User reviews

It's a bit unnerving when a studio declines to screen a film for the press before it goes into wide release. That many movies suck is no surprise, but when a studio itself admits as much ahead of time, the process of movie-going becomes a passion play of sorts. Consider it an early Christmas gift from Hollywood, then, that "Aeon Flux" isn't nearly the affront to taste and decency one might expect, given the above. Though ultimately overwhelmed by its flaws, it at least has (sort of) an idea with which to toy around. Too bad director Karyn Kusama seems to have little clue how to execute it all.

It's the future. There's been a plague. There is a dictatorship, and there are rebels. The latter are known as the Monicans, and far from being a cult of beret or tennis racket worshipers, they're into attempts to overthrow the former, called the Goodchild regime. The regime is occasionally mean to the citizenry, which is more than Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) and her pals can stand. Through some sort of biochemical virtual reality technology, the Monicans receive orders from their dear leader (Frances McDormand), a mystical priestess-type who appears to have been cross-bred with a carrot. It falls to Aeon to strap on some form-fitting, futuristic spandex get-ups to carry out the High Carrot's orders, which are of course some version of "destroy the regime." Having years earlier watched her sister get liquidated by the Goodchilds, she needs little convincing.

Not surprisingly, things get complicated. The Goodchilds might not be quite what they seem, and Aeon herself might have an unexpected history with them. Though occasionally muddled, the film's central conceit (of which I won't reveal more) contains some neat notions about the nature of human existence and survival. There's room for much more examination of which the film doesn't take advantage, but the ideas are there, at least. The big problems of "Aeon Flux" are technical. Kusama has made the baffling decision to film nearly all the action so close that we can rarely follow what's going on. To make matters worse, it's edited in a flurry of jump cuts that leave us completely lost. The result is some serious spacial disorientation that takes over the film. "Aeon Flux"'s aesthetic is one of sleek costume, oddly-angled architecture, and nimble characters. Much of the action occurs in minimalist, open spaces that beg for some unbroken long shots that might convey the grace and athleticism implied by the above. Instead, we get split seconds of flying limbs, breaking glass, and accompanying sound effects.

There is a pretty good movie trying to get out of the morass of "Aeon Flux." Put this stuff in the hands of the Wachowski brothers, say, and the results could be quite different. As it is, though, I felt like "Aeon Flux" was willfully pushing me away from a movie I wanted to enjoy. This film is unattuned to its own strengths. Like a novice poker player dealt a royal flush, it somehow finds a way to lose in spite of its potential.

Charlize Theron cuts an exceptionally striking presence as the heroine of this smashing action-oriented fantasy involving a rebel fighter in 2415 whose assignment is to kill the leader of a totalitarian regime; turns out, she recognizes him as a man who once meant a great deal to her and finds she can't eliminate him (nor vice-versa), precipitating a coupe amongst his people. Though exceptionally flashy, this MTV production (based upon their animated series) has its roots steeped in the past, with a plot that admittedly recalls dozens of enemy-for-the-people adventures. Despite some intentionally amusing asides, the dialogue is fairly stilted (though there isn't much of it, which is ultimately a plus) and the editing is occasionally sharp though it eliminates things we should be seeing to clarify the narrative (like how Æon Flux manages to climb aboard and exit a flying monument). Frances McDormand's role as Theron's boss is left a bit sketchy (who does she get her orders from?) and her reluctance to give Æon even the slightest benefit of the doubt is perplexing. The action sequences are elaborately, entertainingly staged, and the crisp, expensive-seeming production gives us a glittering vision of the future (think "Logan's Run" on a modern budget). In the end, the film is more a tasty morsel than a satisfying meal--it may slip right out of your consciousness a day after you've seen it--but the misfits-as-rebels angle and the suave star-turns by Theron, Sophie Okonedo (as ever-faithful Sithandra, who has hands for feet) and handsome Marton Csokas (as Trevor Goodchild, who puts all the pieces in place) help make this an enjoyable ride. **1/2 from ****

When I originally heard of Aeon Flux, it sounded absolutely terrible. The posters looked even worse. However, after seeing a trailer somewhere, I loved the look and bright colours (being easily pleased) and decided to give the movie a chance.

