Set in a dark and gloomy Steampunk world, Mutant Chronicles is a very ambitious film that will undoubtedly polarize viewers. Loosely based on the role playing game of the same name, those that love indie cinema, alternate universes and post-apocalyptic worlds will dig this film's quirky style and overall grimness. However fans of the film's stars will not expect what unfolds before their eyes.

In a drab world where four corporations are in continual war over the planet's resources, an ancient seal has been shattered during a massive conflagration.  Deep beneath this seal in the Earth's underbelly is an otherworldly mutant-making machine that turns the battle field's soldiers into snarling zombie-like creatures that hack and stab at the living. Cynical and battle-worn Major Mitch Hunter (Thomas Jane) and faithful monk Brother Samuel (Ron Perlman) gather a group of rag-tag soldiers to stop this ancient machine it's human consumption.  The mutants spread quickly and most of the planet is fleeing to Mars. A group of hopeless warriors, including War’s Devon Aoki, gather their gear and follow the word of the Chronicles. According to Samuel, his sect has been charged with guarding humanity from this machine and it can be defeated, as written in their sacred teachings and books.  The soldiers seem happy looking for a good fight and only care about mashing mutants than finding faith or saving the planet.

High in concept, Mutant Chronicles is purely indie. With a visual style similar to Sin City, 300 and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow the film has a unique comic-like look and feel. Minimal sets were used leaving the most of the shots to be comprised of matte paintings instead of CGI. At times this world looks like it was torn from a graphic novel and at other's it looks quite bizarre. Also memorable is the acting. Everything is played roughly and each character has very little depth. These characters are here to simply shot and blow up mutants rather than recite Shakespeare. There is no need for heaps of emotion or motivation as Mutant Chronicles focuses on violence. 

The problem is director Simon Hunter (Lighthouse) seems to have bitten off more than he can chew. Given the film's surreal setting and look, viewers start out expecting something grander and it really isn't delivered. The mutants are simply mutants. Why the machine exists or where it comes from is not explained. This is probably the fault of writer Phil Eisner (Event Horizon) as the movie starts off well, but can't maintain and the Lord of the Rings-esque quest is just too cut and dry. The WWI-styled trenches are grisly and the Steam Punk world looks brutal, but the zombie-like mutants and jaded soldiers just seem to be tossed in. John Malkovich's hopeless leader Constantine and Perlman's Samuel are played rather flat.  Jane and genre regular Sean Pertwee seem like the only ones having fun and are meant to not be taken seriously. Both Aoki and Anna Walton (Hellboy II: The Golden Army) wasted with scenes of Sword Fu and the SS-styled commander Maximillian von Steiner (Benno Fürmann) is the only character that is really memorable.

Unfortunately the film's visual style pushes the envelope but everything else doesn't follow along. There's good gore, unique weaponry and massive machines but a good chunk of the movie is played out in a cavern leaving those beginning wild landscapes and sullen settings missed. The film seems to want to go somewhere but it ultimately does not. Supposedly some things have been trimmed from the brief and small theatrical showing for the director's cut DVD. The exhaustive extras seem to also verify that the movie was meant to be a whole lot more but something didn't translate. With that said, it is clear no major studio would have touched this film because it takes more risk than last year's also impressive looking yet rather confusing Babylon A.D. And the film's matte paintings will turn off some with their stark synthetic style or impress others as they do make the dismal 28th century look really interesting.

Steampunk and comic fans may find Mutant Chronicles a fun B-movie for a nerdy Saturday night but casual audiences expecting some sort of super sci-fi, wham-bam actioner will probably wonder how an off-kilter SyFy original employed such bankable actors.

Release Date: April 24th, 2009
Studio: Grovesner Park/
Magnet / /Magnolia Home Ent.
Genre: Sci-Fi / Action / Adventure
Rated: R      1 hr 51 mins

CAST:

Thomas Jane: Maj. Mitch Hunter
Ron Perlman:  Brother Samuel
Devon Aoki:  Valerie Duval
Sean Pertwee:  Nathan Rooker
John Malkovich:  Constantine
Benno Fürmann:  Lt. Maximillian
                                 von Steiner
Anna Walton:  Severian

Mutant Chronicles

August 15, 2009

Reviewer: Rottenbucher

DIRECTOR:

Simon Hunter

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