Mortal Engines

Actors: Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Jihae, Ronan Raftery, Leila George, Patrick Malahide, Stephen Lang
Rating: 8 out of 10, I finally got around to seeing Mortal Engines as well. I really wish I’d seen this on the big screen because it is truly epic in scope. Once you get past the incredible and frankly ludicrous notion of “predator cities” this was a very enjoyable post-apocalyptic jaunt. Peter Jackson’s New Zealand bunch know how to throw a party and the two young leads in this were allowed to shine despite the motorized cities constantly trying to run them over. I found myself caught up in their very unconventional love story which included a stint in a slave auction and pursuit by a lovelorn super zombie. I did mention this was science fiction didn’t I. Hugo Weaving is along (again a Jackson movie – so a required element) as the bad guy who goes all Darth Vader on the young heroine. I know this movie was almost universally scorned and avoided but I really enjoyed it and encourage you to give it a chance.

MVP: Sheehan as Tom Notsworth, the plucky museum curator who becomes a hero, almost accidently

Bohemian Rhapsody

Actors: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Allen Leech, Mike Myers.

Rating: 9 out of 10, This was a lot of fun as Remi Malek continues his impressive start to a career. He totally nails the complicated and, at the time, controversial lead singer of Queen, Freddy Mercury. The film follows the formation of Queen and Mercury’s ups and downs over the ensuing years. I’d forgotten just how many iconic songs Queen was responsible for and I found myself transported back to the many memories of my youth the songs evoked. Mercury thrived during the time before all of a celebrity’s life was considered public domain or maybe he was one of the first victims of the information age’s intrusive ubiquity. While the film does descend into some tepid melodrama the music and Malek transport it to another level. In the immortal words of Conner Macleod and Queen – “Who Wants to Live Forever!”

MVP: Malek further distinguishing himself channeling Freddy Merc