Netflix Pix: Mutant Chronicles

This film came out in 2008. Its OK, I guess. Really if you like a campy B scifi movie, you could do a hell of a lot worse. But you could also do better.

This movie had some issues, but we'll get to them in a moment. So what was good about it. Well It's got a pretty sweet cast. Thomas Jane, Ron Pearlman, John Malkovich, and Devon Akoi (the Asian chick from Sin City). I was pretty excited bout that, but really it doesn't save the flick.

The setting is sweet; its a world where there are 4 companies that control different countries, and using their armies, duke it out with one another. During one such battle a giant seal in the ground is broken and out comes mutants. Almost all the soldiers are killed, a few escape, and the ones that are left alive are taken below ground to a "machine" where they are mutated. Mutants over run the planet, people who can afford offworld tickets leave for Mars and Ron Pearlman plays a holy man who leads a team of soldiers from all 4 companies, including Thomas Jane, on a mission to destroy the Mutants and their machine.Why no mention of Malkovich. Maybe because he's barely in the movie. It's ridicules.

Oh, and the style. The look of the film is pretty neat. Like a sepia version of Sin City, or The Spirit (I'm not endorsing that piece of crap). And the steampunk-esque equipment (that runs on coal) is cool too.

The bad things would include some terrible acting from some of the supporting cast, a fairly predictable ending, and some continuity issues dealing with characters injuries that I may not have noticed normally, but they kinda call it out.

Also, there is one completely unnecessary scene involving Thomas Jane and a character from the beginning that was such bad padding for time I almost wanted to find the script writer and punch him. And the thing with Ron Pearlman, WTF. Stupid. Just dumb as hell.

So, overall, if you wanted a cool looking campy B scifi movie and you have netflix instant streaming, add it to your queue. If not I would waste the time or money renting it, unless you have a crush on Thomas Jane, in which case you probably already own it.