This just in: Alita: Battle Angel is actually…good? That’s what early reactions are saying, at least. The trailers for the James Cameron-produced, Robert Rodriguez-directed sci-fi epic have looked a bit…awkward. But the film recently screened for a handful of people, and the reaction is overwhelmingly positive, with some calling the movie “mind-blowing” and a “sci-fi genre landmark.” See the Alita: Battle Angel early buzz below.

I’ll be honest: based on the trailers, I think Alita: Battle Angel looks…bad. You should never judge a book by its cover, and you should never judge a film by its trailer. But the footage I’ve seen so far has looked goofy, and the special-effects – particularly those used to create Alita herself – have left a lot to be desired. But I’d love to be proven wrong, and discover Alita is actually good. And that might just happen, if these early Alita reactions are to be believed. The movie has had its release date changed several times so that Rodriguez and Cameron could get their cutting-edge special effects just right, and it looks like all those delays have paid off.

#Alita kicks serious hardcore butt. Must be experienced in 3D pic.twitter.com/pkuK1Fur7T — Chris Sylvia (@sylvioso) January 7, 2019

Saw #AlitaBattleAngel, a sci-fi genre landmark offering an immersive glimpse into a future world of haves and have-nots, with Rosa Salazar’s cyborg as its powerful avenging angel. Her photoreal CG performance is amazingly nuanced. Only complaint is the film left me wanting more. pic.twitter.com/vjhUePUfWW — Max Evry (@maxevry) January 9, 2019

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! pic.twitter.com/b6vLkma46T — Hector Navarro (@Hectorisfunny) January 8, 2019

The theme of these reactions all seems to be the same: the special effects are great! The 3D is great! And that’s fine, I suppose – but what about story? What about character? Is there more to this movie than great visuals? Paul Shirley, editor-in-chief of JoBlo, goes into a bit more depth:

#AlitaBattleAngel 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 — Paul Shirey (@arcticninjapaul) January 9, 2019

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. — Paul Shirey (@arcticninjapaul) January 9, 2019

Great score by @Junkie_XL that stands out in action beats and quiet scenes. Obviously the effects are great and the creativity behind many of the characters is inspired and cool with a few cameo surprises. This is definitely a theatrical experience movie. #AlitaBattleAngel — Paul Shirey (@arcticninjapaul) January 9, 2019

Final note: 3D is easy on the eyes and unobtrusive. Shot natively and enhances the overall experience. Really look forward to seeing it in IMAX. #AlitaBattleAngel — Paul Shirey (@arcticninjapaul) January 9, 2019

That sounds very promising! It’s worth noting that it’s still a little early – the movie isn’t out for another month. And when more and more people see it, the buzz might start to trend downward in a negative direction. But if the positive buzz holds fast, we might have ourselves a new epic sci-fi film to get excited over this year.

Alita: Battle Angel, starring Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley and Keean Johnson opens in theaters February 14, 2019.