Oh, man. I don’t know what to think. No, wait, that’s a lie. I know exactly what I think and I’m disappointed.

I’m a huge fan of the fantasy genre, both in books and on film, and I’ve really been itching for a cool new movie. Given that Peter Jackson is attached, I was hoping I’d be able to hang my hat on Mortal Engines as the next big thing to look out for. The main problem? I just don’t care.

Don’t get me wrong. The visuals are cool. I like the steampunk style it has and the overall look reminds me of something Studio Ghibli would throw together in animated form. But when it comes down to the plot and characters, I just can’t seem to care. And it’s not like the trailer didn’t try. Its character has a kind of compelling story going for her, but I definitely found myself zoning out during the trailer. Apart from the main character’s quest to avenge her mother, I wouldn’t be able to tell you anything about how it all connects to the greater picture. Perhaps it’s just a bit generic-looking.

Maybe Hollywood has been going about these fantasy films all wrong. Given that we’re seeing a lot of them now turn to the small screen, maybe that’s the medium we really need to start seeing them. Maybe a single film simply isn’t enough to tell a compelling, world-building story without it being a generic, lifeless mass.

RELATED – Mortal Engines Featurette Delves Into The Lead Character

Below is the official synopsis for Mortal Engines:

Hundreds of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, a mysterious young woman, Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar), emerges as the only one who can stop London — now a giant, predator city on wheels — from devouring everything in its path. Feral, and fiercely driven by the memory of her mother, Hester joins forces with Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan), an outcast from London, along with Anna Fang (Jihae), a dangerous outlaw with a bounty on her head.

Mortal Engines is the startling, new epic adventure directed by Oscar®-winning visual-effects artist Christian Rivers (King Kong). Joining Rivers are The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies three-time Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who have penned the screenplay. Visual effects are created by a Weta Digital team led by Ken McGaugh, Kevin Smith, Luke Millar and Dennis Yoo. The Universal and MRC adaptation is from the award-winning book series by Philip Reeve, published in 2001 by Scholastic.

What do you think of this new trailer? Are you as pessimistic as me? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: Universal Pictures