Mutant Chronicles (2008)

Director:

Simon Hunter

Writer (WGA):

Philip Eisner (written by)

Release Date:

7 August 2008 (Russia)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The darkest age is yet to come. Have faith.

Plot:

28th century soldier Mitch Hunter leads a fight against an army of underworld Mutants.

Plot Keywords:

Mutant | Soldier | Corporation | Suicide | Faith

Cast

Thomas Jane	...	Maj. 'Mitch' Hunter
Ron Perlman	...	Brother Samuel
Devon Aoki	...	Cpl. Valerie Duval
Sean Pertwee	...	Capt. Nathan Rooker
Benno Fürmann	...	Lt. Maximillian von Steiner
John Malkovich	...	Constantine
Anna Walton	...	Severian
Tom Wu	...	Cpl. Juba Kim Wu
Steve Toussaint	...	Capt. John McGuire
Luis Echegaray	...	Cpl. Jesus 'El Jesus' de Barrera
Pras	...	Captain Michaels (as Pras Michel)
Shauna Macdonald	...	Adelaide
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	Science Monk
Christopher Adamson	...	Hodge
Nicholas Ball	...	Plutocrat

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | South Korea:18 | UK:18 | Ireland:16 | Germany:18 | USA:R | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:M18 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Edward R. Pressman Film

Trivia:

Mitch Hunter's rank insignia on his lapels is actually the insignia of a U.S. Army Sergeant First Class (E-7), just flipped upside-down.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Steiner and Hunter are lowering the girls on the rope one of the shots is obviously flipped as the backdrop reverses and Steiner is using his 'left' hand, when it’s his right hand that hasn't been burned.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Making of 'Mutant Chronicles' (2009) (V)

Stylish Adventure

At the end of the Ice Age, The Machine came from the outer space with the purpose to change men into mutants. However, a hero defeated the device and a great seal was laid over The Machine. In 2707, the depleted world is ruled by four Corporations: Mishima, Bauhaus, Capitol and Imperial that are in constant war. During a battle between Capitol and Bauhaus, the great seal is broken and The Machine works again transforming soldiers and civilians in hordes of mutants. A small part of the population escapes to Mars, leaving millions of people behind. The man of faith and leader of an ancient brotherhood Brother Samuel (Ron Perlman) is a believer of God and the Chronicles, a bible about the mutants. With the city under siege of the mutants, he visits the Corporations' leader Constantine (John Malkovich) asking for an aircraft and twenty men for a suicide mission to destroy The Machine, planting a bomb and a detonator following the knowledge of the Chronicles. He recruits the tough Major 'Mitch' Hunter (Thomas Jane); the Bauhaus Lieutenant Maximillian von Steiner (Benno Fürmann); the keeper of the Chronicles Severian (Anna Walton) that is under a vow of silence; the gorgeous and lethal Corporal Valerie Duval (Devon Aoki); Corporal Juba Kim Wu (Tom Wu); Captain John McGuire (Steve Toussaint); and Corporal Jesus 'El Jesus' de Barrera (Luis Echegaray). Together they become the last hope of Earth against the evil mutants.

"The Mutant Chronicles" is a stylish adventure with a dark cinematography that recalls "Dark City" and "Metropolis" and interesting concepts of war in the trenches (like in World War I) and riveted flying machines (burning coal, like the ships in the beginning of the Twentieth Century). In the end, "The Mutant Chronicles" is neither a masterpiece nor a bad movie as indicated in many reviews; just an entertaining and stylish movie, with reasonable story and acting and great cinematography and especial effects. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Era da Escuridão – Mutant Chronicles" ("The Age of Darkness – Mutant Chronicles")