Synopsis
Many thousands of years in the future, Earth’s cities roam the globe on huge wheels, devouring each other in a struggle for ever diminishing resources. On one of these massive traction cities, the old London, Tom Natsworthy has an unexpected encounter with a mysterious young woman from the wastelands who will change the course of his life forever.
Your Movie Library
Cast
- Hera HilmarHester Shaw
- Robert SheehanTom Natsworthy
- Hugo WeavingThaddeus Valentine
- JihaeAnna Fang
- Ronan RafteryBevis Pod
- Leila GeorgeKatherine Valentine
- Patrick MalahideMagnus Crome
- Stephen LangShrike
- Colin SalmonChudleigh Pomeroy
- Mark MitchinsonVambrace
Recommendations
- 86
TheWrap
It’s an overpowering world of steampunk delights, almost Miyazakian in its presentation. It’s hard to complain about a path being well-worn when all the sights will make your eyes pop. - 63
USA Today
Unfortunately, there’s not much room left for fleshed-out personalities or narrative depth, making the whiz-bang wonder often feel too empty. - 60
Empire
It rips a few too many pages from familiar playbooks, but when it indulges in its own weirdness this film casts off those heavy caterpillar tracks and soars. - 58
Entertainment Weekly
Despite all of the film’s retro-future eye candy, it never quite sweeps you out of your seat and transports you someplace new. It’s a squeaky salvage job that could have used a fresh dose of oil to make it hum. - 50
IndieWire
Even at its worst (which is where it often resides), “Mortal Engines” is still a rousing advertisement for the theatrical experience. - 50
The Hollywood Reporter
In short, it's a long-arc revenge tale fitted out with very elaborate effects, courtesy of Peter Jackson's Wingnut Films, and characters that are moderately decent company but hardly compelling. - 40
The Guardian
There are some lively things about Mortal Engines, and the performances are game enough. Yet in all its effortful steampunkiness, Mortal Engines isn’t a film which is particularly exciting or funny, and the idea of the “traction city” is a stylistic and visual design tic that you just have to take or leave. - 40
The Telegraph
Mortal Engines has been thoroughly storyboarded, make no mistake. But here lies the rub – lift-off, personality, and plainly put, direction, aren’t there. All the pieces of the movie slide mechanically into place and wait – and wait – for some spark of soul to turn up and animate them.
