I liked the last "Terminator" to the point that "Genisys" has become my favorite in the saga. It spun a web of alternate-reality fun that (in my humble opinion) can't be beat , with an ending left wide open for endless possibilities and interpretations.
The latest chapter, "Dark Fate", produced by James Cameron, directed by Tim "Deadpool" Miller and scripted by David Goyer, Justin Rhodes and Billy Ray, performs the same intent, taking the franchise in another zigzagged but gripping direction. But is it the best possible path? I don't know. I'm only glad that this submission didn't rub me the wrong way, for I was certain it would pile on that SJW crap, of which I and so many film buffs have had our fill.
With that said, I still wouldn't argue with anyone who'd call "Dark Fate" a girlie film, but at least its females are foible-based kick-assers and not infallible Mary Sues. The ladies include Linda Hamilton, reprising her legendary role as Sarah Connor (re-entering the series much like Jamie Lee Curtis returned {again} to "Halloween"), Mackenzie Davis as Grace (a compassionate, cyborg protector) and Natalia Reyes as the amiable, must-be-saved-so-she-may-save-the-world Dani Ramos.
To offset the girl power, there's a relentless, Robert Patrick variant played by Gabriel Luna, who's a real liquefied son of a gun, as he damn well should be.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is also part of the package (how could he not be?) and once more, he's "old but not obsolete". That means he's sympathetic yet lethal. It's a swell touch which worked well in "Genisys" and gives the new plot a positive pulse, no matter how heavy the gloom.
Because of the characters' empathetic and sacrificial qualities, "Dark Fate" hits a satisfying mark. It's otherwise jammed with the expected action, glare and redundancy. In regard to the latter, the idea of Judgment Day coming and going time and again has become a bit much, but on the other hand, isn't that time-tripping-of-reality angle the whole point of this franchise?
No matter if one dares to nitpick it, "Dark Fate" does what it's supposed to do. Sure, it ain't "Blade Runner 2049" (though why should it be?), but more so, it sure ain't the lame "Last Jedi". It's just another faithful-to-the-core chapter in a popular franchise, and I, for one, embraced it without a speck of apology.
"Alita: Battle Angel" is an ambitious, science-fiction/comic-book movie, directed by Robert Rodriguez and co-scripted by James "Terminator" Cameron and Laeta "Terminator: Genisys" Kalogridis, based on Yukito Kishiro's popular, manga series.
The concept: A 300-year-old, big-eyed, resurrected cyborg girl, played by Rosa Salazar, wishes to forge an identity and purpose per her 26th Century, second-chance life. This puts the story in tune with "Ghost in the Shell", though with more of a forward slant than a quasi retrospective one.
Alita's mentor/refurbisher is Dr. Dyson Ido (a licensed "hunter warrior" by night), portrayed by the wonderful Christoph Waltz, who re-tunes her cognition for a new age. To elevate her status, she engages in a raucous, "Rollerball"-ish event against treacherous, kick-ass opponents, which leads to the movie's rousing "Rocky" (or should that be "Real Steel"?) climax and lengthy though vigorous epilogue. (There are weird warm-ups to the expected culmination, including an early, serial-killer subplot, but these interludes are planted more for momentary misdirection than essential linkage.)
Rounding out the cast is Mahershala Ali as the prime, recurring villain, Vector (a gamester kingpin); Jennifer Connelly as his scientist sidekick, Dr. Chiren (who's also Ido's ex); with Ed Skrein, Jeff Fahey, Eiza Gonzalez and Jackie Earle Haley completing the excellent, disguised, imagi-movie co-cast.
Keean "Spooksville" Johnson plays Alita's underbelly boyfriend, Hugo, but the abundant, dismal splendor dulls the romance, leaving any lasting tenderness to orbit Ido, who tosses a Kenobi/Miyagi aura upon his adopted daughter. (I suppose one could find an implied Geppetto/Pinocchio angle to their relationship, and if so, the comparisons to Spielberg's "A.I." would be plentiful.)
Though the story is basic, its execution is gripping, due to its character-laden pacing and next-generation Astro Boy pizzazz, which should please manga and anime fans and even those detached from those Asian phenomena.
The thing is, as much as Alita is amazing to behold (it's those eyes, far more than her fighting finesse), she stays a kid throughout, and because of this, can never equal the striking stature of Scarlett Johansson's Major. "Battle Angel", therefore, lacks sex appeal in the robotic regard. At best, the film offers a hypnotic, uncanny-valley presence for those not freaked by such.
Still one might ask, would a healthy spoonful of erotica (with Alita instead having been depicted as an adult) made the movie better? Should we dare expect any sort of saucy approach in a time when pin-ups and cheesecake are ostracized by the ultra sensitive in favor of drab, fairy-wand neutrality? Come now, we all know that's the real reason "Ghost'"s star met disdain. Yeah, sure, one could claim that "Battle Angel" is good enough as it stands and yet...
There isn't quite enough springing forth to set it apart from its aimed-for-adults, scorn-the-sugary-sweet-princess counterparts. I'm guessing the movie would've hit a huge, innovative note if made a few years earlier, even with its inherent, true-to-its-roots restrictions. With that said, "Battle Angel" seems like another classy competitor, certain to be referenced in years to come, but not extraordinary enough to achieve classic status.
Whatever its destiny, take this adventure for what it's worth and depart content.
