Mutant Chronicles (film)

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{{Infobox film

| name = Mutant Chronicles

| image = The Mutant Chronicles.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Simon Hunter

| producer = Edward R. Pressman
Tim Dennison
Pras Michel
Stephen Belafonte
Peter La Terriere

| writer = Philip Eisner
Stuart Hazeldine
(uncredited)

| starring = Thomas Jane
Ron Perlman
John Malkovich

| music = Richard Wells

| cinematography = Geoff Boyle

| editing = Sean Barton
Alison Lewis

| studio = Isle of Man Film
Grosvenor Park

| distributor = Entertainment Film Distributors (United Kingdom)
Magnet Releasing (United States)

| released = {{Film date|2008|10|10|United Kingdom|2009|4|24|United States}}

| runtime = 111 minutes
(International)
101 minutes
(United States)

| country = United Kingdom
United States

| language = English

| budget = $25 million{{cite web|title=Box office / business for Mutant Chronicles (2008)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490181/business?ref_=tt_dt_bus|website=IMDb|access-date=24 July 2017}}

| gross = $2.1 million{{cite web | url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mutantchronicles.htm | title=Mutant Chronicles | work=boxofficemojo.com | publisher=Box Office Mojo | access-date= September 17, 2014 }}

}}

Mutant Chronicles is a 2008 British-American science fiction action-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.

It was released throughout Europe{{cite web|url=http://www.screenrush.co.uk/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=111040.html|title=The Mutant Chronicles|access-date=July 19, 2009|publisher=Screenrush}} in 2008, followed by a North American VOD on March 27, 2009, and a theatrical release for selected cities on April 24, 2009.{{cite web|url=http://chud.com/articles/articles/17647/1/THE-MUTANT-CHRONICLES-GET-MAGNETIZED/Page1.html|title=THE MUTANT CHRONICLES GET MAGNETIZED|date=June 1, 2009|access-date=July 19, 2009|publisher=Chud|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227100613/http://chud.com/articles/articles/17647/1/THE-MUTANT-CHRONICLES-GET-MAGNETIZED/Page1.html|archive-date=February 27, 2009|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 4, 2009.

Plot

The story is set in the year 2707.{{cite web |last1=Lee |first1=Patrick |title=Watch the R-rated trailer for Mutant Chronicles. If you dare |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/watch_the_r_rated_trailer_for_mutant_chronicles_if_you_dare |website=SYFY WIRE|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090126030532/http://scifiwire.com/2009/01/watch-the-r-rated-trailer-for-mutant-chronicles-if-you-dare.php|archive-date=January 26, 2009|access-date=June 4, 2020 |date=January 23, 2009}} The world is loosely based on that of the Mutant Chronicles role-playing game, in which many technologies are steam powered and mankind has exhausted Earth's natural resources. The protagonists must battle against mutated humans that were accidentally unleashed.{{cite web|url=http://fanboyradio.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=237976|title=Fanboy Radio #405 - Thomas Jane Returns LIVE|date=July 22, 2007|access-date=July 19, 2009|publisher=Fanboyradiolibsyn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122051929/http://fanboyradio.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=237976|archive-date=2009-01-22|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mania.com/55649.html|title=Getting Raw with Thomas Jane|date=August 8, 2007|access-date=July 19, 2009|publisher=Mania|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708232422/http://www.mania.com/55649.html|archive-date=July 8, 2008}}

The plot revolves around a "machine" which came from space 10,000 years ago. The "machine" mutates people into barely intelligent killing drones, known as "mutants", that drag new victims to the machine for conversion. Sealed away thousands of years ago by human tribes, the machine is accidentally uncovered during a large battle in Eastern Europe between two (Capitol and Bauhaus) of the four corporations that now rule the world (the other two being Mishima and Imperial). Within six weeks the world is almost completely overrun by the mutant gangs. Some of the population has been evacuated to Mars, but millions remain on the doomed Earth. A group of soldiers are assembled to take another ancient device to the heart of the machine in an attempt to destroy it in a suicide mission. In return, their loved ones receive coveted tickets to Mars.

En route their spaceship is shot down by a kamikaze airship piloted by a mutant. The group is forced to battle through the mutants in tunnels to reach the machine, hoping to save the last of humanity. In their attempt to reach the machine, most die, with Mitch being partially transformed into a mutant and Brother Samuel being fully transformed. Mitch is able to halt his own transformation, but is forced to kill Brother Samuel. Mitch, being the last survivor, is ultimately successful in activating the ancient device, causing the machine (which was actually part of a spacecraft) not to be destroyed but to blast off into space.

A dying and mutated Samuel tells him to "have faith" as Mitch jumps from the slowly ascending rocket, landing in an underground lake beneath the rocket. Crawling onto land he sees the rocket disappear into the sky, realizing he is the prophesied savior of mankind, despite not believing in a god. Grievously wounded and partially mutated, he unsuccessfully attempts to light a final crooked cigarette. The final plan shows the rocket en route to the red planet.

