Tabletop role-playing games used to be Hollywood shorthand for nerd nonsense. Those geeks with their maps and dice were seen as the final boss of the niche-interest food chain. Today,Dungeons & Dragonshas become one of the most powerful brands in the world.Warhammer 40,000seems prepped to follow a similar cultural trajectory, and films likeMutant Chroniclescould pave the way for their entertainment invasion.
Warhammerhas been the mostpopular miniature wargame in the world since its debut in 1987. With almost 40 years of success and worldwide notoriety under its belt, it’s surprising that the franchise hasn’t been properly adapted to the big screen. It’s all over game store shelves, it’s had a long relationship with the world of gaming, and the novels are frequently cited as the best aspect of the franchise. But, thoughWarhammeris the most popular game, it’s far from the only one.
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What isMutant ChroniclesAbout?
In the year 2707, humanity has completely depleted the Earth’s natural resources. Most technology runs off steam engines, and most of the planet is ruled over by four inestimably powerful corporations. The Mishima, Bauhaus, Capitol, and Imperial financial conglomerates are inconstant corporate warfare forland and money. During a pitched battle, soldiers accidentally break open an ancient seal. That seal unleashes The Machine, an alien device that changes humans into dangerous mutants. The Earth is doomed, leaving a small portion of the population to flee to Mars. Most people are left behind to fend off the endless hordes of mutants. Those on Earth must put together a plan to save their home.
Enter Brother Samuel, a pious man of the cloth who seeks a crack team of warriors. Samuel knows the Bible but also studies an esoteric text called the Chronicles. Samuel approaches an all-powerful leader named Constantine to request a single airplane and a crew of twenty warriors. He brings in skilled military men and women, led by Major Mitch Hunter. He also brings in a silent monk named Severian. Samuel plots a suicide mission to drop a bomb onto The Machine andend the mutant plague. They’re Earth’s last hope, and every remaining human life is on the line. It’s a grim world in which faith or willing sacrifice are the only reprieves from suffering. Though the circumstances are different, fans will certainly remember the tone.
What isMutant ChroniclesBased On?
Mutant Chronicleswas originally a pen-and-paper role-playing game released in 1993 by a Swedish company called Target Games. The game is setin a post-apocalyptic worldas a spin-off to their long-running series ofMutantgames. Like the film, the world of the game is sad and desolate. Humans have spread across the solar system after fleeing the Earth they destroyed. Massive corporations still own everything and fight to the death in never-ending struggles over profit. The game was considered an improvement over many of its competitors, especially in how it interlinks its many spin-offs.Mutant Chronicleshas since inspired card games, comic books, board games, a SNES game, and a miniature wargame in thestyle ofWarhammer 40,000.
How isMutant ChroniclesRelated toWarhammer 40,000?
The idea of soldiers fighting an endless swarm of mutants for the fate of an already-ruined Earth feels very at home in the grim darkness of the far future. There are plenty of mutants inthe world ofWarhammer, though they come from more unpleasant roots. The Earth was destroyed thousands of years before most of the events of the game. There’s a lot more going on inWarhammerthan in theMutant Chroniclesfilm, but the movie feels like a singular story that could fit into the universe. It’s fair to call the film a loose adaptation of the game, but the game borrows several elements from the franchise. All the characters are gruff soldiers or zealous maniacs. All the civilians either beg for mercy or suffer a violent death. There is constant war, but it’s alwaysbetween all-powerful corporationsinstead of planetary governments or slavering abominations. The details are all wrong, but the tone and presentation feel right at home with theWarhammercrowd.
Mutant Chroniclesisn’t a perfect film. It’s a bit of a mess, its understanding of religion is bizarre, and its special effects do not hold up very well today. Its cast is solid, but they don’t get a lot to do. Despite the simple weaknesses of the film, there’s a willingness to delve into the darkness that makes the film interesting. It’s so miserable and vicious that it comes back around to being funny. Nobody is having any fun except for the audience cheering at every ridiculous gunfight.Mutant Chroniclesshould get another shot at the big screen,butWarhammer 40,000hasa lot to learn before it invades the multiplex.
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