Sci-fi movies have been few and far between this year. We’ve had quite a dry spell since Predator in September (my rating B), so optimism was high for Mortal Engines. There is a quote that resonates with me and this movie, “if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original." Be prepared because this movie is wrong and not original.
The premise of this movie is hundreds of years ago there was a “Sixty Minute War” that shattered the crust of the planet into a thousand pieces by a quantum energy weapon called Medusa, but somehow the survivors, left with no technology, build giant motorized cities that travel the land steamrolling smaller motorized cities. They flatten the smaller cities, grind them up and use it as fuel. They lost everything in the Sixty Minute War. These people aren’t that smart. What, did the ancient astronauts who built the pyramids pay another visit and whipped up these mega roller cities? It does not make sense.
And that’s not even the worst part. I can understand a writer paying homage to a fellow writer’s success with a nod to another’s work. But OMG, we were in (1) Cloud City with a cloned Lando Calrissian type (2) the heroine discovers the villain is her father as he’s trying to kill her-- a "Luke I am your father" moment (3) the hero stops the killer city by flying into it and firing a bomb at an exact point ala Luke Skywalker and the Death Star (Empire Strikes Back) and (4) our heroine is being chased by a killer cyborg of sorts who grows a heart and kills himself (pick a Terminator movie).
The beginning 20-30 minutes of this movie is so confusing, I felt I should of read the book before seeing this, because I was lost. It has its moments, but those are mostly predictable. It’s one of those movies you start checking the time on your phone halfway through. I don’t feel I really need to go into the whole plot and characters. If you are looking for a sorta Star Wars cloned remake, see this, but please go to a cheap matinee showing. Just RedBox this, it will be available soon. Absolutely use a coupon code. At least $1.00 off
Mortal Engines is rated D plus , only because I am a softy for sci fi. If you go see this, remember I warned you.
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