Aeon Flux is the story of a female, barely clothed rebel sent in to assassinate the ruler of a dystopian isolated city, which contains the entire remainder of mankind. Let's just say the plot is entirely unoriginal, a derivative of many other Sci-Fi movies and stories.

Charlieze Theron gets to prance around with an insect-like walk (her first appearance strongly reminded me of a praying mantis), salamander-like crawls, and other, animal-inspired, ballet-like movements. The world of Aeon Flux is drawn in bright, almost psychedelic colours, and it feels as if we glimpse only the tiniest part of this strange place. A lake of tears acts as CCTV for the entire city, pills exchanged in French kisses are used for telepathy, little pellets of liquid metal have a will of their own... A good chunk of the film is dazzling to watch, without any explanation behind it. Strictly speaking, Aeon Flux is about 80% futuristic fantasy, with very little science fiction in it. In fact, it sometimes feels as if the strangely organic gadgets of the rebels do not fit in this world - as the authorities seem to have more conventional technology and weapons.

What Aeon Flux succeeds at the most is dazzling the audience. Visually, stylistically, and with its energy and futuristic fantasy (and constantly underdressed heroine). In that, it reminds me strongly of Fifth Element - another film where we feel as if we only get a glimpse of a futuristic, colourful world full of strangely dressed people, without the need to explain or expose every aspect of it. However, Aeon Flux is less satisfying than Luc Besson's classic - because it lacks a sense of humour and takes itself too seriously (which, given the plot, is a bad move).

All in all, I would recommend the film to people who enjoy Fifth Element, bright colours, a sense of visual alienation, and unoriginal science fiction dressed up in a bright, original and almost unique coating.

The MTV sci-fi animated series "Æon Flux" is brought to life with Charlize Theron playing the title character, a freedom fighter who fights oppression in the walled city of Bregna, 400 hundred years into the future. For her latest mission, she has been sent to kill the city's leader Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas), but she uncovers secrets along the way.

Aeon Flux falls under the category of good premise, mediocre execution. Interesting story yet the film was a little dull. A lot of people are saying that this is one of the worst movies of the year and that's not true at all. It may be a disappointing film but it's an average film at best. I have never seen the cartoon version of the movie so I can't compare the two. It's probably better because they have a chance to explain the story more. The film is not that confusing but it's easy to get lost if you're not familiar with the material. The acting was alright, nothing special. Charlize Theron gives a good performance and seems dedicated to the film. The rest of the cast also give decent performances including Jonny Lee Miller, Frances McDormand and Marton Csokas. There are also more than a few interesting characters in the film including Sithandra, Aeon's friend.

The problem with Aeon Flux is that it takes itself too seriously. It carries the same serious tone throughout the entire film and that gets a little tiring. There's no humor and the film becomes a little boring at times. This is the same problem that Elektra had. Because the film is so serious, the dialog sounds cheesy and the serious scenes seem forced. The action scenes are pretty good but that's not what the film is really about so don't go in expecting just an action movie. The twist at the end isn't mind blowing but it's still a nice ending and better than other thrillers that have come out this past year (Hide and Seek). The costumes are little weird but still look nice and interesting. The visuals were are also done well so the film at least looks nice. So, the movie may be a case of style over substance. Interesting to look at but may not hold your attention for a very long time. In the end, it's not the best film out there but it might for a decent rental. Rating 4/10

In the animated series:

Aeon Flux was an amoral rebel that was completely detached from everything and everyone. She was cruel, selfish, loving, unpredictable, witty, caustic, confident, sarcastic, lethal, untamable, ambiguous all at once. The original Aeon had layers upon layers of depth. She almost never allowed her personal emotions to show through. The original plot was deliciously ambiguous and thought provoking. You could never tell what Aeon's motives were. Aeon was a militant anarchist whereas Trevor was a radical idealist, because of this they could never have any semblance of a stable relationship.

In the movie:

Aeon Flux works for the Monicans and her political motives and personal motives are very clear. She was pretty, loving, vulnerable, easily tamable, emotional and very predictable. The Aeon in the movie had one layer of depth at most. The plot was obvious and contrived. Everything is completely laid out for you from the beginning. There was virtually no conflict between Aeon and Trevor, at least in terms of personal philosophies. The only conflict between them was that they were on different sides.

