Alita: Battle Angel - 9 Reasons It's A Failure

3. There's No Tonal Consistency

Tone is an important part of filmmaking, especially when you're crafting a film to be devoured by the masses, and it's something Rodriguez has no clear grasp of with this movie.

Though Alita kicks off as an agreeably earnest coming-of-age film, a number of increasingly depraved moments throughout the movie openly tow the line close to R-rated territory, including mutilation of both humans and animals.

That's not to ignore the regular occurence of accidental humour throughout the film, ultimately ensuring that audiences may be unsure whether to laugh or be horrified at a given scene.

There is no clear through-line for the film's mood, and as a result it ends up feeling rather schizophrenic.