Mutant Chronicles

There’s little doubt that Mutant Chronicles‘ downfall has been cemented by Simon Hunter’s decision to film the bulk of the proceedings against a green screen, as the movie, clearly a shoe-string endeavor, ultimately suffers from a pervadingly low-rent sensibility that proves impossible to overlook. It subsequently goes without saying that the relatively promising premise is virtually rendered moot by the muddled, hopelessly murky visuals, although, to be fair, the movie does a few decent action sequences that temporarily perk one’s interest. Set in the year 2707, Mutant Chronicles follows a ragtag group of grizzled fighters (including Thomas Jane’s Mitch, Ron Perlman’s Brother Samuel, and Devon Aoki’s Valerie) as they embark on a deadly mission to destroy a device that’s transforming people into bloodthirsty mutants. The degree to which the admittedly talented cast is left floundering is nothing short of staggering, as the various actors find themselves unable to act their way through the film’s ineffective, almost uniformly unconvincing set-pieces – with Philip Eisner’s laughably stilted dialogue certainly not helping matters. Mutant Chronicles‘ inherently experimental modus operandi will likely assure its place as a curiosity in the years to come, yet there’s little doubt that the film’s central question – is it possible to produce an expansive sci-fi epic entirely on sets and with very little money? – is quickly (and firmly) answered with a resounding “no.”

*1/2 out of ****