Alita: Battle Angel Review - 7 Ups & 3 Downs

In this age of shared universes and endless sequels, it's no surprise that Alita pretty shamelessly teases its own franchise potential. But what is surprising is how earned those teases feel and how fulfilling this film feels on its own.

Just as Alita is dropped into the scrapyard and is forced to subsequently figure out her past and what role she'll play in the future, we too are dropped into the universe of this story with hints both as to what has happened and what will happen.

There are certainly references here and there that fans of the source material will relish, but there's just as much for new fans to be awed by. There are a handful of flashback sequences where the amnesiac Alita will suddenly remember a part of her past and these sequences are thrilling and will have audiences immediately wanting more of them.

But this is not to say Alita is just one long ad for future sequels or prequels. On the contrary. As mentioned earlier, the film has a lot going on, to the point that sometimes the muchness is a bit too much. While Fox is certainly hoping for Alita to do well enough to merit sequels (let's be honest, it's almost certainly not going to happen with this budget), this film manages to be a satisfying adaptation in its own right.