Forbidden World a.k.a. Mutant is an Alien clone. But is it a good one? It definitely is a mixed bag. And let me tell you that is part of the charm.
They probably must have thought what they lack in special effects and story, they could make up with sleaziness and overacting. The sleaziness is personified by June Chadwick and Dawn Dunlap. There was absolutely no reason for them to be naked and be dressed scantily, especially after some gruesome events have occurred, but director Allan Holzman seemed to think differently and to his defence, it's highly effective. Dawn Dunlap's character comes across as a bimbo and screams her lungs out whenever she is encountered with something out of the ordinary. But if she is so scared, why walk around with nothing on her to protect her from bad things. One minute she is calm and composed and the next she is this little schoolgirl being chased by a classroom of horny boys. At times, she is so loud it's almost amazing that none of the other crew members hear her. Although one could argue, they do hear her but choose to ignore her. Then there is June Chadwick. I knew I recognized her from something. I think she is most famous for her role in V: The Miniseries. A real shame that director Allan Holzman does a disservice to her. Her character actually makes one of the most logical points in the film but is undermined and mocked at. Not sure why. She is supposed to be a respected scientist. And she truly had the attitude and charm to be the Sigourney Weaver of this film. But not going to lie, she is hot as hell and I didn't mind seeing her naked and doing erotic stuff.
What causes a big contrast, is the fact that the horror is totally gory and nasty. It's almost like they snatched the leftovers from Re-Animator, The Blob and even Alien to create the Metamorph and other beings. Combine that with some decent set pieces and animation, and you have a visually compelling film. In theory, this really could have worked as a serious Alien clone. If only they told the cast to not overact. The biggest culprit is, Fox Harris as Dr. Cal Timbergen. Apparently, he went for the crazy comedic type of scientist and not someone who was unstable and evil. But his reveal never lands, because at a certain point it doesn't matter. The alien creature in the film looks ridiculous, and how anyone could be terrified of it is beyond. It worked better when it was hiding in the shadows. Why did they decide to have him out in the open? Unless, they really thought he could come across as scary.
Overall, it's a film that has the priorities all wrong focusing on things it shouldn't be focusing on, strangely enough, like I stated, it's what provides the charm. Within its wackiness, there is some terror hidden, but one that will also make you laugh. Make of that what you will, for me that is a good thing!
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