June 25, 2015

DVD Review: MUTANT WORLD

Starring Holly Deveaux, Ashanti, Amber Marshall, Jason, Cermak, Greg Lawson. Directed by David Winning. (2014, 83 min).
SONY

When a meteor strikes Earth, causing global catastrophe, a bunch of survivalists retreat to an underground shelter to escape the devastation. 10 years later, after an earthquake causes a life-threatening power outage, a small squad of them (led by mousy Holly Deveaux) venture topside to repair the damage and search for supplies. What they find instead are vicious, slobbering green-eyed mutants.

Some other survivors come to their rescue, offering shelter and gasoline in exchange for additional protection from the mutants at night. Meanwhile, a mysterious woman known only as The Preacher (Ashanti), buzzes around on a motorcycle, expertly kicking ass without bothering to take names. She's a total badass, though I guess we aren't supposed to question why she never became a mutant, or that her costume appears to have been purchased during a $3000 shopping spree on Rodeo Drive while everyone else looks like they've been living under a bridge.

Nor are we supposed to question how Deveaux begins the movie as a horny 17 year old, only to emerge 10 years later as an order-barking super soldier, though she still looks like she'd be more-at-home on her own Disney Channel show. And I guess it goes without saying we shouldn't question why, late in the film, one mutant inexplicably decides to rescue a young girl by moving her out of harm's way. And who are we to question why our heroes would efficiently dispatch scores of mutants in one scene, then stand around helplessly (still armed to the teeth) as their friends are killed?

"Where the hell did we park?"

These questions probably wouldn't have popped up until the movie was over if Mutant World was any good. But alas, it's another SyFy cheapie which looks like it was made on-the-fly, repeatedly ignoring logic and its own established rules to keep things moving. And Ashanti fans take note: Despite her prominent billing and character build-up, she has relatively little screen time and serves no real purpose other than to look good, kill a few people and give one heartfelt speech (as heartfelt as Ashanti is capable of, anyway) before being unceremoniously removed from the story.

Admittedly though, considering the Swiss cheese script, cheap CGI and overall non-acting, Mutant World is just fast-paced enough that you'll likely see it through to the end (though considerable eye-rolling will ensue, especially Deveaux's supposedly-symbolic costume change for the final scene).

EXTRAS: None
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEH.

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