Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3904 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-05-22
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 89 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Like the animated series it's based on, Aeon Flux is the kind of sci-fi that's best appreciated by the MTV generation. It's a serious attempt at stylized, futuristic action/adventure (the title character, played by Charlize Theron, is essentially a female James Bond for the cyberpunk era) and taken for what it is, it's not all that bad. The action takes place in the year 2415, four centuries after a virus nearly decimated the human race, leaving only five million survivors in a utopian city called Bregna. Aeon belongs to the Monicans, a secret rebel resistance force that is struggling to destroy the Goodchild regime led by its namesake, Trevor Goodchild (Martin Csokas), the ruler of Bregna and a descendant of the man who found a cure for the deadly virus. As instructed by the Handler (Frances McDormand, gamely playing along in ridiculous sci-fi regalia), Aeon is assigned to assassinate Goodchild, but there are deeper secrets to be discovered, and conspiracies to be foiled. This leads director Karyn Kusama (who fared much better with her debut feature Girlfight) to indulge in all sorts of routine action and fast-paced gunplay, but the elusive pleasures of Aeon Flux are mostly found in the sleek athleticism of Theron and costar Sophie Okonedo (as a fellow Monican), who commit themselves 100% to roles that are dramatically flat yet physically dynamic.

Other highlights include Aeon's high-tech gadgetry (including an eyeball that doubles as a microsocope) and the amusing sight of Pete Postlethwaite in a costume resembling a construction-site disposal tube, but Flux fans may wonder what happened to the surreal, chromium sheen future that gave the MTV series its visionary appeal. As a live-action feature, Aeon Flux is a miscalculated exercise in cheesy style and dour tone, but it's entertaining enough to earn a small cadre of admirers. --Jeff Shannon

Synopsis
Karyn Kusama, the writer-director of GIRLFIGHT, the story of a tough female boxer, turns her attentions to a tough female superhero in AEON FLUX. Based on a series of animated shorts that aired on MTV, the live-action feature film version stars Charlize Theron, in jet black hair, as the secret agent of the title. Aeon Flux is a Monican who has been ordered to assassinate Trevor Goodchild (Martin Csokas), the leader of Bregna a futuristic walled city that is the last vestige of humanity on 25th-Century earth. But a long-buried memory prevents her from killing him, ultimately making both of them targets. As Trevor battles his brother, Oren (Jonny Lee Miller), for control of Bregna, Aeon seeks revenge for the murder of her sister (Amelia Warner) while also being hunted down by her former partner, Sithandra (Sophie Okonedo). At the centre of it all is a secret that threatens to tear everything apart. Theron, who performed most of her own stunts, glides through the film in barely-there outfits, while also jumping, running, slinking, diving, and cartwheeling her way through dangerous situations, recalling the gorgeous movements made by the animated version. The film alternates between stark gray-and-white sets and brilliant splashes of red, green, and yellow, adding a vibrancy that befits a cartoon adaptation. The taut script, by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (who previously teamed up on CRAZY/BEAUTIFUL), delves deep into the relationships of siblings that often border between love and hate. Graeme Revell's smart score never overwhelms the action, which involves a lot of automatic weapons, and Oscar winner Frances McDormand and Oscar nominee Pete Postlethwaite feature in small roles.

Customer Reviews

better than expected
enjoyable sci fi action thriller that has the attraction of charlize theron in skimpy outfits but its also a fun fluffy film thats good clean fun

Brillant
i only bought this film on a off chance, now it is my favourite film. I don't just like the action in this film, but i love the connection between the characters and the storyline.
5 stars all the way.

Given a chance it's not a bad film, at all.
To make a film out of a series of short animated episodes, little better than running gags for the most part, is no mean feat if a horrible parody of the original is to be avoided. I haven't seen it, aside from a few clips, but I'm pretty sure that Tank Girl is a a good example of what can happen.

The acting is very acceptable for the genre. The action sequences are spectacular, but are too numerous and simply act as a crutch for the drama. The sets including Berlin locations are excellent. And the plot is actually very good if its more philosophical aspects could have been brought more the fore to dramatically support a story that is a development of a myriad of snippets from the animations to at least make a story from, remain reasonably suggestive of the animations, for those who have seen the animations, but which have no such storyline, as such.

If failings have to be attributed, it is simply that no clear decision was made about who is the audience for this film. Simply hung on the action, as were the animations for the most part, would have been relentlessly tedious at this length of a film. And to approach it from a dramatic development of the plot, would have demanded a degree of dramatisation well beyond the maker's commitment and/or capability. Ridiculous as it may seem, you would need a dramatist of the capability of Harold Pinter to achieve a worthwhile result, and retain a degree of humour.

There's a good film in Aeon Flux, and by not dwelling too much on its shortcomings, is worth a number of viewings. It's a grower :-)

Flux: How do you find the modifications?
Scafandra: Handy.