Last week I got a chance to see Alita: Battle Angel and
was surprised to see that it wasn’t the disappointment I thought it would
be. It wasn’t perfect but it was a much
better live action Anime than many we’ve gotten in the last couple of
years. My opinion and hopes of good Live
Action Anime were kind of dashed back in 2017 after Netflix’s Death Note and
Ghost in the Shell dropped back to back.
The latter film hurt me more because, if you’ve read my blog a long time,
you know I love Ghost in the Shell (besides the Stand Alone Complex compilation
movies and Arise Alternate Architecture ive reviewed every single GitS title
out there). If the 2017 bomb starring
Scarlet Johannson as Not Motoko Kusinagi was an example of all the wrong things
to do with a Live Action Anime adaptation, Alita was the better example…by like
a mile. And today im gonna highlight
five reasons why it does so in this Top 5 Wednesday cage match. Agree with me or not, these are my Top 5
Reasons Alita: Battle Angel is better than Ghost in the Shell (2017)
#5-Fun Factor (Did
I have a good time?)
For all the wrong live action adaptations can do, they
can still be a little fun to watch.
Death Note 2017 is a terrible film but you cant help but cringe and
laugh at how bad it is sometimes (its ripe for a good Rifftrax). Ghost in the Shell 2017 is an absolute
snoozefst. It brings nothing new to the
table. In fact it borrows so much from
80’s scifi action films and does absolutely nothing with any of those classic
elements. It’s pretty paint by numbers
and nothing thrills, nothing excites, me personally it only infuriates. Alita: Battle Angel had just as much to prove
and it brought its game face. Even if
you weren’t a fan of the story changes, there was still plenty of creative
action and the heartfelt story of Alita herself to instill a feeling of fun
while watching the film. I was never
bored to death by Alita and I was curious how it would all play out. Ghost in the Shell…I couldn’t wait for it to
end and was even more mad when they played the classic theme song from the
Oshii films at the end…it didn’t deserve that greatness.
#4-Supporting Cast
(who’s got who’s back better?)
Beyond Scarlet Johannson, there aren’t a lot of truly
recognizable faces in Ghost in the Shell.
One or two might stand out in some circles like legendary Japanese actor
“Beat” Takeshi as Aramaki and Pilou Asbeak from Game of Thrones as Batou. Other than those two, I couldn’t identify any
other actors nor did their characters have much to do in terms of anything in
Ghost in the Shell. To be fair, Alita
has the same issue but the supporting cast is a far greater caliber. Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connely and
Mahershala Ali all have some of their best scenes bouncing off of Alita herself
and do get one or two good moments to shine in their own right. I cant really say the same of any actor who
interacting with ScarJo’s NOT MOTOKO throughout the entirety of Ghost in the
Shell.
#3-Visual Effects
(Which is prettier?)
To the credit of both, Alita: Battle Angel and Ghost in
the Shell are very nice to look at. Both
of their respective environments are very colorful and highly detailed. While both visual effects teams should be
proud of their work, Alita takes this one simply for how nearly flawless the
fusion of real actor with heavy duty CG cyborg bodies looks. Looking at Ed Skrein’s Zapan stands out in
particular. You’d be hard pressed to
believe that only his face is the real deal when his characters body looks that
good. Then again, I expect nothing less
but the best from WETA Digital, the wizards who gave us Avatar and The Lord of
the Rings.
#2-Action
Sequences (Who actually knows Kung Fu?)
Alita wins this category hands down for embracing its
Anime roots and going full on nuts with its cyborg combat. The Motorball sequence and Alita’s first
battle with Grewishka stand out the most for their intensity and pushing the
envelope of how much violence you can get away with in a PG13 rated action
film. Ghost in the Shell is so by the
numbers it isn’t even amusing. Even the
intro scene that tries to mirror the 1995’s famous intro falls flat. Everything else after that never takes
advantage of the fact that the Major is a combat cyborg who can do some
seriously amazing feats besides some simple kicks and punches. Put 2017’s Major against Alita and there is
no contest in who would kick who’s ass in a fight…and since we’re on the
subject.
#1-Lead Characters
(MORTAL KOMBAT!!!)
In my review of Ghost in the Shell 2017, I cited Scarlet
Johannson’s portrayal of The Major as one of the worst parts of the movie. I get that each iteration of Motoko is
supposed to be different, personality wise as we see in the Oshii Films, Stand
Alone Complex and Arise. Johannson being
a white girl aside, her “Motoko” is bland, boring and more like the Terminator
than her more emotive Anime counterparts (from the angsty to the super serious
to the hot head with something to prove).
Alita, on the other hand, is full of so much heart (literally) and wonder
from her very first moments and we get to see her grow as a person throughout
the entire movie. I could care less what
happened to The Major at the end of Ghost in the Shell. But I cared a great deal about Alita’s
future, especially when she literally gets cut up in battle and still manages
to come out on top. Alita: Battle Angel
gave us a lead we could give a damn about.
Ghost in the Shell just further tarnished the good name of one of the
best Anime franchises in history with the worst portrayal of its signature
heroine.
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