Quick Review : Mortal Engines
by Rinku Gupta
Mortal Engines is a futuristic film featuring the idea of motorized moving cities on monstrous giant wheels, that tear into other cities in order to take over thier resources. What happens when one person gets hold of a secret weapon that can help him conquer rich lands and become more powerful, is the story.
The city of London moving on wheels is the central character here, as it marches eastwards, in the grip of the evil, greedy Thaddeus, to break a giant wall and devour new lands.
Based on the novel of the same name by Philip Reeve this is a post-apocalyptic adventure film directed by Christian Rivers.
The screenplay is set in a post-apocalyptic steam punk world hundreds of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event. A mysterious young woman, Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar), emerges as the only one who can stop London — now a giant, predator city on wheels — from devouring everything in its path.
Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan) is a sixteen-year-old Londoner who has only ever lived inside his travelling hometown, and his feet have never touched grass, mud or land.
Tom gets in the way of the masked Hester's attempt to kill the evil Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving), a powerful man she blames for her mother’s murder, and both Hester and Tom end up trying to finally save London and the world from doom.
Peter Jackson director of films as King Kong, The Lord of the Rings series, The Hobbit series etc has co-produced this film.
The film is technically splendid with breath -taking and colorful, futuristic space crafts and monstrous, scary yet elegantly crafted moving cities. The attention to detail is noteworthy. Simon Raby's cinematography is a treat with the live shots of action merging with the computer generated effects. The action scenes involving the lead pair on the run, fighting in the air and the climax fight are particularly nail-bitingly intense.
Overall, Mortal Engines is quite an engaging drama which gets you involved into the lives of its characters, with the sci-fi effects never overpowering the human element.
Mortal Engines is a futuristic film featuring the idea of motorized moving cities on monstrous giant wheels, that tear into other cities in order to take over thier resources. What happens when one person gets hold of a secret weapon that can help him conquer rich lands and become more powerful, is the story.
Based on the novel of the same name by Philip Reeve this is a post-apocalyptic adventure film directed by Christian Rivers.
The screenplay is set in a post-apocalyptic steam punk world hundreds of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event. A mysterious young woman, Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar), emerges as the only one who can stop London — now a giant, predator city on wheels — from devouring everything in its path.
Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan) is a sixteen-year-old Londoner who has only ever lived inside his travelling hometown, and his feet have never touched grass, mud or land.
Tom gets in the way of the masked Hester's attempt to kill the evil Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving), a powerful man she blames for her mother’s murder, and both Hester and Tom end up trying to finally save London and the world from doom.
Peter Jackson director of films as King Kong, The Lord of the Rings series, The Hobbit series etc has co-produced this film.
Overall, Mortal Engines is quite an engaging drama which gets you involved into the lives of its characters, with the sci-fi effects never overpowering the human element.
