"Mutant Chronicles" at least promises the viewers a better cast and no Ryan Reynolds (an actor who had no credibility until "Deadpool"). Also, this cast seems fitting for a sci-fi title. It has Ron Perlman with his primitive look, John Malkovich's eccentricities, and Devon Aoki capitalizing of being the weird Asian chick. The odd one is Thomas Jane and his lack of cinematic success, but when you are the star of "Hunk", your resume screams made for video gold.
Since this DVD is distributed by Magnolia, it will either be a stylized indie look at the apocalypse or what happens when a label needs some mainstream material to A-tier releases. Someone will win with "Mutant Chronicles. Let us hope tat it will be the viewer.
In the not to distant future, four corporations control the world. With the lack of governments to regulate them, every corporate takeover is a hostile one.
During one of these battles, the two sides accidently unearth an ancient mutant civilization. These mutants are pissed and they want to destroy humanity over being imprisoned since the last ice age.
The church that trapped these monsters is ready to abandon the planet, but Brother Samuel (Perlman) is set of fulfilling the prophecy that tells of hope for humanity. Offering evacuation tickets for the families of those who will follow him, he mounts a mercenary force led by the atheistic Captain Hunter (Jane) to destroy the origin of these seemingly invincible enemies.
Some have come for their faith. Others are coming just to fuck shit up. With any luck, these monsters will not be ready for what is about to hit them.
It is great to know that I am not the only one who has studied the flaws of three of the four "Highlander" sequels. "Mutant Chronicles" is a picture with a ridiculous premise. It accepts this and appropriately has faith that it will work. Unlike "Highlander 2, 3 and 5", the plot is defined and just movers forward. No twists, no reminding you what it is, and no responding when you scream bullshit at the flick.
This is an action movie that just moves forward, and since this is made for the video market, this is how you should do it. Unfortunately, the action is not really brilliant, but action is always present, so you start to hope that certain archetypes will make it to the end.
If the story gets off track, it is not afraid to quickly and brutally pulls itself back on course. This is what the essence of independent movies should be whether it a B-movie or art house.
When it comes to the quality of the production, I would place it just above Troma. It is at least Syfy good, but to say that takes away from the indie vibe.
The most disappointing thing about the movie is that it is made from fantasy fans, and to see it get low budget treatment makes one with they just turned it into a PlayStation 2 RPG. This movie is fun, but they should not have wasted a steam-powered jet.
There are a couple more downers about the flick. One of which is Perlman either trying too hard or not hard enough. This is the only way you can explain the on and off Scottish (???) accent. That aspect of an otherwise adequate performance is more depressing than Malkovich's role not requiring any range.
"Mutant Chronicles" is a step, maybe even a leap in the mythological, futuristic apocalyptic genre. It shows that maybe one day, some director will nail it. Still, it is a rather ridiculous premise, and if you do not have the patience or ability to geek out for the entire run time, this may not be for you.
At least its message of faith shines through, so someday, a MacLeod will not have to jump through anymore hoops to save the world. "Mutant Chronicles succeeds as a cheap sci-fi option for those who are scared of what the blockbusters may have messed up this summer (2009).
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| IMDb.com - Mutant Chronicles (2008) |
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