MORTAL ENGINES – Review by Sarah Ward

With Mortal Engines, producer/co-writer Peter Jackson steps into a steampunk vision of London, where the mobile city roves around a desolated Europe on giant wheels. The Lord of the Rings filmmaker hands directorial duties over to experienced crewmember and Oscar-winning King Kong visual effects artist Christian Rivers, who has clearly learned his mentor’s world-building methods. Adapting the first title in Philip Reeve’s four-novel series, this Wingnut-produced post-apocalyptic adventure is rendered with intricate, eye-catching detail. Yet although the craft is coupled with a scenario featuring ample initial intrigue, the New Zealand-shot film remains frustratingly generic. Continue reading…