Acción mutante

Accion Mutante is the debut feature from cult director Álex de la Iglesia. It incorporates the absurd comedy with violence template that he seems to have followed throughout the rest of his career. Also like others in his filmography such as The Last Circus and Witching and Bitching, this one starts out really well but loses a bit of steam in the final third. It's set in the future, where a terrorist group called Accion Mutante take violent action against rich hipsters and the superficially beautiful; their latest scheme sees them kidnap a society girl resulting in them being pursued to another planet by her mogul father who is bent on serious revenge.

This one has a pretty modest budget so it has to be cut some slack. Nevertheless, it makes good use of its resources at times. In particular an early high society party scene was nicely done; it was colourful and garish in a way that showed the definite influence of Pedro Almodovar who actually was a producer here. This scene along with the earlier more directly satirical ones that showed news reports on the terrorists activities were the most successful and focused parts of the film. After this opening things become more run-of-the-mill and the black comedy becomes less pointed. Ultimately, Accion Mutante is one of those movies which probably isn't as good as you think it's going to be given the potential of the central idea. It's still fun though. Of additional note is an amusing rap-rock theme song that plays in the credits.

While other reviewers suggest this started out well but later lost focus, to me it went vice versa. Starts out OK, trying to balance between hilarity and supposed social commentary and of course action and blood-sheding. It manages quite well (hey this is low budget!) but I don't think the director meant for serious satire or comment on high society and life style etc. others suggested. Anyway, at the final third part, when the spaceship reaches the planet, the film gets to its high point! I had a great time watching this film, it's funny (in a twisted way), there's blood and sickness. It's high time of entertainment. It reminded me of BRAINDEAD & BAD TASTE of Peter Jackson, as well as BODY MELT of Philip Brophy and maybe a bit Mad Max (by the way ALL Australian films). Just don't expect TOO MUCH. Fans of mainstream sci-fi cinema: STAY AWAY!

This movie is crazy. In a good way. That is if you like crazy and understand Spanish. Having seen "El día de la Bestia" (which blew me away, great movie), in Spain during Spanish lessons, I turned my attention to other movies made by Alex de la Iglesia and the only DVD I could find back in the Netherlands was this one (or "Mutant Action", as it was called). I like odd, strange, out-of-the-ordinary movies. So this one really appealed to me: it was chaotic, weird, sometimes creepy, violent. Although it's not De la Iglesia's best movie, it's still pretty good. (I'm not gonna write what the story is about. Go see it for yourself.)

I'm a real admirer of Alex de la Iglesia's superb supernatural comedy thriller 'The Day Of The Beast', so I was really looking forward to watching 'Accion Mutante', his previous movie. It started off superbly as a exciting, violent and witty black comedy about a gang of (mostly deformed) mutant terrorists intent on destroying "the beautiful people" and their mediocre, hypocritical society. They kidnap the daughter of a bourgeois business and hold her for ransom.

Fantastic! All was going great, the balance between satire, action and silliness was handled imaginatively, but half way through the movie changes direction, and becomes increasingly less interesting. The planet where Mutant Action land to make their exchange is populated by a family of grotesques similar to one's in Philip Brophy's equally bizarre 'Body Melt', or like some of the stranger characters seen in the comics of Garth Ennis. Unfortunately for me the movie loses focus at this point, all the earlier potential for surreal social criticism is abandoned, and it becomes a standard b-grade sci fi action flick with only a few good bits.

It's a shame to me that the movie didn't continue in the approach of its first half, because I think if it did it would be a classic piece of science fiction. As it is, with all its flaws, it's still better than 90% of American SF movies made in the last 15 years, and recommended viewing. Please track down 'The Day Of The Beast' though, it's sensational!

Do not be fooled into thinking that Accion Mutante is merely a darkly humorous schlock space-horror-action movie. It aggressively and successfully attacks 'decent' society, the media and the action movie genre itself in equal measures and still manages to be genuinely funny, shocking and surprising. Paul Verhoeven has been trying to make a film like this for years, but in my opinion has never got close.

Mutante is pure Science Fiction (and I mean SF *not* Sci-Fi) - deadly anti-bourgeois social commentary wrapped in a delicious coating of blood, sugar and intergalactic terrorism.

Nice one!