Watched the movie Alita .
#AlitaNoEndCredits
I was thinking about going to see Extreme Job, but I didn't feel like going to a movie alone just to laugh the whole time.
I wanted to take time to think? about something. If Malmoi had been showing, I'd have seen that.. anyway, I went to a relatively quiet Megabox in Gongju.
I skimmed some reviews before booking and hesitated about going.. but reviews are really just personal taste..
In the end — satisfied, very satisfied. Five stars. For reference, there are no end credits. Feel free to leave when it ends~ heh heh heh
I watched it without knowing it's based on source material. I just focused on the film itself. After learning about the source later, I thought I should check it out.
#AlitaBrainFictionReview
This is a brain-fiction review by someone who hadn't read the original (Gunnm).
The storytelling axis of this film reminded me of Hunger Games, maybe Battle Royale, or the Star Wars format.
And I thought: using the scenarios skipped in between, could they make an episode series like Star Wars?
For example, the war 300 years ago, or the moment Ido and Chiren meet in Zalem, or — if Alita is the 99th — stories about the warriors? before her, stories about Alita's teacher?, the origin story of Nova etc.. My brain-fiction is already in full swing, but I also wonder — using the unspecified deaths (foreshadowing?) in part 2, at Alita's moment of crisis, maybe Hugo and Chiren reappear?
That said, in terms of scale, characters, and episodes, using a battle-game-based plot like Hunger Games (or Star Wars) feels a bit thin in scale to introduce and sustain many leading characters. Before making part 2, I thought: if the kind of side episodes mentioned above are produced, or if there are crossovers with other SF series, the scale could level up.
Of course,,,,, all of that was before I knew the source existed... ;D
#WhyI'mLookingForwardToTheSequel
I should read? the original. Anyway, the film leaves the audience not with (1)simple anticipation for part 2 but with (2) a spontaneous curiosity about the stories behind the film, and that is what's triggering its growth potential, I think. Come to think of it, that's how the Avengers and Star Wars series also started, isn't it?
Not just parts 1, 2, 3 based on the growth and overcoming of the main character, but episodes that re-spotlight supporting characters — I think that would make it even more anticipated.
#UnexpectedBrandingInsight
The branding on this first? work is well done. FILA's recent branding has been a talking point. It's been called an "uncle brand," a "failed brand" rebounding to fame. According to an interview, it's the result of a new challenge built on the brand's heritage. (Reference: FILA, Revived Through Heritage )
Japan has many source works that marked an era globally (an enviable point). Ghost in the Shell, Dragon Ball, and many others have been adapted into films. But not all were successful. Alita, however, looks a bit different. And my brain-fiction is pinging — beep, beep — that its story is structured on a long-term strategy.
#NoImagesNotBecauseIt'sAnnoyingButBecauseIDontLikeImageReliance
End of my first movie review.
#ReviewingAgainAfterReadingGunnm Excellent. (#excessiveBrainFictionWarning) Compared to the Japanese OVA which was adapted from the first 2–3 volumes of the source, the film Alita is very well adapted and reinterpreted. The scenario stands on its own. I think the various episodes I imagined before watching — and many possible sequels — could be made. Also, because there's a meaningful amount of adaptation and the reinterpretation is good, I recommend they go with new versions rather than mimicking the source exactly.
#GunnmOVAIsNotFun. Whether because the first several chapters are stitched together, or because the two-episode animation was made just beyond that, the scenario itself feels all jumbled up. And being made a while ago, the image quality and scene transitions feel unnatural.
#GunnmMangaSourceIsFun. But it's longer than expected. Toward the end, it gets a bit dragging.
This might have nothing to do with the manga itself — it's probably my own feeling of "I have to finish this quickly", approaching it again with that pressure. For the backstory on this feeling, if you're so inclined.. you can check a previous post.
Gunnm's manga source is a classic Japanese manga. In the positive sense. It's not about simple violent immersion — it draws out lessons through the protagonist's life stages. A coming-of-age manga that can span older teens to young adults. There are quotes worth noting; I'll transcribe the ones I jotted down.
Humans are beings with defined limits. A fight is the struggle for how much freedom you can acquire within those limits. That is the very way to find your path. (...) You can become much stronger. And true strength is not combat ability — it is living honorably. Live, Gally. ( #Jeshugan, Gunnm vol. 8)
This felt like it was speaking to me. And the latter part... replacing "combat ability" with "power-shift ability" or "power," I'd want to say this to the Liberty Korea Party lawmakers too. Though none of them would likely read Gunnm...
If you didn't hesitate, you'd be no different from a machine. I'll go forward as who I am now! ( #Gally, Gunnm vol. 8)
I've also cut ties with Den's "just cause" and Zapan's revenge. What I learned is that people have wings that others can't see. If there's one thing I want in this world, it's for every person to rise up on their own wings. ( #Gally, Gunnm vol. 8)
