Mortal Engines

"Set in a futuristic world where massive cities on wheels swallow small cities on wheels, Philip Reeve's four-book Mortal Engines series basically screamed: "Film me!" Who better to hear that roar than the powerhouse production team who made the gargantuan Lord of the Rings a cinematic reality? Making his directorial feature debut, Peter Jackson's long-time colleague Christian Rivers has constructed a beautiful, burly, bustling blockbuster that visually magnifies a crazy concept."

"The movie devolves from promising to unwieldy, then baffling, then exhausting, then finally unintentionally hysterical."

"In all its effortful steampunkiness, Mortal Engines isn't a film which is particularly exciting or funny, and the idea of the "traction city" is a stylistic and visual design tic that you just have to take or leave."

"Sticking with the anatomical analogy, the screenplay has had a lot to digest yet it's succeeded, laying the basis for a rousing tale in which action, character and a dazzling production design strike a perfect balance."

"Mortal Engines hits the screen running and never really lets up the pace."

"It might not do anything narratively you won't see coming, but it does it all with such pace, style and commitment to making every frame a thing of wonder, I couldn't help but admire and respect it."

"While for me, Mortal Engines wasn't quite firing on all cylinders, there's no question it's a big screen ride worth taking, especially given the original source material."

"Certainly lavish and expensive looking but never thoroughly locks in to capture the imagination or sweep you off to a new world where you particularly want to spend time."

"...imaginative fun and escapist adventure."