Cast

Thomas Jane as Sergeant John Mitchell "Mitch" Hunter
Ron Perlman as Brother Samuel
Devon Aoki as Corporal Valerie Chinois Duval
Benno Fürmann as Lieutenant Maximillian Emile Von Steiner
Sean Pertwee as Nathan Rooker
John Malkovich as Constantine
Anna Walton as Severian
Luis Echegaray as Corporal Jesus "El Jesus" de Barrera
Shauna Macdonald as Adelaide
Tom Wu as Corporal Juba Kim Wu
Steve Toussaint as Captain John Patrick McGuire
Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Science Monk
Curtis Walker as "Bigboy"

Production

=Development=

Producer Edward R. Pressman had planned as far back as the mid-90s to adapt Mutant Chronicles with an incarnation of the project helmed by John Carpenter stalled in development due to Pressman suffering back-to-back under-performances of Judge Dredd, The Crow: City of Angels, and The Island of Dr. Moreau.{{cite magazine |last=|first=|date=June 1997 |title= Top 50|url= https://archive.org/details/cinefantastique_1970-2002/Cinefantastique%20Vol%2028%20No%2012%20%28June%201997%29/page/n44/mode/1up?q=Pressman&view=theater|url-status= |magazine=Cinefantastique |location= |publisher= Fourth Castle Micromedia|access-date=February 25, 2023}} Pressman then later set up an incarnation of the project at 20th Century Fox with Stephen Norrington slated to direct, but after facing several delays related to concerns of the budget Norrington left to direct Blade.{{cite magazine |last=Jones|first=Alan|date=January 1999 |title= Psychos and Sisters|url= https://archive.org/details/cinefantastique_1970-2002/Cinefantastique%20Vol%2030%20No%2012%20%28Jan%201999%29/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater|url-status= |magazine=Cinefantastique |location= |publisher= Fourth Castle Micromedia|access-date=February 25, 2023}} An incarnation to be helmed by Roger Christian also failed to come together with Christian instead making Battlefield Earth. In October 1997, Pressman said the film was to have a marketing plan that would involve a merchandising program for a major toy line, publishing, videogames and an animated TV series.{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/pressman-quadra-try-new-avenue-1116675927/|title= Pressman, Quadra try new avenue |publisher=Variety|access-date=June 9, 2023}} In November 1998, Helkion Media had signed a deal with Pressman to co-produce Mutant Chonicles with a $35 million budget, however this inarnation of the project never came to fruition due to Helkion's bankruptcy and collapse.{{cite news|url= https://variety.com/1998/film/news/pic-book-pacts-set-for-helkon-1117488025/|title= Pic, book pacts set for Helkon |publisher=Variety|access-date=February 14, 2025|archive-date=|archive-url=}}{{cite news|url= https://variety.com/2002/scene/markets-festivals/helkon-media-s-latest-teutonic-bankruptcy-1117870725/|title= Helkon Media’s latest Teutonic bankruptcy |publisher=Variety|access-date=February 14, 2025|archive-date=|archive-url=}} In November 2005, it was announced Mutant Chronicles was finally beginning production following a decade of development hell with Simon Hunter directed from a script he co-wrote with Ross Jameson.{{cite news|url= https://variety.com/2005/film/news/jane-main-man-for-mutant-2-1117933086/|title= Jane main man for ‘Mutant’ |publisher=Variety|access-date=February 14, 2025|archive-date=|archive-url=}}

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 17% based on {{nowrap|35 reviews}}, with a weighted average rating of 3.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Bad acting, poor CGI and clunky script mean this sci-fi thriller is lacking in all departments including the thrills."{{cite web |title=Mutant Chronicles (2008) - Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mutant_chronicles/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes.com |publisher=Flixer |access-date=10 April 2025}}

References

External links

{{official website|http://www.mutantchroniclesthemovie.com/}}
{{IMDb title|0490181|Mutant Chronicles}}
{{rotten-tomatoes|id=mutant_chronicles|title=Mutant Chronicles}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080703202236/http://www.dinamo.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49&Itemid=26 Dinamo Productions - visual effects]
[http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=56990 Mutant Chronicles screening] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907083644/http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=56990 |date=2008-09-07 }}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080712172210/http://www.thomasjane.com/mutantChronicles/ Mutant Chronicles Teaser Trailer]

Category:2000s monster movies

Category:2000s action horror films

Category:2008 science fiction action films

Category:2000s science fiction horror films

Category:2008 films

Category:American monster movies

Category:American science fiction action films

Category:American science fiction horror films

Category:American post-apocalyptic films

Category:British monster movies

Category:British science fiction action films

Category:British science fiction horror films