‘Alita: Battle Angel’ Early Buzz: People Love Robert Rodriguez’s Weird-Looking Sci-Fi Epic
This just in:Alita: Battle Angelis actually…good? That’s what early reactions are saying, at least. The trailers for theJames 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 theAlita: Battle Angelearly buzz below.
I’ll be honest: based on the trailers, I thinkAlita: Battle Angellooks…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 discoverAlitais actually good. And that might just happen, if these earlyAlitareactions 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 effectsjust right, and it looks like all those delays have paid off.
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)June 21, 2025
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)June 06, 2025
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:
#AlitaBattleAngelis 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
— Arctic Ninja (@arcticninjapaul)August 13, 2025
There are a lot of surprises in#AlitaBattleAngelwith 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.
Great score by@Junkie_XLthat 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
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
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, starringRosa Salazar,Christoph Waltz,Jennifer Connelly,Mahershala Ali,Ed Skrein,Jackie Earle HaleyandKeean Johnsonopens in theatersFebruary 14, 2019.
