Film Name:掠食城市 / Mortal Engines
As a nostalgic viewer who was still “silly” enough to revisit clips from The Lord of the Rings just a couple days ago, the mere mention of Peter Jackson’s name was enough to get me into theaters to support Mortal Engines.
This time, “Peter the Great” stepped back into a supporting role as screenwriter and producer, handing the director’s chair to his longtime collaborator and protégé Christian Rowe—a renowned visual effects artist he’s worked with for over two decades.
This might explain why “Mortal Engines” boasts such grand yet meticulously detailed visual effects.
Yet since its release, the film has failed to make much of a splash—both internationally and domestically. Not only has its box office performance been dismal, but it hasn’t even sparked much controversy…
After watching the film, I can somewhat understand why: its character development and plot structure are simply underwhelming, immediately alienating many casual viewers. Coupled with the fact that those who truly appreciate such hardcore sci-fi elements like “post-apocalyptic wastelands + steampunk” remain a niche audience, how many viewers are left willing to support it?
[Friendly reminder: Spoilers ahead.]
“Mortal Engines” is adapted from Philip Reeve’s science fiction novel (also translated as “Deadly Engines”), which originated from a single inspiration: a city on wheels.
The film excels in world-building, the kind that grows more intriguing the more you ponder it—set in the 38th century AD, the world was shattered and devastated after the “Sixty-Minute War,” a conflict triggered by the widespread use of quantum weapons over 1,700 years prior. Human civilization regressed to the steam age, struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland… The film begins with the mobile city of London launching a “hunt” for the Bavarian town.
The film freezes humanity’s technological peak at the dawn of the “Sixty-Minute War,” with later generations merely tracing their predecessors’ footsteps or taking wrong turns on the “tech tree.”
Thus, the most technologically savvy characters in the film are historians like Valentine and Tom… This “upside-down” design offers a refreshing twist.
“Mortal Engines” showcases its distinctive aesthetic style in numerous scenes: colossal mobile cities, bustling aerial havens teeming with diverse inhabitants, walled nations nestled against mountainsides—all complemented by uniquely designed steam engines and flying machines. A fantastically novel apocalyptic tableau unfolds before the audience.
It’s not just one person who’s noted this film resembles “Howl’s Moving Castle” + “Castle in the Sky” + “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” (how much do you all love Miyazaki?), but this sense of familiarity precisely highlights how rare live-action steampunk films are. For this alone, “Mortal Engines” deserves to be remembered.
Building upon this aesthetic foundation, the film depicts human factions driven by divergent ideologies and beliefs.
For instance, the mobile city of London adheres to a ruthless “Municipal Evolutionism,” while the antagonist Valentine harbors an evolved form of “Imperial Colonialism.” The southern regions teem with barbaric tribes engaged in the brutal trade of human trafficking… In contrast, the film features the “Anti-Traction Alliance” resisting pure jungle law, and the peaceful “Mountain Nation” embodying Eastern philosophy…
“Mortal Engines” is saturated with Victorian-era echoes. The Industrial Revolution propelled the “Empire on which the sun never sets” to its zenith, while “Social Darwinism” flourished, fueling global conquest, colonization, and exploitation. Consider how London uses its giant claw to drag smaller cities into its belly, forcibly annexing and dismantling them—doesn’t this feel like history made tangible?
Moreover, London exhibits stark class stratification, readily evoking the so-called “national class system.” Ascending social tiers proves exceedingly difficult for anyone. For an “intellectual” like Valentine to command across ranks, it relies entirely on Magnus’s exceptional promotion and political propaganda.
The film boasts numerous other strengths in its setting, special effects, and aesthetic design, but due to the limitations of my own abilities, I cannot delve deeper into them… In summary, “Mortal Engines” deserves high marks for its hardware and is fully deserving of a place in the annals of science fiction cinema.
Unfortunately, the film’s “software”—its dramatic elements—severely undermines its overall quality, preventing “Mortal Engines” from achieving classic status.
Most characters act based on superficial reasons, lacking sufficiently convincing motivations. This results in poor impressions: Valentine comes across as a villain for villainy’s sake, while protagonist Tom remains perpetually clueless and passive.
Particularly jarring and rushed is the subplot where Hester’s adoptive father Shrek pursues her across vast distances. This storyline not only feels abrupt but also conflicts with the film’s central themes. Even if executed well, it would have served merely as a decent emotional flourish; instead, it further muddles Mortal Engines’ already convoluted narrative threads (similar issues plague the half-hearted, inconsistent relationship between Valentine and his daughter).
Insufficient character depth and unclear motivations are bad enough, but the film also suffers from an excessive and chaotic cast of characters.
Many characters introduced early in London City serve little purpose later on. For instance, Catherine and Tom’s friend’s “underground operation” had potential to reveal the “underground realities” of London, yet it fizzles out… Frankly, numerous storylines become dead ends.
Yes, adapting a novel into a film is indeed challenging, especially when juggling so many characters and storylines—it’s impossible to cover everything thoroughly… But audiences rarely delve into the objective difficulties behind a film; they judge solely based on what they see and hear.
Personally, I believe “Mortal Engines” could have eliminated some unnecessary characters and subplots, focusing more screen time on key figures and the main narrative. This would have made the story far richer (consider how much material was cut when “A Song of Ice and Fire” was adapted into the “Game of Thrones” TV series)…
In such an awkward cinematic context, the two leads’ performances also struggle to shine—beyond Hester’s desire for revenge, Tom and Hester are essentially pushed along throughout the film, lacking both growth and passion. Despite a promising start, their relationship ultimately devolves into a lukewarm romance.
There are plenty of other flaws, but I won’t dwell on them. It’s clear the filmmakers tried to cram everything from the source material onto the screen, but unfortunately, trying to do everything often means doing everything poorly. With Waris also making his directorial debut… Mortal Engines, with its glaring weaknesses, ends up blending into the crowd.
Still, I admire the filmmakers and investors behind “Mortal Engines” for going against the grain. Today’s entertainment industry is dominated by superhero franchises, popular IP adaptations, sequels, and building cinematic universes…
By investing heavily in a big-budget, large-scale production for this “unmarketable” blend of retro and original sci-fi, “Mortal Engines” lost its timing and location from the start (unless it could be exceptionally brilliant, but such groundbreaking works are rare). Its inherent flaws then cost it the final element of human connection.
Those who seek change must endure pain—considering this, I can’t bring myself to condemn it as a “bad movie.” At the very least, it possesses boundless imagination, breathtaking visuals, and the courage to act decisively.
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