Movie Review: Justin - Devon plays Valerie Chinois Duval
Rundown:
The premise of 'Mutant Chronicles' explores reluctant heroism... courage, not born of nobility, but based only on the most basic of human instincts... survival.
The combined armies of the world have failed to defeat the 'mutants'.
Planet Earth must be abandoned, a mere handful of selected civilians are being relocated to the safety of Mars. But inevitably, the masses, millions of human beings, will perish... most torn to pieces by the mutants, others captured, destined to be taken to the 'machine' to be transformed themselves into hideously deformed mutants.
Mutant Chronicles also explores the fundamental values of spirituality... could faith, that defies all reason, prevail?
In fact, the movie's slogan is: "Have Faith".
Earth's politicians, military generals, and indeed, the leaders of the world's religions have abandoned all hope. They have resolved that evacuation for a chosen few is not only inevitable, the evacuation orders have already been executed!
Only one man, Brother Samuel (Ron Perlman), still believes in the ancient scrolls, the 'Mutant Chronicles'... chronicles that prophecy a 'savior', with unshakable faith, will surely come and provide the means for mankind's redemption. For the 'Chronicles' foretell of a deliverance from the mutant uprising, if the people would only 'Have Faith'.
An elite team of special forces soldiers are offered a mission in return for 'Priority Tickets'... tickets that will guarantee for their loved ones priority listing for the limited space available on the evacuation ships.
The mission would take them deep beneath the surface of the Earth in a desperate bid to destroy the machine. There could be no return, no chance of survival, the blast would destroy everything within the vicinity of the machine... a suicide mission.
Corporal Valerie Duval (Devon Aoki) accepts the mission to protect her two children... she has little choice, the tickets will ensure her children will be safely transported to Mars.
Review:
Mutant Chronicles is a special effects intensive production leaning heavily on both CGI and miniatures, reminiscent of 'Starship Troopers'.
The sinister environment of a world in devastation is brilliantly captured by the clever utilization of digital color hues. Therefore it's visually easy to lend your imagination to the macabre atmosphere, which set eerie moods for many of the hostile scenes.
In fact, there's so much digital stuff going on you find yourself wondering if the cast spent the entire production acting before a green screen.
Considering it's limited budget (compared to modern blockbusters) Mutant Chronicles is an extraordinarily impressive production. Director Simon Hunter jokingly quipped "Mutant Chronicles was pretty much made inside a cow shed in the Isle of Man."
Devon's Role:
When I first learned that Devon was to play a battle hardened special forces soldier (with 61 confirmed kills, no less) it just seemed pure ludicrous. I mean, Devon is a 5ft 5ins runway model weighing as much as a half-a-cup of lukewarm water, so what on earth was she planning to do to the mutants... poke them with her nail file ???
Devon said she "beefed up" for the role so she could be "just a little bit convincing". Still, I couldn't imagine Devon as a mutant-ass-kicking female Rambo, so perhaps a little disbelief would have to be suspended.
Surprisingly, her casting worked more than, "just a little bit" !!!
Devon was at least as convincing as the rest of the cast, and with the help of a rapidly moving plot, you soon find yourself not only accepting but also empathizing with Devon's character.
Devon is developing as an actress. I thought Mutant Chronicles provided Devon with her best role to date. Sure, this wasn't the most dialog intensive role but her role was executed with as much conviction as the script would allow.
We all know that no-one will ever replace Sigourney Weaver as the number one female alien butt-kicker...
but Devon more than equalled both Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil) and Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3) with her portrayal of a bad ass sci-fi action heroine/villain.
Mutant Chronicles is unquestionably a must-see for sci-fi fans !!!
Review & image captures by The Devon Aoki Appreciation Society