The movie was a horrible disappointment to me. I felt betrayed. They took the idea of one of my favorite animated characters of all time, squeezed all the depth and personality out of her, and pumped her full of Hollywood clichés. The essence of the animated series was completely lost in this movie.

The only reason I'm not giving this movie a "1" is because the visuals were incredible. It was neat to see some of the familiar animated scenes like the fly in the eye done with CGI.

This film is vastly underrated to me. The highlight is the visual design and imagination that it borrows from its source material. For sure, the story has been turned into a more conventional Hollywood plot, but it makes up for that with smooth action scenes, acrobatic stunts and imaginative gadgets.

We just got home from seeing Aeon Flux, and for my money, it turned out to be far better than I had expected. Ready for an action movie with lots of leaping, jumping and hero stuff, it was all of that - but more. It actually had a story line! And it was that story line that kept things moving nicely along.

I think that it's relatively short length (97 minutes) also helped it from being bogged down with minutiae and having a plot that had to be mercilessly stretched beyond its limits. The scenes were crisply photographed, the special effects were enough to give the film its character WITHOUT making it a special-effects movie, per se.

Although a little thin in some parts, the dialogue was fair. The only thing I thought might have made it better was the development of some of the peripheral characters.

Charlize Theron is very versatile, and now I fully intend to see the anime of Aeon Flux.

Laughable.

Clichéd.

Overdoses on style to compensate for poor writing.

Remember when MTV actually used to air music videos and other shows besides Reality Shows? Aeon Flux (2005) is based upon one such show – a cartoon from the mid-90s – featuring a superhuman female protagonist in black latex clothing. Aeon, played by the lovely Charlize Theron in this adaptation, is a cold detached rebel who is as dexterous as a line-dancer and as deadly as a viper-snake. She needs to be, if she expects to kick the asses of the totalitarian government.

I love science fiction, but hate the sudden influx of half-assed futuristic dystopian technology-overdosed films like The Island (2005) and Equilibrium (2002) (bottom of the pile). Aeon Flux has all the problems that are present in these films, but amplified. That is, there is nothing original left to show so they compensate for it with the sleek style that Matrix (1999) catalyzed. The special effects are therefore sensational in Aeon Flux which earns it a few points, but scratch the surface and there is literally nothing there.

To make matters worse, all performances in this film are atrocious and some actually wound me to watch. Charlize Theron's character Aeon Flux is interwoven with the most cheesy tough-chick schtick and it seems as though the director Karyn Kusama cannot quite decide where to go with her next – should she make her more detached or more emotional? She doesn't know! Let's go both ways! Imagine you take a shotgun, load it chock-full of character developments of different sorts and there fire into a random mess. This is the character of Aeon Flux.

The film Aeon Flux puts forward all the 'mandatory' ideas in a dystopian society - individual vs. society, nature vs. science, emotion vs. cold reason, etc. You've seen all of this before, and better done at that. Go read Orwell, Bradbury or Huxley, or even watch Logan's Run (1976) or Blade Runner (1982)... anything! Avoid this viciously uninvolving cheese-fest for as long as you can.

3/10

'Aeon Flux' is visually and stylistically dazzling. The CGI and set designs look great and the the futuristic world that is presented is impressive. I haven't watched the original but having read other comments I would like to watch that. However, regarding this movie, it is the screenplay that is a big letdown. It is very obviously predictable and contrived. It lacks depth. It's more like just another forgettable Hollywood entertainer. Some scenes seem to be there only to show the special effects (which are great) and stunts as they don't seem to have any relevance for the main plot.

In my opinion, the love story is the weakest link. It's very unconvincing and the 'romantic' lead lack chemistry. Furthermore, apart from Theron, McDormand, Okonedo and Postlethwaite, the acting is terrible. Theron looks the part and acts well. She is beautiful but deadly. She does a lot of crawling around and arse kicking but manages to stay in character and looks absolutely sizzling. Okonedo doesn't have a great role to speak of but she does well. McDormand and Postlethwaite are effective in their small roles. Miller is very bad and Csokas is wooden.

