6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Many years after the "Sixty Minute War," cities survive a now desolate Earth by moving around on giant wheels attacking and devouring smaller towns to replenish their resources.
Starring: Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Jihae, Ronan RafteryAction | 100% |
Adventure | 88% |
Sci-Fi | 69% |
Fantasy | 55% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Mortal Engines' story -- on and off the screen -- isn't at all dissimilar from so many other recent films. It's based on a book, this one written by Philip Reeve, first published in 2001. The story concerns characters fighting for survival in a nearly dead Steampunk-inspired dystopian post-apocalyptic future, a world where man long ago nearly wiped himself out, leaving behind only a handful of survivors. The hook for this one centers around mobile cities that are like sand crawlers from Star Wars but on a humongous scale, powered by steam engines and the largest of them big enough to be considered thriving metropolises. The primary story concerns a young woman out for revenge against a man who killed her mother and who may be plotting to destroy humanity all over again. It's very basic stuff, and the only thing that's groundbreaking here comes in how the cities break apart whatever ground they drive through and atop, leaving practically unscalable, many-feet-deep tire tracks in their wake.
Choose just about any video assessment superlative and apply it to Mortal Engines. Universal's 1080p transfer is pretty much perfect. The digitally photographed film makes for a striking Blu-ray, boasting crystal-clear detail and abundant color. Facial features are striking across a fairly diverse-looking collection of characters, revealing deep scars, scruff, and various examples of weathering from a hard life in a harsh world with nearly infinite clarity, at least as much as the Blu-ray format can provide. The digitally constructed machines reveal startling complexity in the various moving parts, metal surfaces, and all of the wear and tear and grime associated with them and accumulated over time. Terrain, often seen in the form of a fairly dead world or deep within the tracks the machines leave behind, reveals every pebble and piece of sand with rewarding sharpness. Colors are terrific. Shaw's red facial mask is obviously one of the film's defining colors, while the steampunk inspired hues hold strong with positive saturation and perfectly dialed-in contrast. Skin tones are flawless and black levels are perfectly deep. Noise is extremely minimal and no other source or encode artifacts are apparent. Blu-ray doesn't get much better than this.
Mortal Engines steams onto Blu-ray with an immersive and active Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The presentation is relentlessly surround heavy, making use of both the four back channels as well as the overhead speakers to pull the listener into the film's steampunk world of oversized machinery. Whether large-scale action scenes in which London absorbs smaller cities and aircraft zip about or less dramatic but no less sonically enticing moments when PA announcements direct new London arrivals with a well defined and seamlessly integrated overhead component, the track's sonic activity is always largely spaced and capable of drawing the listener into the world. The only downside is a relative absence of intense low end dynamics. One would expect more power and depth to the heavy machinery sounds and various examples of gunfire. More activity at the low end would have elevated this track to five-star status. Dialogue presents clearly and distinctly from a natural front-center position.
Mortal Engines contains five featurettes, two of which break down into sub-features, and a commentary track. A DVD copy of the film and a
Movies Anywhere digital copy code are
included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.
Mortal Engines flourishes in its opening chase but runs into trouble once it introduces things like its characters and plot. The movie is technically fine, but long gone are the days when spectacle and scope alone can carry a film, if those day really ever existed at all. The film is far from a train wreck, but it's also not the franchise-starter the filmmakers and studios certainly envisioned it to be. Poor box office returns and uninspiring critical reviews may have stopped these Engines in their tracks. Universal's Blu-ray is very good, though, featuring the expectedly high quality video and audio presentations. A handful of extras are included. Rent it.
2019
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Director's Cut
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Ultimate Collector's Edition
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Ultimate Collector's Edition
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Ultimate Collector's Edition
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