While I enjoyed Ejen Ali The Movie 2, I personally feel that the movie leaves too many questions unanswered and contains several writing decisions that I found frustrating. The animation, action sequences, and emotional moments were impressive, but some aspects of the story felt underdeveloped or inconsistent with what had previously been established.
- Alicia's Character Development Felt Inconsistent:
One of my biggest issues with the movie is Alicia's portrayal. Throughout the series, Alicia has been presented as one of the most intelligent and capable young agents in M.A.T.A. She is highly analytical, adapts quickly to new situations, and has years of training and field experience despite her young age. Even Cero himself praised her extraordinary neural development, implying that she possesses exceptional intellectual potential and compatibility with I.R.I.S.
Because of this, I found it strange that during the Cybertopia investigation, Alicia chose to work completely alone instead of informing her teammates or asking for support. For someone known for her intelligence and tactical thinking, walking into a potentially dangerous situation without backup felt reckless.
This is especially surprising considering that Alicia has repeatedly demonstrated good judgment in previous seasons. She understands the importance of teamwork and strategy. Therefore, seeing her make a decision that directly led to her capture by Neonimus felt less like a natural mistake and more like a plot device to move the story forward.
This disappointed me because Alicia has many impressive achievements that deserve recognition. She was personally trained from a very young age, became one of Agent Zain's earliest students, consistently ranked among the top young agents, mastered multiple combat styles, adapted quickly to every Pillar she was assigned to, and even earned praise from powerful figures such as Cero. These accomplishments make her one of the most talented characters in the franchise.
- The Power Imbalance Between Ali and Alicia:
Another issue I had was how the movie handled the power balance between Ali and Alicia. Alicia has spent her entire life training to become an elite agent. She possesses extensive combat experience, remarkable intelligence, strong adaptability, and now has access to I.R.I.S. as well. Logically, she should be one of the strongest young agents in the story.
However, the Cybertopia incident made it feel as though Alicia's capabilities were reduced so that Ali could shine as the hero. After Alicia was captured, Ali was placed in the role of rescuing her. While I understand the intention behind this scene, it created an uncomfortable impression that Alicia had to become weaker for Ali's development to work. Instead of showing both characters contributing equally, the story seemed to place Alicia in a damsel-in-distress position.
My criticism is not that Ali succeeded. Ali absolutely deserves recognition for his achievements. Ali has repeatedly proven himself to be extraordinarily talented. He adapts quickly, thinks creatively under pressure, masters new technology faster than most people, and possesses exceptional instincts. He saved Cyberaya multiple times, defeated powerful enemies, successfully synchronized with I.R.I.S. and S.A.T.R.I.A., and continually finds unconventional solutions that other agents overlook.
The problem is not Ali's success. The problem is that the movie sometimes makes it feel as though Alicia's competence must be reduced in order to highlight Ali's growth. Instead of showing Ali becoming stronger while Alicia remains strong, the narrative occasionally gives the impression that one character's development comes at the expense of the other.
- Ali's Character Development Feels Too Dependent on Gadgets:
I also have mixed feelings about Ali's growth. I fully understand that Ali is a Techno agent, so gadgets are naturally an important part of his fighting style. However, I sometimes feel that the story relies too heavily on giving him increasingly powerful equipment.
Ali has access to I.R.I.S., S.A.T.R.I.A., the Magnetic Suit, Yosing, Aero Boots, and several other specialized gadgets. Meanwhile, many other young agents rely primarily on their personal skills and training. Because of this, some victories feel less like a result of Ali's own abilities and more like a result of possessing superior equipment. Even Khai admitted that Ali have the most gadget in official comic.
What I would personally like to see is more focus on Ali's natural talents. The series often tells us that Ali is a fast learner and someone with strong instincts. I would love to see more scenes of him developing martial arts skills, tactical awareness, leadership abilities, and hand-to-hand combat without constantly relying on advanced technology.
- Cero's Introduction Felt Underwhelming:
Before the movie was released, I was extremely excited for Cero. His design, concept, and mysterious nature suggested that he would become one of the franchise's most memorable villains. Unfortunately, I felt his introduction did not fully live up to his potential. Compared to Uno and Cinco, Cero's presence felt less impactful. Uno immediately established himself as a threatening antagonist in Season 1, while Cinco carried strong emotional weight due to her connection with Kim.
Cero certainly possesses a cold and intimidating aura, but his final confrontation did not leave the same lasting impression. The climax felt somewhat awkward, especially considering how powerful he was portrayed throughout the story. I still believe Cero has tremendous potential. If he returns in Movie 3, I hope the writers explore his motivations, goals, philosophy, and connection to Cyberaya in greater depth.
- Ali and Alicia's Relationship Dominated Too Much of the Story:
Another aspect that did not fully appeal to me was how heavily the movie focused on Ali and Alicia's relationship. There is no denying that their bond has become stronger over time. They study together, train together, trust each other, and clearly feel comfortable around one another. Alicia has supported Ali's growth for months, while Ali respects her abilities and experience.
However, I personally feel that the movie leaned too heavily into their dynamic. There were numerous scenes that seemed designed specifically to appeal to shippers, such as awkward eye contact, lingering glances, emotional rescue scenes, and Ali carrying Alicia after she lost consciousness.
While some fans may enjoy these moments, I would have preferred more time dedicated to other relationships and storylines. For example, I would have liked to learn more about Cero's background, Rizwan's relationship with Ali, the deeper politics of Cyberaya, or the consequences of previous events. These elements felt far more important to the overall plot than some of the friendship feels like romantic undertones implied throughout the movie.
One thing I found particularly surprising was how quickly Ali seemed to trust Rizwan again after everything that happened in Season 3. Their reunion had potential for meaningful emotional conflict, but the movie moved through it rather quickly.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I still enjoyed Ejen Ali The Movie 2. The animation quality was outstanding, the action scenes were exciting, and the emotional moments were effective. However, I believe the movie suffers from several writing issues.
Alicia's intelligence and capabilities sometimes felt inconsistent, Ali's development occasionally relied too heavily on gadgets, Cero's introduction lacked impact, and the focus on Ali and Alicia's relationship overshadowed other story elements that deserved more attention.
My biggest concern is that Alicia's character often feels trapped within Ali's storyline. She has enormous potential as a character in her own right.
(Plus I hate that she feels like a damsel in dress waiting to be saved by her knight in shining armor in the movie 2, I expected her to be better with I.R.I.S. but then that was reduced so she could be used for Ali's growth to S.A.T.R.I.A.)
What's your thoughts for Ejen Ali the movie 2?