"Mutant Chronicles" is a steam-punk action flick that borrows more than a few elements from "The Lord of the Rings", shares its monochromatic goth sensibilities with the "Underworld" franchise, and wears its artificiality proudly like "Casshern" or "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow". It's not a good movie in the strictest sense of he word, but like the most of the movies mentioned above, it's a lot of fun and a perfectly enjoyable pulp flick.
What doesn't work: Somewhat typically for the genre, the story is very simple (get from A to B, mow down everybody that stands in your way) yet told in a overly convoluted way. Notably all the religious mumbo-jumbo doesn't really lead anywhere and is just plain annoying. There is a particularly boring, exposition-tastic stretch between the opening action scene and when the party finally goes on its mission. That part also includes a cameo by John Malkovich who gives a jaw-droppingly awful performance.
On to what does work: The movie clearly had a limited budget, but the filmmakers turn that to their advantage, as they don't hide the video-game aesthetics but revel in them, making the whole movie a stylish, proudly low-budget affair. The performances are all solid (with the exception of Malkovich). The party is a unexpectedly likable bunch, and i would love to see them in more adventures together. Particularly Thomas Jane, Anna Walton, and Devon Aoki stand out. They Might not blow away anybody with their acting chops here, but they are a joy to look at and make formidable action heroes, coming across as incredibly cool, despite some clunky dialog.
Ultimately, with those kinds of movies, the question is mostly whether the good out-weights the bad, and in this case it does. Lots of post-apocalyptic eye-candy and ultra violence, and not too much bullshit surrounding it - perfectly enjoyable.
What doesn't work: Somewhat typically for the genre, the story is very simple (get from A to B, mow down everybody that stands in your way) yet told in a overly convoluted way. Notably all the religious mumbo-jumbo doesn't really lead anywhere and is just plain annoying. There is a particularly boring, exposition-tastic stretch between the opening action scene and when the party finally goes on its mission. That part also includes a cameo by John Malkovich who gives a jaw-droppingly awful performance.
On to what does work: The movie clearly had a limited budget, but the filmmakers turn that to their advantage, as they don't hide the video-game aesthetics but revel in them, making the whole movie a stylish, proudly low-budget affair. The performances are all solid (with the exception of Malkovich). The party is a unexpectedly likable bunch, and i would love to see them in more adventures together. Particularly Thomas Jane, Anna Walton, and Devon Aoki stand out. They Might not blow away anybody with their acting chops here, but they are a joy to look at and make formidable action heroes, coming across as incredibly cool, despite some clunky dialog.
Ultimately, with those kinds of movies, the question is mostly whether the good out-weights the bad, and in this case it does. Lots of post-apocalyptic eye-candy and ultra violence, and not too much bullshit surrounding it - perfectly enjoyable.