Fantasy filmmaker Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies) has just released his latest dystopian epic, Mortal Engines starring Robert Sheehan, Hera Hilmar, Hugo Weaving and Jihae. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic future that follows a set of mobile cities on wheels. These are dubbed as Predator Cities and Thaddeus Valentine (Weaving) is the leader of the largest Predator City, London, which is a re-imagined version of the historic city on wheels. The story follows Hester Shaw, (Hera Hilmar) the young female protagonist who is dealing with family baggage and a bitter desire to murder Thaddeus Valentine.
The film is a steampunk lover's fantasy. It has incredible visuals and a fantastic fun feel. However, the story fails in many ways. What I liked most about the film was the mythological connection with Pandora's Box. I wish that this concept had been more developed as I believe it would have saved what ended up being a broken film with overplayed themes and tropes borrowed from popular films like Star Wars and Max Max: Fury Road. My favorite performance came from Jihae as Anna Fang, a vigilante who has an amazing look and is the most likable character in the movie.
If you are looking for an entertaining evening, I recommend going to see this movie. For all the flaws and cracks in the design, it still manages to invite the audience to imagine.
Rating: C
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