Mortal Engines (2018)
★★½ — Mortal Engines (2018)
Mortal Engines is adapted from Philip Reeve's 2001 young adult novel, the first in a four-book series that earned a considerable following in Britain before Hollywood came calling. The film marks the directing debut of Christian Rivers, a visual effects veteran who had worked closely with Peter Jackson for years (winning an Oscar for his previsualisation work on King Kong), and Jackson produced here alongside Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, giving the project the full Weta Digital treatment out of New Zealand. Universal backed it to the tune of around $100 million, a considerable risk for an unproven director adapting a property with limited American name recognition, and the film's box office return of roughly $84 million worldwide made it one of the more notable studio losses of 2018.
Mortal Engines (2018) is a film caught between two worlds, one of breathtaking visual ambition and another of dull, lifeless storytelling. On the surface, it’s stunning: giant mobile cities rumbling across a post-apocalyptic wasteland, devouring smaller towns for resources, all rendered with incredible detail and scale. The production design is phenomenal, steampunk meets dystopia in a way that feels fresh and imaginative. You can’t deny the effort poured into making this world feel real. But beyond the spectacle there’s almost nothing. The story is a muddled mess (teen romance, revenge arcs, ancient superweapons) all stitched together without tension or emotional weight. The dialogue is clunky, the pacing uneven, and the deeper themes about consumption and survival are touched on but never explored. It’s not "bad", just entirely missable. You watch it for the concept, then realize you don’t care what happens to anyone. As a cinematic experience it's underwhelming. A would-be epic that forgets to bring heart, soul, or even decent acting. Gorgeous to look at, painful to sit through. Save your credits for something with actual momentum.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 2018 | Watched: 2025-11-11
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Netflix · Amazon Prime Video · Netflix Standard with Ads · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
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Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Netflix · Amazon Prime Video · Netflix Standard with Ads · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
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