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Though Hollywood adaptations of anime and manga tend to receive mixed reviews, reviews for Alita: Battle Angel so far are generally solid. There are many sci-fi and fantasy films out there that have tried to create action-packed yet emotionally-charged stories, and many have failed spectacularly.
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A number even tried to adapt well-loved Japanese anime and manga franchises; Netflix's Death Note is the most recent example that drew fans' ire, and Paramount and DreamWorks' Ghost in the Shell didn't fare much better. If you're looking for sci-fi and fantasy films that manage to pair emotional nuance and a healthy dose of action, here are 10 movies to watch if you like Alita: Battle Angel.
10 Lucy
Lucy offers a much darker and brutal take on the woman-with-advanced-powers trope, and for large chunks of the film, it's not much more than another action-thriller. At times, though, it offers some poignant moments of reflection as Scarlet Johansson's titular character transforms into something she never asked to be.
The premise is simple, but well-executed: Lucy is forced to smuggle drugs in her stomach, and when the bag leaks, her full human potential begins to be unlocked. This unrealistic take on "superhuman" abilities make for exciting action, if nothing else, favoring spectacle over substance.
9 Appleseed (2004)
Though the animation on the 2004 Appleseed hasn't aged well, it's a fairly well-executed story with an interesting premise. The main character's boyfriend has been turned into a cyborg after surviving World War III, and it doesn't take long for the pair to get thrown into a new conflict.
There's also a 1988 movie, but that version can be ignored in favor of the newer films, which include the Appleseed Ex Machina sequel and the 2014 Appleseed Alpha remake. Unfortunately, none of the films offer much in the way of character development, but the plot and action will make most sci-fi fans happy. There is also a TV series titled Appleseed XIII, but this remake wasn't well-received by fans.
8 Ex Machina
Ex Machina explores questions of artificial intelligence and sentience, including whether or not humans have the right to control robots. Main character Caleb is chosen to assist a tech CEO in testing a sentient robot, but of course, not everything is as simple as it seems. The film received rave reviews, despite struggling to get U.S. distribution and only grossing $36 million at the box office.
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It won dozens of awards and was even nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Though the film focuses far less on action than Alita or similar sci-fi films do, it's a great choice for anyone wanting a suspenseful look at how robots could be used and abused in society.
7 Elysium
Elysium was Neil Blomkamp's follow-up to his Best Picture-nominated breakout, District 9, and it furthered the filmmaker's talent for world-building that seamlessly blends mind-blowing digital effects with a dusty, junky Third World aesthetic. Like Alita, Blomkamp's original sci-fi feature involves characters on a relative wasteland Earth who wish to be up high in the sky on the utopian satellite space station where all the rich and most powerful people dwell.
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Both Elysium and Alita also involve a more direct villain who does most of his work down on the ground. The hero of both movies is also set up with mechanical body enhancements that will help in their efforts to reach the fortress above.
6 Ghost In The Shell (1995)
The 2017 live-action version is missable, but the original Ghost in the Shell is the way to go for sci-fi fans. This 1995 animated film eventually inspired The Matrix and countless other sci-fi films.
The premise is similar to the live-action film: a cybernetic cop has to deal with criminals and internal politics while wrestling with what it means to be human. Fortunately, the original Ghost in the Shell covers all of this much more convincingly and memorably than the Hollywood knock-off.
5 A.I. Artificial Intelligence
There's definitely a Pinocchio element to the story of Alita, as well as a bit of Frankenstein. These are two very influential stories, both of which translate to many of the robot and cyborg tales of today. Both movies have main characters who are built by a man trying to replace his dead child in their image.
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But the hero of Alita existed in some form prior to that. The look of many of the supporting 'borgs in Alita is very reminiscent of supporting Mechas in A.I., right down to the still impressive effects where parts of their faces are missing. They are also similarly shown to be part of a spectator event, although not one of a sport like Motorball in Alita.
4 The Fifth Element
A being falls from the sky and is partly salvaged. It's given a new body, that of a young woman. This female-form character, regardless of the maturity of her exterior, has the mind of a naive child. She doesn't even know to not rush out into traffic, but she's an incredible fighter.
In The Fifth Element, this childlike manic pixie dream girl will creepily become the love interest of a grizzled older man. In Alita, this manic pixie dream girl with a childlike body will gain a love interest a bit closer to her own age, especially once she garners a more grown-up physical form.
3 Blade Runner
Blade Runner has to be included on this list, if only because of its massive influence on the sci-fi movie genre. It shares some thematic ties with Alita, and its setting is certainly similar, but that's where the commonalities seem to end. Blade Runner features Harrison Ford as a bounty hunter in a dystopian world where androids called replicants are treated as labor and denied human rights.
Naturally, this leads to conflict and violence. Hopefully, you've already seen the film, but it's worth re-watching if only to appreciate the impact it made on the other movies on this list. The sequel, Blade Runner 2049, also received solid reviews and still has Harrison Ford as a lead character despite being made 35 years after the original.
2 Logan
Logan is unlike any X-Men movie that has come before - and that's a good thing. Starring Hugh Jackman as an old and grizzled Wolverine, he's joined by a young mutant named Laura, who has similar powers to his and is on the run from the people who made her.
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The story's near-future setting results in a painfully realistic tale, and is a refreshing departure from stories of superheroes who are still young and strong. This installment is a little harder to jump into if you're completely unfamiliar with the X-Men universe, but you can probably keep up even if it's been a few years since you've watched other X-Men movies.
1 Mad Max: Fury Road
Hopefully, everyone who's reading this has already seen Mad Max: Fury Road. This dystopian sci-fi action film does justice to its premise and offers a high-octane adventure that still manages to be believable. Like Alita, Fury Road has a healthy dose of strong but well-rounded female characters.
Furiosa is far from being an innocent teenager, so her development is much different than Alita's. You can also go back and watch the original Mad Max trilogy, which also has some great characters throughout the series, but the stories are a little more dated.
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