I was recently thinking about the career of Peter Jackson, the man responsible for crafting The Lord of the Rings series. It's undoubtedly one of the most beloved and popular film trilogies of all time, and its influence has been nothing shy of monumental. I remembered that he directed King Kong and The Lovely Bones after finishing that series and quickly thought to myself, "Wow, it's been a while since Jackson directed a new movie." It totally slipped my mind that Jackson had directed not one, not two, but three new films in the last few years. Remember The Hobbit trilogy now? While you could chalk that up to a brain slip on my part, I think it's a sad indictment of just how forgettable that series turned out to be. Jackson still won't stepping behind the camera for a narrative film (he has a WWII documentary in the works) until the next Tintin adventure, but he has been instrumental in bringing Mortal Engines to the big screen. VFX artist Christian Rivers may be at the helm for the first chapter in this franchise hopeful, but Universal is selling this film almost solely on the strength of Jackson's name brand. Earlier today, the studio released a new trailer for the sci-fi/fantasy feature- check it out below!
I'm very torn here. On one hand, cinephiles and industry people always complain about a lack of originality in most Hollywood productions, and there seems to be nothing rote or uninspired about Mortal Engines. But on the flip side, this looks like it could be the kind of baffling, oddball disaster that gets rejected by audiences and ends up losing a whole lot of money along the way. Especially in a very crowded December, one that features Mary Poppins Returns, new DC and Transformers movies, and an animated Spider-Man flick, a strange project like Mortal Engines could end up getting demolished by the competition.
That being said, the box office ultimately has little to do with the quality of the picture, and the jury is still out on Rivers' film. It looks visually stunning, with an epic scope, innovative effects, and the surreal charm of those monumental, towering cities. The plot seems like standard chosen one territory, but the world around it appears to be interesting enough to overwhelm any familiarity. I do find it rather amusing that Hugo Weaving is in another big blockbuster, especially after he swore off appearing in these types of movies. Maybe he owed Jackson a favor, I dunno.
After watching the trailer, I can't help but feel like the giant cities are some kind of metaphor for the urban/rural divide, but that may be grasping for straws where there are none. Anyways, I'm willing to give this movie a chance. Despite my unfamiliarity with the source material and Jackson's recent struggles, this kind of big-budget sci-fi will always have my interest. Let's hope this one lives up to its astounding visuals.
Mortal Engines debuts on December 14.
Image courtesy of Universal
I'm very torn here. On one hand, cinephiles and industry people always complain about a lack of originality in most Hollywood productions, and there seems to be nothing rote or uninspired about Mortal Engines. But on the flip side, this looks like it could be the kind of baffling, oddball disaster that gets rejected by audiences and ends up losing a whole lot of money along the way. Especially in a very crowded December, one that features Mary Poppins Returns, new DC and Transformers movies, and an animated Spider-Man flick, a strange project like Mortal Engines could end up getting demolished by the competition.
That being said, the box office ultimately has little to do with the quality of the picture, and the jury is still out on Rivers' film. It looks visually stunning, with an epic scope, innovative effects, and the surreal charm of those monumental, towering cities. The plot seems like standard chosen one territory, but the world around it appears to be interesting enough to overwhelm any familiarity. I do find it rather amusing that Hugo Weaving is in another big blockbuster, especially after he swore off appearing in these types of movies. Maybe he owed Jackson a favor, I dunno.
After watching the trailer, I can't help but feel like the giant cities are some kind of metaphor for the urban/rural divide, but that may be grasping for straws where there are none. Anyways, I'm willing to give this movie a chance. Despite my unfamiliarity with the source material and Jackson's recent struggles, this kind of big-budget sci-fi will always have my interest. Let's hope this one lives up to its astounding visuals.
Mortal Engines debuts on December 14.
Image courtesy of Universal
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