by Victor Medina

Created on: April 23, 2009

"Mutant Chronicles" is one of those big-budget films that never delivers on its own hype and promise. Sci-fi fans will really want to like this film, but will eventually be left with an empty, unsatisfied feeling. It's too bad, really, and if director Simon Hunter and most of the cast had tried harder, the movie would probably have been much better.

"Chronicles," is based on the popular role-play games, comics, and novels, and is so poorly conceived and executed that it does not allow the viewer any "suspension of disbelief." At no point in this film will you ever believe in the CGI world being presented here. Since nearly every scene places some great actors in front of a green screen, their performances come off as lifeless and bland.

After a brief opening explaining how a machine from outer space that turns people into mutants was buried in eastern Europe a long time ago, the film moves to the future, where the Earth's natural resources have been used up and war between corporate nations rages. For some reason, soldiers run around in World War I era army fatigues while they fly in steampunk-inspired ships. The Machine is accidentally unearthed and activated in the middle of a battle, and mutants, sporting large, blade-like arms, begin killing everyone and taking over the planet. People begin evacuating Earth for other mutant-free planets, while an old religious order sends a group of soldiers led by brooding war hero Mitch Hunter (Thomas Jane) out to destroy the Machine with an ancient weapon. Along for the ride are assorted characters, including the monk-like Brother Samuel (Ron Perlman), who carries the key to destroying the machine in an old book.

With some great character actors including Devon Aoki and Luis Echegaray on board, the stage is set for a nice sci-fi "Dirty Dozen" to unfold, but it doesn't happen. We get a rather bland action flick with little character development. The final battle does deliver some fireworks, but it is too late to save the film.

It's easy to see why this movie doesn't work. The script is terrible, with profane one-liners substituting for character development and some huge lapses in logic: apparently bullets don't have much effect on mutants but swords do. It seems a thin excuse for the cast to carry Braveheart replica swords and play hack-a-mutant. Director Simon Hunter seems unable to build any suspense, a sense of purpose, or atmosphere. His direction, the continuity, and the editing, is very sloppy. Actor positions move

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