MORTAL ENGINES
Wheel steal...
London embarks upon a self-destructive isolationist path in the latest feature from Peter Jackson’s WingNut Films. No, it’s not Brexit: The Movie, but an adaptation of Philip Reeve’s four-part fantasy series Mortal Engines, set in a steampunk world where giant ‘predator cities’ roam the desolate wasteland, feeding on the scraps of civilisation.
Enter Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar), a young woman with a facial scar and a dark past. She’s on a mission to kill Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving), a top bod in London who could only be shadier if he spent the film under a parasol. There’s also tagalong love interest Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan), self-consciously cool ‘antitractionist’ Anna Fang (Jihae), Hester’s creepy father figure Shrike (a mocapped Stephen Lang) and the threat of an ancient Quantum Energy Weapon to pad out the bloated runtime.
It’s directed by Jackson protégé Christian Rivers, who brings a pleasing tangibility to Mortal Engines’ dirty mechanical world, the design of the rickety smaller cities charmingly reminiscent of Howl’s Moving Castle. But the story never escapes the anchor of that silly premise, while dialogue can be ham-fistedly topical (“Children may be temporarily separated from their parents”). And there’s at least one foot chase through an exploding metal obstacle course too many.
Hester and Tom have their fans on the page, but they’ve been brought to the screen as bland YA archetypes. Much of what made Hester distinctive has been lost in toning down the severity of her scarring; the rare comments on her ‘grotesque’ appearance are bafflingly illogical. Perhaps Brexit: The Movie would have been preferable after all. Jordan Farley
THE VERDICT
Both overstuffed and underpowered. There’s impressive craftsmanship on display, but fine tuning is required.