to Twitter, a slew of reporters shared their thoughts on Alita: Battle Angel after a screening was made for critics. Hector Navarro, an LA-based writer, was one of the first to share their praise for the film and its 3D aesthetic.

“Just saw Alita: Battle Angel and it kinda blew my mind. Can’t wait for everyone to see it! More anime/manga adaptations like this please,” the writer admitted.

Navarro’s sentiments were followed by Chris Sylvia, a writer for Regal Movies. “Alita kicks serious hardcore butt,” he shared online. “Must be experienced in 3D.”

For fans wanting a more in-depth reaction, Paul Shirey came in clutch with his take. The editor-in-chief at JoBlo shared a thread giving his impression, and the writer admits he left the screening pleasantly surprised with what he saw.

“Alita: Battle Angel is a wild, visceral ride that offers kick-ass action, an immersive virtual world and a surprising amount of emotional weight. Everything rests on you loving the character of Alita and she is fully fleshed out; strong, flawed, endearing and rebellious,” Shirey wrote.

“There are a lot of surprises in #AlitaBattleAngel with some dark turns and violent bursts of action, as well as characters that break free of being humdrum digital beings and emerge as fully rounded individuals. Spectacle is aplenty, but it’s not without investment,” he continued.

“I do have a few issues with #AlitaBattleAngel which ultimately end up being a desire to see more, which is a good problem to have. More later.”

So, will you be seeing this live-action anime take when it drops in theaters? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

If you're unfamiliar with Battle Angel Alita (GUNNM in Japan), the series was originally created by Yukito Kishiro. The series is set in a post-apocalyptic future and follows Alita, a cyborg who is found in a garbage heap by a doctor and rebuilt. Completely devoid of her memory, all she has to cling to is a legendary cyborg martial art known as Panzer Kunst. With this knowledge, Alita decides to become a bounty hunter. Originally published in Shueisha's Weekly Business Jump in 1990, the manga was collected into nine volumes and licensed for an English language release by Viz Media.

Alita: Battle Angel opens in theaters on February 14, 2019.

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