Hester Shaw
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Dec 14, 2018 · Even by the lower standards of kids’ stuff, this movie is laughably portentous and kitschy, and gets progressively worse, what with the heavy-handed introduction of the ethnically diverse rebel flyer team and the Dalai Lama lookalike leader of the Asian territory Thaddeus intends to bulldoze.
Dec 14, 2018 · Mortal Engines is a futuristic fantasy film based on a novel series by Philip Reeve. It follows Hester Shaw, a young rebel who tries to stop the city of London from devouring other cities. See what critics and audiences think of the film's special effects, story, and characters.
- (190)
- Christian Rivers
- PG-13
- Hera Hilmar
- This steampunk epic, which often feels like an over-sized Fury Road on steroids, has great world-building but an underwhelming story.
- Verdict
By Rafael Motamayor
Updated: Mar 12, 2021 3:02 am
Posted: Dec 13, 2018 7:55 pm
Mortal Engines is the big-budget live-action steampunk movie fans of that subgenre have always wanted, complete with stunning visuals and top-notch world-building. Christian Rivers makes his directorial debut after working in visual effects with frequent collaborators (and co-writers and co-producers) Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens and delivers the kind of ambitious blockbuster we haven’t seen in years.
Mortal Engines is so eager to show you what it’s got, that the film starts while the Universal logo is still on screen, as we see purple-hued bombs that start going off in various locations on the famous globe on the logo. Visually and scale-wise, this is an oversized Fury Road on steroids. Based on the novels by Philip Reeve, we start with two literal cities chasing each other, spitting up smoke and dirt as the wheeled monstrosities make their slow way across a vast and desolated European countryside. London shoots massive harpoons at the smaller city, while teeny tiny trees are decimated beneath the giant wheels of the metropolis. As if the visual connections to the Wasteland of Max Rockatansky weren’t enough, I wouldn’t blame you for expecting to see Furiosa after listening to Junkie XL’s grandiose score here.
After a short but intense opening chase, we meet Tom Natsworthy, a historian-in-training who gets overcome with joy whenever he finds an artifact from the ancient world like a cracked iPhone. Robert Sheehan plays this typical YA-franchise naïve guy who yearns to see the world and become a warrior, and is suddenly very skilled in combat with no build-up. Tom’s work gets the attention of the powerful Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving), who doesn’t even try to hide how evil he is, or his complete lack of motivation.
Mortal Engines may have come about 15 years too late, as it feels like a blockbuster straight out of the early ‘00s before the YA craze saturated the market and then petered out. In 2018 it feels like too little, too late, with a storyline populated with largely uninteresting characters that’s been done so often now that it feels dull. What saves t...
Dec 14, 2018 · A post-apocalyptic world where cities ride on wheels and consume each other to survive. IMDb users rate this film 6.1/10 and critics give it 44/100. See trailers, photos, cast, reviews, trivia and more.
- (142K)
- Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- Christian Rivers
- 2018-12-14
Dec 13, 2018 · “Mortal Engines” takes place after the “Sixty Minute War” has brought humanity to the brink, and the world’s metropolises have escaped from their locations.
- Christian Rivers
Mortal Engines, an adaptation of the first of a quartet of fantasy books by Philip Reeve, has been heavily framed in its publicity as the latest brainchild of filmmaking wizard Peter Jackson.
Dec 5, 2018 · ‘Mortal Engines’: Film Review. Peter Jackson produced and co-wrote 'Mortal Engines,' a post-apocalyptic story based on the young adult novels by Philip Reeve.
8.0/10 (1522 reviews)
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