Who wouldn’t be psyched to see giant cities on wheels? ...-apocalyptic steampunk world of “Mortal Engines” seemed like it would appeal to fans of “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Howl’s Moving Castle” and was promoted as such. Its marketing campaign also wasted no time in reminding audiences that the script was written by none other than Peter Jackson. Universal Pictures was reportedly hoping the movie would kick off a franchise. Like the monstrous moving cities it featured, “Mortal Engines” seemed too big to fail.
It failed, of course, and many critics believe its size was the main reason it toppled. Fans have argued that the film was too ambitious, trying to cram too many aspects of an expansive world into a single film. What’s more, the movie was stretched thin between too many characters. Hester (Hera Hilmar) is supposed to be the main character, but for much of the first act, viewers know almost nothing about her – other than that she wears a mask and wants revenge, but don’t we all?
In retrospect, “Mortal Engines” had its work cut out for it. The film needed to compete against already-established franchises, but with the cast mostly made up of relative unknowns, it couldn’t coast on star power. When “Mortal Engines” went up against superhero movies like “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “Aquaman,” its engine sputtered, causing this colossus to crash and burn.