History YMMV / AlitaBattleAngel

* ClicheStorm: A common criticism was that many tropes in the film have grown so omnipresent in sci-fi cinema over the past couple of decades that they no longer feel fresh. Ironically, the film's source material [[GenrePopularizer likely inspired and contributed]] to the proliferation of those tropes in the first place (with perhaps the exception of ''Film/{{Rollerball}}''). The script, although since revised, was first written by James Cameron 20 years before its release.

--> "The character looks like an anime doll come to life, or like a Disney character that's just a hair off from normal. It's probably [[IntendedAudienceReaction a deliberate choice]], meant to remind viewers at every moment that Alita isn't human. But after so many years of CGI animators trying to mimic convincing human faces and not entirely succeeding, it’s still unsettling to see a character hovering this close to realistic, while staying this far away from it."

* ClicheStorm: A common criticism was that many tropes in the film have grown so omnipresent in sci-fi cinema over the past couple of decades that they no longer feel fresh. Ironically, the film's source material [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny likely inspired and contributed]] to the proliferation of those tropes in the first place (with perhaps the exception of ''Film/{{Rollerball}}''). The script, although since revised, was first written by James Cameron 20 years before its release.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: ''Alita: Battle Angel'' has been criticized for being a ClicheStorm. The original ''Manga/BattleAngelAlita'' is a classic of {{cyberpunk}} anime and inspired a lot of the tropes that ''Alita'' got critical heat for using. This is compounded by the DevelopmentHell that the film sat in for ''decades''. If it had been made 20 years earlier, its tropes would have been a lot more novel, especially to western audiences who were not quite as familiar with anime at the time.

* HarsherInHindsight: The film's theme song is ''Swan Song'', with lyrics that say "this is not a swan song". Ironically enough, the film would end up becoming Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox's SwanSong before being bought by Creator/{{Disney}}, as the last film to be released before Disney's buyout.

* CriticalDissonance: Critics generally think the film is somewhere between mediocre and okay, but fans of the source material, love it (on Rotten Tomatoes, the critic approval is 60%, while for audiences it's '''94%'''). It's been lauded by the anime community as the first live-action Hollywood adaptation of manga series to not suck.

** "Swan Song" by Music/DuaLipa, a [[{{Determinator}} defiant and hopeful song]] that fits the the post-apocalyptic technological world of the story.

* FriendlyFandoms: With ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'', as both films are Hollywood adaptations of Japanese properties, from mediums that have historically not been kind to live action Hollywood adaptations. It helps that [[HilariousInHindsight both Sonic and Alita had post-trailer redesigns to make their eyes larger to make them more adorable]]; Creator/TimMiller produced ''Sonic'' and directed ''Film/TerminatorDarkFate'', another film produced by Creator/JamesCameron; and both ''Sonic'' and ''Film/Avatar'' involve blue furry aliens.

* FriendlyFandoms: With ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'', as both films are Hollywood adaptations of Japanese properties, from mediums that have historically not been kind to live action Hollywood adaptations. It helps that [[HilariousInHindsight both Sonic and Alita had post-trailer redesigns to make their eyes larger to make them more adorable]], and that Creator/TimMiller produced both ''Sonic'' and ''Film/TerminatorDarkFate'', another film produced by Creator/JamesCameron.

** Then the second trailer gives us [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AtgSiMH9GI J2's female-fronted cover]] of Music/LinkinPark's ''New Divide'', featuring the vocalist Avery. Especially poignant due to the second trailer's release being very close to the one year anniversary of Chester Bennington's death.

* MemeticMutation: Alita's "anime eyes". [[labelnote:Explanation]]The first trailer depicted Alita with abnormally large eyes, which quickly gained notoriety for how [[UncannyValley unnatural they make her look]]. The most common joke is that the filmmakers were trying to make her look like a live-action anime character. And according to the director himself, that's indeed part of the intention.[[/labelnote]]

* UncannyValley: Rosa Salazar plays Alita via MotionCapture, which has a tendency to fall into the valley no matter what. However, the real uncanniness comes from the fact that Alita's [[spoiler:and her former squad's]] eyes [[BigAnimeEyes are enlarged]], [[https://cdn.empireonline.com/jpg/80/0/0/1000/563/0/north/0/0/0/0/0/c/features/5a2af31f02cfbaa305214f56/battle-angel-alita.jpg making her look like an actual anime character come to life]]. [[http://www.multiversitycomics.com/reviews/alita-battle-angel/ The effect is exacerbated by the fact that other cyborgs are more overtly modified (with completely mechanical, shining bodies), but have human faces that make them easier to look at.]] It's summed up best by [[https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/8/16750806/alita-battle-angel-robert-rodriguez-trailer-watch this review]] from ''[=TheVerge=]''.

* AwardSnub: In spite of the impressive visuals, the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s passed the film over for Best Visual Effects.

* AwardSnub: In spite of the impressive visuals, the Academy Awards passed the film over for Best Visual Effects.

* WinTheCrowd: While many were offput by the trailers, the critical reactions on social media were positive, making many more optimistic.

* EvilIsCool: Vector. He dresses like Film/{{Blade}} and has a calm disposition to everything, even to being threatened by Nova and Alita.