Having said that, I'd say it's not a horrendous film. Just something to watch if you don't have anything better. I really enjoyed the visuals and the style and of course just looking at the beautiful Theron. Other than that, the plot might appeal to the average movie watcher if they want something with no depth, but just an action, sci-fi, romantic flick.

I should have marked this as a spoiler just from the summary. If you expected anything more from this movie I just ruined it for you. If you've ever seen A Day Without a Mexican and thought it cunning and thought provoking, this is your type of movie.

There were so many failures on so many levels I honestly don't know where to begin. There was no character development and thus no emotion which results in nothing to keep you watching unless you want to see what type of outfit Charlize will be wearing in the next 500 3 second cuts.

Maybe I'm alone in that I like a movie where I at least know WHERE things are taking place, how they are happening, who these people are that they're happening to, and above all why things are blowing up and people are dying, but then again maybe not.

I really see no reason why anyone would want to watch this movie unless you've got some obsession with one of the actors in the movie and you really don't care about anything else.

What Æon Flux has in spades is style. The original animated series had a very distinct visual style and they have clearly done their best to give the movie an equally vivid visual presence. And I'd say they succeeded. Everything in distant utopia looks great and the film is well worth a watch for the visuals alone.

The premise is also pretty interesting. A virus has wiped out most of humanity and now only small pockets survive in the middle of wilderness, protected by high walls and the advancement of technology. Yet they must live under a tight regime, and naturally some elements of society are bound to rebel. Our story follows one such rebel, named Æon, who manages to dig deeper into the mystery than anyone before. And thus the stage is set and the play can begin. Great, innovative stuff that allows for a lot of action.

Unfortunately what we end up getting from this setting isn't as great as it could have been. One of the problems is the acting. Charlize Theron is as captivating as ever, but the rest of the cast seem bound by the script and their own limitations. It's a stifling utopia, but does that really have to show in the acting as well.

The resolution of the story is also somewhat predictable, or at least unimaginative. The downsides of the utopian society are nothing we haven't seen before, the end moral is boring and as a whole I can only wish the story and the themes had matched the visual splendor.

Æon Flux is worth a watch for the fans of the genre. It's gorgeous, action-filled fun, Theron looks amazing in her skimpy dresses and nothing in it is outright bad. Sure, the script could have been better, but on the whole that merely makes it average.

I went into this movie cold, never having seen the MTV series that spawned it. The film completely fails to connect with the viewer. Let's see Aeon's double-life and be treated to some character developing dialogue -- instead, we were thrown headfirst into the action, with no reason whatsoever to care about the outcome. What's more, during the rest of the movie, we're never given a good reason to take one side or another, except for the fact that the villain characters all say villainous things and have apparently villainous motives. The action sequences are not terribly cohesive or believable, either. Overall, there's not much to recommend this movie.

I remember seeing the ads for this film when it came out in theaters, but I never saw it. Thanks to Netflix, I just finally watched it this morning. I should point out that I never saw the animated version, and so I'm left to judge this film only on its own merits, not as a comparison to the MTV thing that preceded it.

The movie was better than I expected, and quite enjoyable. Obviously, they have an advantage in getting people's attention due to Theron's looks and costumes, and the fantastic (I mean that literally) stunt sequences. But I found myself drawn into the story line, too. It had a very cyberpunk feel to it, and now that I've digested the film a bit, I think one reason I liked it is that it looked a lot like how I imagined early William Gibson novels to look. I guess that makes sense, given that the original MTV Aeon Flux came out when cyberpunk was still cool.

But I'm always a sucker for the "society and Earth has melted down, and all that's left is this little bubble" type of sci-fi story. Maybe it goes back to my love of Logan's Run as a child.

The visuals were great, the music was good, and the acting was way better than any sci-fi movie I've seen in the past couple years. Speaking of acting, I had a suspicion after watching the first hour of the film that the cast were mainly British actors with American accents. A check through IMDb proved me right. Even though everyone sounded like they could have grown up in St. Louis, all the 6 or 7 top billed actors were born outside the US except Frances McDormand - 1 from New Zealand, 1 from South Africa, and the rest from the UK.

Anyhow, I'm rating the film 7 out 10. It's well constructed, beautiful, and very entertaining.

