I've tried to not put much of anything spoilery here, but since I've written about how the movie ends, I guess that could be possible spoiler material.
Understand, please, that I wasn't thinking these things when the movie finished and I was leaving the theater. At that time, I could see that the movie was keeping the story open for a possible sequel, but I also left satisfied with the movie's story, even where it left off. And I think I understand more now why it's ending didn't bother me all that much.
The setting for the movie is kinda dystopic, reminding me some of the Blade Runner world, though not as dark.
For most of the movie, Alita is a hopeful and positive character. Even her one big cringey scene, her speech at the bounty hunter's bar, fits her character, even in its naivety. But then there's the final scene, her glaring up at the floating city, grim, unsmiling, no longer so naive.
I can't remember the doctor's exact words, but at one point he tells her something along the lines that this place gets to you, or this place takes everything from you. Without wanting to spoil anything, the movie does show that he's lost quite a lot sense being sent there.
So, there's this great contrast between how Alita had been for most of the movie, and how she was at the end.
At that point, it seemed that it wasn't as important that she should win her way up to the floating city and face her enemy, because in a very real way she had already lost. She was no longer the wide-eyed girl who is happy to discover chocolate or even has fits of teenage temper. The world she lived in had already taken what was important to her, it had already changed her, it had already won.
Understand, please, that I wasn't thinking these things when the movie finished and I was leaving the theater. At that time, I could see that the movie was keeping the story open for a possible sequel, but I also left satisfied with the movie's story, even where it left off. And I think I understand more now why it's ending didn't bother me all that much.
The setting for the movie is kinda dystopic, reminding me some of the Blade Runner world, though not as dark.
For most of the movie, Alita is a hopeful and positive character. Even her one big cringey scene, her speech at the bounty hunter's bar, fits her character, even in its naivety. But then there's the final scene, her glaring up at the floating city, grim, unsmiling, no longer so naive.
I can't remember the doctor's exact words, but at one point he tells her something along the lines that this place gets to you, or this place takes everything from you. Without wanting to spoil anything, the movie does show that he's lost quite a lot sense being sent there.
So, there's this great contrast between how Alita had been for most of the movie, and how she was at the end.
At that point, it seemed that it wasn't as important that she should win her way up to the floating city and face her enemy, because in a very real way she had already lost. She was no longer the wide-eyed girl who is happy to discover chocolate or even has fits of teenage temper. The world she lived in had already taken what was important to her, it had already changed her, it had already won.