Daily Korea | Five Things to Watch for in ‘Alita: Battle Angel,’ Opening for Lunar New Year
Daily Korea previewed five highlights to watch for ahead of the release of the film "Alita: Battle Angel." The article covered director James Cameron's original concept, the visual effects by Weta Digital, and Rosa Salazar's compelling performance, and reported that the "Kim Hyun Jung Alita" artwork created through a collaboration with Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung would be on view at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University starting on the 25th.
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"Alita: Battle Angel," opening February 5, is an action blockbuster set in the 26th century that follows the story of Alita, a cyborg girl who has lost her memory. Known for its original visuals and story, its compelling characters, and the fact that director James Cameron conceived it even before "Avatar," the film has drawn early attention as a long-awaited dream project.
Here are five highlights worth knowing to enjoy "Alita: Battle Angel" even more.
First, the film tells the story of a new hero's birth and growth. Alita, a cyborg girl who dramatically survives a scrapyard, loses her memory and questions her own identity, unsure whether she is human or machine. But as she fights evil to protect her family, friends, and the world, she is reborn as a warrior. Through this process, she comes to understand the meaning of her own existence and grows.
Second, it is James Cameron's dream project. The director behind the top two highest-grossing films of all time, "Avatar" and "Titanic," was captivated by the original Japanese manga "Battle Angel Alita" and announced the Alita project even before Avatar.
Born from Cameron's dedication to innovative blockbuster filmmaking, "Alita: Battle Angel" is expected to create a sensation in the film industry.
The involvement of visual-effects pioneer Weta Digital is another highlight worth noting. Having already proven its capabilities on "Avatar" and the "Planet of the Apes" films, Weta Digital is said to have completed the revolutionary visuals of "Alita: Battle Angel" using even more advanced performance capture and 3D technology. With director Robert Rodriguez of "Sin City" joining the project, the scale and spectacle reportedly grew even further.
Rosa Salazar, who plays Alita, also promises an intense and striking performance. Salazar, who stood out in the "Maze Runner" series, plays the lead role of Alita as she transforms from an ordinary girl into the ultimate warrior. To fully embody the role, she studied the facial expressions of masters of performance-capture acting and trained in various martial arts, earning high praise from director Robert Rodriguez.
Finally, the overwhelming scale and detail of the motorball scenes are also worth watching. The massive set perfectly recreates the film's own sprawling scrapyard city. The motorball match sequences staged in this city are a showcase of 3D technology, capturing natural CGI even amid the cyborg characters' action and tremendous speed.
Shot simultaneously with 40 cameras and completed with a collection of cutting-edge technology, these scenes promise to offer audiences a fantastical spectacle.
In addition, "Alita: Battle Angel" collaborated with Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung to unveil "Kim Hyun Jung's Alita." Kim Hyun Jung, known for original works that bring a contemporary sensibility to Korean painting, was named to Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30 in 2017. The Alita collaboration piece by Kim, known as the "idol of Korean painting," can be viewed at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University starting on the 25th.
[Daily Korea, contributing reporter Bu So-jung]