It's 2415. The remaining population of the world is living a Utopian walled city of Bregna with a ruling council led by Oren Goodchild (Jonny Lee Miller). However something is wrong and people are disappearing. Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) is a mysterious warrior and a member of the rebel group the Monicans. Her beloved sister Una is killed. She feels an unknown connection to Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas). She must uncover a secret conspiracy and the hidden secret of the their world.

This is a rather dull sci-fi with wooden acting and murky story. The style is pretty interesting but that's all I like about this movie. The movie needs some exposition early on to guide the audience into this world. It holds back too much for the big revelation and the first half is basically lost to confusion especially if you come into the story without prior knowledge. The wooden acting style saps away all the energy and even the action scenes can't save it.

For those people already familiar with the animated series please forgive me for giving a brief introduction to those people who have not experienced Aeon Flux before. The franchise is based in a future world, and the series focused on Aeon and her arch nemesis/love-of-her-life Trevor Goodchild who is the leader/dictator of this future world. The series was very much a freaky, psychedelic, mind-bending collection of odd stories, some of which the plot is verging on impossible to follow closely. Thankfully the film, in an attempt to become more mainstream has gone for a easier-to-follow more Americanized plot, so if you're hoping for more from the giant baby from the series or the creatures that make mind-erasing pills then you may be disappointed. That is not to say that the film is not without its odd gadgets or odd scenes, such as the conversations that Aeon has inside her mind with her boss, or the woman with hands for feet.

For those people already familiar with the animated series please forgive me for giving a brief introduction to those people who have not experienced Aeon Flux before. The franchise is based in a future world, and the series focused on Aeon and her arch nemesis/love-of-her-life Trevor Goodchild who is the leader/dictator of this future world. The series was very much a freaky, psychedelic, mind-bending collection of odd stories, some of which the plot is verging on impossible to follow closely. Thank fully the film, in an attempt to become more mainstream has gone for a easier-to-follow more Americanized plot, so if you're hoping for more from the giant baby from the series or the creatures that make mind-erasing pills then you may be disappointed. That is not to say that the film is not without its odd gadgets or odd scenes, such as the conversations that Aeon has inside her mind with her boss, or the woman with hands for feet (also featured in the series) but the extent of the "oddness" has been greatly diminished. Die-hard fans of the series will notice certain similarities or homages to the shorts and episodes, such as transferring a message in a kiss, or as I mentioned above certain characters, but even so the film does act a stand-alone piece and no prior knowledge is needed to understand or follow the plot.

Probably the film's strongest asset is the plot. To begin with it may seem very similar to the millions of other future-world films out there, but once the plot has been fully revealed it makes for a very interesting film, investigating grounds I have not seen any other films touch upon before. I won't say anymore with regards to the plot as I may give-away something that could ruin it, but let me just say that if you do like this area of cinema and are looking for something a little different, buy it now! Otherwise nothing else in the film is of massive merit or poses any cause-for-concern, the acting is good, the music and sound effects are fine, the stunts are nothing amazingly new, but are adequate and the locales and settings are believable and well-constructed. If it sounds like your sort of film so far then you will find its freshness welcome in a somewhat stagnant pool of dictator/future/sci-fi/post-apocalyptic films. For those who are fans of the series again it is well-worth a look, it doesn't fit in continuity with the series in any place but serves as both a good introduction and final conclusion to the series. And for those people who don't fit into either of the above categories it can serve as gentle introduction to this area of cinema, or however could sour you to any further films of this genre in the future. So I guess for you its your choice good film....!

If you're a fan of the original animated version of Aeon Flux avoid this movie like a plague. I saw it for free and still felt cheated. If you're totally unfamiliar with the source material, you should still avoid it as it's an uninspired, clichéd as hell snore fest.

To give you a frame of reference, I thought that The Island sucked, and this was even worse. The Island managed to have more originality, better dialog, more moral ambiguity and sophistication (not to mention better science) than this movie.

The only strong selling point for this film is flashy CG eye candy, and it barely delivers on that. Hell Back to the Future part II has better eye candy. If you're acting to see some Charlise Theron hotness save yourself some time and go rent The Devils Advocate. At least in that one you get to see her boobs.

I just can't stress enough, this is a bad, horrible, worthless movie.