Mutant Chronicles (film)
Encyclopedia
Mutant Chronicles is a 2009
independent
science fiction
horror film
, loosely based on the role-playing game
of the same name
. The film was directed by Simon Hunter, and stars Thomas Jane
and Ron Perlman
. The film was released throughout Europe in an unfinished form. The film premiered on VOD
on March 27, 2009, and had a theatrical release for selected cities on April 24, 2009. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on August 4, 2009.
, where many technologies are steam powered
and mankind has exhausted Earth’s natural resources. The protagonists must battle against mutated humans that were accidentally unleashed.
The plot revolves around a "machine" which came from space 10,000 years ago. The "machine" mutates people into nothing more than killing drones that drag new victims to the machine for conversion. Sealed away eons ago, the machine is accidentally uncovered during a large battle somewhere in Europe. Within six weeks the world is almost completely conquered by the mutant gangs. Most of the population has been evacuated to Mars
. A group of soldiers are assembled to take another ancient device, presumed to be a bomb, to the heart of the machine in an attempt to destroy it. Most of the group is killed or converted before they find out the device they brought is an ignition "key" which sends the machine back into space. Only Hunter is left alive, but half mutated. The machine is last pictured flying towards a red planet
.
gave the film a 16% rotten rating based on 31 reviews.
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, loosely based on the role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
of the same name
Mutant Chronicles
Mutant Chronicles is a pen-and-paper role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic world, originally published in 1993. It has spawned a franchise of collectible card games, miniature wargames, video games, novels, comic books, and a film of the same title based on the game world.Mutant Chronicles...
. The film was directed by Simon Hunter, and stars Thomas Jane
Thomas Jane
Thomas Jane is an American actor known for his roles in the 1999 film Deep Blue Sea, the 2001 TV film 61*, the 2004 film The Punisher and the 2007 Stephen King adaptation The Mist...
and Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman
Ronald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
. The film was released throughout Europe in an unfinished form. The film premiered on VOD
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
on March 27, 2009, and had a theatrical release for selected cities on April 24, 2009. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on August 4, 2009.
Plot
The story is set in the year 2707. The world is loosely based on that of the Mutant Chronicles role-playing gameMutant Chronicles
Mutant Chronicles is a pen-and-paper role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic world, originally published in 1993. It has spawned a franchise of collectible card games, miniature wargames, video games, novels, comic books, and a film of the same title based on the game world.Mutant Chronicles...
, where many technologies are steam powered
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
and mankind has exhausted Earth’s natural resources. The protagonists must battle against mutated humans that were accidentally unleashed.
The plot revolves around a "machine" which came from space 10,000 years ago. The "machine" mutates people into nothing more than killing drones that drag new victims to the machine for conversion. Sealed away eons ago, the machine is accidentally uncovered during a large battle somewhere in Europe. Within six weeks the world is almost completely conquered by the mutant gangs. Most of the population has been evacuated to Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. A group of soldiers are assembled to take another ancient device, presumed to be a bomb, to the heart of the machine in an attempt to destroy it. Most of the group is killed or converted before they find out the device they brought is an ignition "key" which sends the machine back into space. Only Hunter is left alive, but half mutated. The machine is last pictured flying towards a red planet
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
.
Cast
- Thomas JaneThomas JaneThomas Jane is an American actor known for his roles in the 1999 film Deep Blue Sea, the 2001 TV film 61*, the 2004 film The Punisher and the 2007 Stephen King adaptation The Mist...
as Sergeant John Mitchell "Mitch" Hunter - Ron PerlmanRon PerlmanRonald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
as Brother Samuel - Devon AokiDevon AokiDevon Edwenna Aoki is an American model and actress.-Early life:Aoki was born in New York City, New York, and grew up in California and London, attending high school at The American School in London...
as Corporal Valerie Chinois Duval - Benno FürmannBenno FürmannBenjamin "Benno" Fürmann is a German film and television actor.-Life and work:Fürmann was born in Berlin-Kreuzberg. By the age of 15 he had lost both his parents. At 17, he had a serious accident while train surfing, and had to spend six weeks in the hospital as a result...
as Lieutenant Maximillian Emile von Steiner - Sean PertweeSean PertweeSean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
as Nathan Rooker - John MalkovichJohn MalkovichJohn Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer, director and fashion designer with his label Technobohemian. Over the last 25 years of his career, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures. For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award...
as Constantine - Anna WaltonAnna WaltonAnna Walton is an English actress. Known for her roles in Vampire Diary and Mutant Chronicles, her biggest role so far is the compassionate Princess Nuala in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, also starring her fellow Mutant co-star Ron Perlman as Hellboy...
as Severian - Luis Echegaray as Corporal Jesus "El Jesus" de Barrera
- Shauna MacdonaldShauna MacdonaldShauna Macdonald is a Scottish television and film actress.-Biography:Shauna Macdonald was born in Malaysia and shortly after moved back to her family's native Edinburgh, Scotland, before moving to Glasgow to train at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.She and her husband, the actor Cal...
as Adelaide - Tom WuTom WuTom Wu is Chinese-American actor, born in Hong Kong and grew up in Chinatown, London. He is a martial arts expert who has starred in films like Revolver,Shanghai Knights, Batman Begins and the Bollywood sci-fi blockbuster Ra.One....
as Corporal Juba Kim Wu - Steve Toussaint as Captain John Patrick McGuire
- Roger Ashton-GriffithsRoger Ashton-GriffithsRoger Ashton-Griffiths is a British character actor, screenwriter and film director.He graduated from Lancaster University and the University of East London , and began his career as a singer with English National Opera at the London Coliseum.He has appeared in numerous high-profile films,...
as Science Monk - Curtis WalkerCurtis WalkerCurtis Walker is a British actor and writer. He starred in BBC comedy shows Paramount City, CBBC Sitcom Kerching!, The Real McCoy and Blouse and Skirt.-External links:*...
as Bigboy
Critical reception
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave the film a 16% rotten rating based on 31 reviews.