the modest visual effects.. can do little to elevate this potty-training-for-the-patriarchy narrative; the scenery is great; but can't make a formulaic superhero movie any more interesting
Nat Wolff does such a good job of playing an out-of-his-depth weirdo that we don't care too much about him; Mortal is an antidote to the superhero blockbuster, but it could have been so much more
most mystifyingly of all, Ovredal's lopsided sense of humor has deserted him entirely: The sillier the story gets, the more glumly and earnestly the film trudges through it
Eric's at-one-with-nature powers offer some stunning visual flourishes as well as some rather cheesy ones; the conclusion is creative and powerful. If Ovredal had injected some of Trollhunter's real-life zing, this might have been a solid companion piece
"Mortal" is a fascinating take nonetheless with some cool set pieces (a bridge standoff) and a willingness to increase stakes by killing characters and dealing with the complexity of the aftermath
by Rich Cline [Shadows on the Wall ]
