Mutant Chronicles

Movie review by James Rocchi, Common Sense Media
Mutant Chronicles Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 18+

Stylized, slapdash sci-fi bloodbath is gory and grim.

R 2009 111 minutes
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Parents say

age 17+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this is a review of the movie in theaters and not the Director's Cut that's available on DVD. This violent sci-fi action movie is bloody, gory, and grim. A man kills a wounded comrade in arms at point-blank range; skulls are penetrated by monsters' inhuman claws; extensive swordplay means limbs and heads are lopped off with remarkable frequency -- and so on. Plus, the film's overall tone is bleak, with a resigned cynicism that both evokes the old-school war films and makes the film a bit of chore to watch. You can also expect constant strong language, some crude sex talk, smoking, and drinking.

Community Reviews

CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
August 14, 2009
age 17+

We didn't finish the movie, it's that bad

The movie is ultra violent, shot in sepia tone (not a plus here), with shallow, predictable characters and an even shallower plot line. The only interesting parts of the plot are told to the viewers in a narrative, which greatly removes the interesting factor. My husband and I tried to watch it, but stopped the movie around the half-way point. Why? Because the movie is just that bad.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Yldnole
Yldnole Adult
May 3, 2009
age 16+

Good but very violent

Rented this On Demand and it surprised the heck out of me. Yery dark and ULTRA violent ..but also very cool...Thomas Jane did a good job as the brooding hero...but this is definetly not for young kids.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In a far-flung future, the remnants of humanity toil -- and fight -- under the control of four major corporations. A battle unearths the hidden catacombs where, centuries ago, flesh-hungry mutants were successfully entombed after their rampage to destroy humanity was defeated. With the mutants now loose, a holy man assembles a rag-tag team of soldiers and experts to journey into the bowels of the Earth and destroy the infernal machine that turns men into blood-hungry monsters before the world is destroyed.

Is It Any Good?

Shot with a computer-aided technique that evokes the stylish look of films like Sin City and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, MUTANT CHRONICLES has a high-tech look and style to spare. But the film's gory, tedious action makes it a bore. The melding of sci-fi ideas and retro-tough sensibility in the script (the team of soldiers is made up of cynics, survivors, and nihilists) also makes it tough to root for the suicide mission.

Director Simon Hunter's over-the-top violence and gore is also so excessive that it would almost be laughable if it weren't so grisly; the violence feels like a substitute for screenwriting and character development. Full of cliches and wholly unsurprising "surprises," Mutant Chronicles is dreary, dull, and shallow despite -- or perhaps because of -- its unrelenting gore.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether sci-fi/fantasy violence has more or less impact than other kinds of media violence. Why? What kinds of consequences do different types of violence have in movies and TV shows?

  • Families can also discuss how faith is portrayed in the movie, from its tagline ("Have faith") to the fact that the heroes are dispatched by a holy order of priests. Do you think the filmmakers are trying to send specific messages?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

For kids who love Sci-Fi and scares

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