--- title: "Alita: Battle Angel: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/alita-battle-angel/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/alita-battle-angel" critics_score: 51 critics_reviews: 25 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Alita: Battle Angel (2019): what the critics said Critics' score 51 from 25 reviews: 7 positive, 7 mixed, 11 negative. The reviews are divided, leaning negative, but praise repeatedly centres on Rosa Salazar’s expressive performance and the energetic action. Even several unconvinced critics find life in Alita herself, while the fights and motorball sequences earn credit for inventive choreography and clear staging. Supporters find enough charm, earnestness and technical ingenuity to enjoy a familiar science-fiction adventure; detractors tend to admire individual sequences without caring much about the story. Reservations cluster around the weak romance, muddled plotting and franchise setup, with several reviews finding that spectacle cannot compensate for thin characterisation. The spread is wide: the same sentiment that charms some critics strikes others as formulaic or hollow. Alita’s digital appearance also divides opinion: Vulture finds her enlarged eyes expressive, while Paste considers her computer-generated face distracting. The disagreement is chiefly over whether the performance and action can sustain a film whose storytelling draws complaints even from supporters. ## IndieWire — Michael Nordine Rating B+. 31 January 2019. Nordine calls the film Rodriguez’s best since Sin City and says it lives up to its potential while leaving viewers wanting more. He especially praises Rosa Salazar’s expressive, physically impressive motion-capture performance as Alita. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/alita-battle-angel-review-robert-rodriguez-rosa-salazar-1202040087/) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 2/4/4. 31 January 2019. Jenkins finds the film an infectiously fun, charming adventure epic. He singles out the superb lead performance for praise. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/alita-battle-angel) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2019. Turan finds the familiar sci-fi adventure surprisingly enjoyable, thanks to its energy, sentiment and technical ingenuity. He especially praises Rosa Salazar’s expressive performance and Weta Digital’s convincing cyborg effects. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-alita-battle-angel-review-20190211-story.html) ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Rating B-. 1 February 2019. Hassenger finds the film a lot of fun, despite an unconvincing romance and an awkward sequel-bait ending. He particularly praises the inventive, fluidly shot action, especially Alita’s fights and the kinetic motorball scenes. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/robert-rodriguez-teams-up-with-james-cameron-to-make-hi-1832245035) ## Vulture — Emily Yoshida Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2019. Yoshida finds the film ungainly and hokey but engaging and unexpectedly charming. She singles out Rosa Salazar’s magnetic performance and expressive big eyes as what makes it work. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2019/02/alita-battle-angel-review.html) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2019. The page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is unavailable in the paywalled text. The standfirst says the filmmakers bring the graphic novels to life, without revealing what the critic singles out. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/alita-battle-angel-review/5136405.article) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Rating 2.5/4. 1 February 2019. Cole finds the film an entertaining and unusually focused franchise starter, despite a weak romance and underexamined conflict. He especially praises the action’s choreography and coherent direction. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-alita-battle-angel-is-at-its-best-at-its-most-idiosyncratic/) ## Film Comment — Michael Sragow Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film impressive as spectacle but uneven overall. It praises the action while faulting its family, romance, and machine-soul themes. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-alita-battle-angel/) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2019. The review finds the film entertaining but overly familiar, with its final act undermined by sloppy plotting. It praises Rodriguez’s slick, inventive action and Alita’s striking visual realization. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/alita-battle-angel-review/) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 2/5. 30 January 2019. The critic finds the film visually epic but monotonous, less than the sum of its parts. The slick visuals are praised, while the film’s enervating monotony is the main complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/alita-battle-angel) ## Total Film — Matt Maytum Rating 2/5. 31 January 2019. The review finds the film a tonally confused, hard-to-care-about start for a hoped-for franchise. It praises the impressive visual effects and bursts of action, but says clunky dialogue and weak character work undermine them. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/alita-battle-angel-review/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2019. Dargis’s review is negative about the film’s execution. She singles out its computer-generated visuals as a weakness. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/movies/alita-battle-angel-review.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2019. Bradshaw finds the film an oddly tame, vanilla dystopian romance that lacks the complexity of Ghost in the Shell. He praises Mahershala Ali’s bad-guy aplomb, while finding his charisma underused. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jan/31/alita-battle-angel-review-robert-rodriguez) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Dalton Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2019. The critic finds the film underwhelming, with a muddled plot and tired genre conventions preventing it from taking flight. The visual effects and richly designed Iron City provide early spectacle, but the story and romance falter in the second half. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/alita-battle-angel-review-1181823/) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2019. Lodge finds the film muddled and emotionally thin, despite its energetic effects spectacle. He especially praises the motorball sequences while criticizing the story’s scattered, unclear direction. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/alita-battle-angel-review-1203125169/) ## Radio Times — Trevor Johnston Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 5 February 2019. The critic’s verdict is negative, arguing that the film lacks humanity. The review singles out its manga-inspired cyborg story as a glittering CGI mishmash. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/alita-battle-angel-review-a-glittering-cgi-mishmash/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2019. Brody finds the film’s inventive world-building undermined by sentimental romance and formulaic, reactionary plotting. He praises the detailed design and clarity of Iron City, but faults the story for wasting those strengths. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/alita-battle-angel-reviewed-a-robert-rodriguez-and-james-cameron-robot-film-with-too-much-titanic-in-its-dna) ## Consequence — Dominick Suzanne-Mayer Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2019. The critic finds the film a strange, special, ambitious sci-fi adventure whose earnestness helps its shortcomings recede. They praise Alita’s detailed visual creation and the film’s imaginative, expansive world, while noting underdeveloped subplots. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2019/02/film-review-alita-battle-angel/) ## /Film — Hoai-Tran Bui Rating 7/10. 1 February 2019. The review calls the film a solid, visually stunning blockbuster and a breakthrough for Hollywood anime adaptations, despite a simple, overstuffed story. It praises the assured, dazzling fight sequences and Rosa Salazar’s expressive performance as Alita. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/563969/alita-battle-angel-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2019. The URL identifies this as a review, but the article itself is inaccessible. Its verdict and any specific praise or criticism cannot be determined from the available page. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/alita-battle-angel-review-20190213/) ## Paste — Oktay Ege Kozak Rating 5.8/10. 18 February 2019. Kozak finds the film frequently fun and visually pleasing, but derivative and ultimately forgettable. He praises the visceral, surprisingly graphic action while criticizing Alita’s distracting CG face. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/alita-battle-angel/alita-battle-angel-1) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2019. The review finds the film’s plot sluggish despite its entertaining action. It praises the controlled, energetic fight scenes and Rosa Salazar’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/alita-battle-angel-2019-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## Den of Geek — Rosie Fletcher Rating 2/5. 15 February 2019. The critic finds the film visually impressive but tonally and narratively confused. The cyborg action earns praise, while the central romance and Alita’s uncanny appearance are singled out as failures. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/alita-battle-angel-review/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film a muddled, frustrating attempt to set up a franchise. They praise Rosa Salazar for bringing life and conviction to Alita. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/alita-battle-angel-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2019. The critic finds the film rushed, unfocused, and tonally erratic, with too many unresolved plot strands. The pulpy, acrobatic action sequences are singled out as an enjoyable bright spot. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/alita-battle-angel-film-review-robert-rodriguez-james-cameron/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/alita-battle-angel.md