Review of Mortal Engines (2018) by Ram P — 21 Dec 2018

"Mortal Engines" appears to be on its way to the dubious distinction of the top blockbuster bomb of 2018, which prompts one to wonder about the vagaries of movie buffs and their appreciation or the lack of it for post-apocalyptic, dystopian books/movies. As a genre, these kind of movies have their hits and misses. It appears "Mortal Engines" may have missed the box office mark by a wide margin, but it would be interesting to see if it gets any critical acclaim. This movie, which is based on a book series, has to be seen and appreciated at different levels and the 150 million dollar question for the producers is whether or not the audience is that discerning.

At the basic post-apocalyptic, dystopian movie level, the audience is looking for a baseline story/premise with imaginative landscapes and spectacular special effects. "Mortal Engines" does not disappoint at this level. The basic premise, like any dystopian theme is an apocalyptic event- "The 60 minute war" which destroys Earth as we know it and the nations/cities that remain rebuild/regroup as mobile cities on huge machines, devouring other smaller cities also on wheels for survival. This is just as good or bad a premise as any other found in the movies of this genre. The argument that it is a little far-fetched is hypocritical to say the least, given the fact that the setting by definition is post-apocalyptic and the audience seems to have accepted far less convincing themes in this genre.

The special effects can be classified as spectacular if not mind-blowing. The machines with cities on top-particularly London, are well imagined and the post-apocalyptic vistas and landscapes in the movie are impressive. The world is shown as a desolate place with arid landscapes with huge machines moving across in the first half, which is like most other movies in this genre, but as the movie progresses, we get to see another landscape in sharp contradistinction, which is almost Idyllic with cities in the foothills of snowy mountains ascending into vistas of heavenly clouds and aerial dwellings in the sky.

At another level, the audience will see the secondary plot of revenge which in a convoluted way leads to the prevention of another apocalyptic event just like the one that destroyed the world to begin with. "Mortal Engines" does not offer anything new in terms of a revenge sub plot, but this aspect of the movie gives some scope for the actors to demonstrate their histrionic abilities. The fact that most audiences may remember the characters and not the actors in this movie may be a testament to their acting abilities.

At a tertiary level, what the audience may or may not see is the message/messages contained within the movie. The theme of western aggression runs as an undercurrent in the movie with some classic allusions like "learning from history" and "what have we done?"-a version of the quote from the pilot of the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb. The movie appears to draw parallels between the landscapes and cultures with London inhabiting the bleak and arid landscapes separated by a wall from the beautiful and heavenly eastern landscapes. In the final scene, after London's aggressive assault on the wall is foiled, the eastern civilization extends the proverbial hand to welcome their western brethren. While this may be the subtle message that can be perceived, a sub-plot conveys the message of love conquering even the most evil of machines.

At each individual level, "Mortal Engines" seems to meet and even crosses the mark, but comprehensively as a movie and particularly at the box office, does it cater to most if not all of its audiences? Though it may not be as successful financially, will it go on to become one of those "Cult Classics"? Only time can tell.