Skip to main content

More faith-talking sci-fi


This one somehow slipped by me. Mutant Chronicles is an independent sci-fi film staring the likes of Ron Perlman and John Malkovich that premiered in the UK in October 2008 and will be available in the States on video-on-demand at the end of March, followed by a limited theatrical release in April. The film is rated R for language and violence (the latter of which is more than evident in the trailer above), and it doesn't bode well that Rotten Tomatoes has it at 20% rotten. But it's still got this blogger a bit interested. Why? Because of the religious language in its synopsis (from Comingsoon.net):

At the end of the Ice Age, The Machine came from the outer space with the purpose to change men into mutants. However, a hero defeated the device and a great seal was laid over The Machine. In 2707, the depleted world is ruled by four Corporations: Mishima, Bauhaus, Capitol and Imperial that are in constant war. During a battle between Capitol and Bauhaus, the great seal is broken and The Machine works again transforming soldiers and civilians in hordes of mutants. A small part of the population escapes to Mars, leaving millions of people behind. The man of faith and leader of an ancient brotherhood Brother Samuel is a believer of God and the Chronicles, a bible about the mutants. With the city under siege of the mutants, he visits the Corporations' leader Constantine asking for an aircraft and twenty men for a suicide mission to destroy The Machine, planting a bomb and a detonator following the knowledge of the Chronicles. He recruits the tough Major 'Mitch' Hunter; the Bauhaus Lieutenant Maximillian von Steiner; the keeper of the Chronicles Severian that is under a vow of silence; the gorgeous and lethal Corporal Valerie Duval; Corporal Juba Kim Wu; Captain John McGuire; and Corporal Jesus 'El Jesus' de Barrera. Together they become the last hope of Earth against the evil mutants.

With plot devices like a group of men giving up their lives to save mankind and lines like "There's still hope" and "The darkest age is yet to come; have faith", this film's got the potential to bring God-talk into open spaces. But then so did Babylon A.D. and we all know how that one turned out, heh. Then there's all that violence, ack. (It's even more prevelent in the red band trailer for the film.)

Nonetheless, everytime I see faith as a primary element in science fiction these days I can't help but wonder again if this genre is becoming the safer, more accepted or preferred in which to explore religion, faith and God. Interesting.