When I first saw the poster and artwork for MUTANT CHRONICLES; I thought it going to be an X-MEN type of film with a group of good mutants fighting bad ones. However MUTANT CHRONICLES is more related to the likes of PITCH BLACK and THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK in terms of story than it is to do with any kind of dark super hero related film.
MUTANT CHRONICLES takes place in the very far future, somewhere around the time of 2700 or so. The earth is a wasteland and the countries as we know it are no longer run by real governments but by five different corporations all of whom are at odd with one another. But besides the battles between the corporations a new enemy has emerged from the depths of the earth. Mutants with a taste for blood and they will stop at nothing to destroy every last thing thing on earth. As the mutants advance on human cities, many people are trying to get tickets to get off the planet and go take refuge on Mars. With only a little hope and a book of prophecy, Brother Samuel (Ron Perlman) goes to the most powerful man on the planet Constantine (John Malkovich) and asks him to help him get together the best warriors the earth has to offer in an attempt to go into the bowels of the earth and stop the machine that is producing the mutant army. Constantine agrees to help and gives Samuel all the information and resources he needs. Samuel then gets a hold of the best of the best to go and stop the machine, the team includes a badass Major, named Mitch Hunter (Thomas Jane) and a few of his elite team, as well as members of many of the best warriors the earth has to offer. Together they will fight there way to the darkest place on earth with the intend of destroying the machine once and for all.
I went into this film not really knowing anything about the story, like I mentioned above I thought it was going to be a super hero type film with a dark story. Upon doing my research I now know that the film is based on a popular role-playing game and a line of comic books and novels have also been published. So this may explain why the script was nothing great. I’m not saying that it was bad, but it’s nothing special. With the timing and the amount of characters that need to be developed you really can’t get a great concept of all the characters in this film. The script runs more on it’s story than it does character development, although our leads seem to more developed over the supporting cast, however their are keys roles to be played by many members of that supporting cast, but we are not really given enough time to really get to know them. Pretty much you have a cast that’s the size of Lord of the Rings, but not enough time to really bring them to light. In fact, the film follows the same format as LORD OF THE RINGS in that it’s a team of warriors heading into the unknown.
As far as the acting goes in the film it’s not half bad. I particularly enjoyed Tomas Jane playing a bad ass major who does not give a shit about anything, his character has a major issue with fate in religion and is at constant battle with what Brother Samuel (Ron Perlman) believes his purpose is. Jane was probably the most impressive, and with a line such as “I’m not paid to believe, I’m paid to fuck shit up”. You know his character in the film is badass. Ron Perlman was also very good as Brother Samuel, a very different part than we’re used to seeing Perlman play. John Malkovich’s role was really only a cameo, but he himself stood out with his solid performance. The film also includes Anna Walton, Devon Aoki, Sean Pertwee, and Shauna Macdonald of Neil Marshall’s THE DECENT.
The film has some decent production value and some pretty good visual effects. For the most part this film relies on visual effects for it’s sets and overall landscapes and backgrounds. It doesn’t look like anything was shot on location anywhere, but was mainly shot on a sound stage behind a green screen. The costume design is pretty good and the mutants do look very scary, looking very much like the vampires in BLADE II but in a more serious and dark manner. The film has some pretty brutal effects especially during the battle scenes, it’s pretty bloody and the film has plenty of gruesome scenes.
Overall, MUTANT CHRONICLES is not a bad film, but it’s nothing great either. It has it’s up and down moments but for the most part it’s a very simply and basic story with a plot that is very easy to follow. There are a few minor plot twists here and there but nothing that distracts the audience from the main story. I’m sure fans of the books and games will enjoy this film, as well as people who enjoyed the likes of such films like PITCH BLACK and THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, except with more of a LORD OF THE RINGS type cast.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
