About Mortal Engines
Mortal Engines (2018) transports viewers to a stunningly realized post-apocalyptic future where massive mobile cities traverse the wasteland, practicing 'Municipal Darwinism' by hunting and consuming smaller settlements. Directed by Christian Rivers in his feature debut, with visionary production design from the Weta Workshop team behind The Lord of the Rings, the film creates a breathtaking steampunk world unlike any other in recent cinema.
The story follows Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar), a mysterious young woman with a facial scar and a burning desire for revenge against Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving), London's powerful historian. When she attempts to assassinate him, she's thwarted by Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan), an idealistic London Museum apprentice. Thrown together and exiled from the great traction city, they must survive the hostile Hunting Ground while uncovering Valentine's conspiracy to unleash an ancient weapon that could reshape their world forever.
While the film received mixed reviews for its conventional plot elements, the visual spectacle is undeniable. The city-chase sequences are engineering marvels of CGI, particularly London's multi-tiered design and the terrifying predator city of Panzerstadt-Bayreuth. Supporting performances from Jihae as the rebellious pilot Anna Fang and Stephen Lang as the resurrected cyborg Shrike add depth to this expansive world. For fans of imaginative world-building, epic scale, and Philip Reeve's beloved book series, Mortal Engines offers a visually sumptuous adventure that demands to be seen on the largest screen possible. The film's exploration of consumption, history, and redemption provides substance beneath its spectacular surface.
The story follows Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar), a mysterious young woman with a facial scar and a burning desire for revenge against Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving), London's powerful historian. When she attempts to assassinate him, she's thwarted by Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan), an idealistic London Museum apprentice. Thrown together and exiled from the great traction city, they must survive the hostile Hunting Ground while uncovering Valentine's conspiracy to unleash an ancient weapon that could reshape their world forever.
While the film received mixed reviews for its conventional plot elements, the visual spectacle is undeniable. The city-chase sequences are engineering marvels of CGI, particularly London's multi-tiered design and the terrifying predator city of Panzerstadt-Bayreuth. Supporting performances from Jihae as the rebellious pilot Anna Fang and Stephen Lang as the resurrected cyborg Shrike add depth to this expansive world. For fans of imaginative world-building, epic scale, and Philip Reeve's beloved book series, Mortal Engines offers a visually sumptuous adventure that demands to be seen on the largest screen possible. The film's exploration of consumption, history, and redemption provides substance beneath its spectacular surface.
