Aeon Flux

Synopsis: Four hundred years in the future, disease has wiped out the earth's population except for one walled city-state, Bregna. Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron), the top operative in the underground 'Monican' rebellion, undertakes a mission to kill the government leader, but in the process uncovers a world of secrets.

Aeon Flux originally screened in animated segments for MTV’s Liquid Television. It was harshly animated, with the gangly heroine Aeon Flux as an alternately philosophical and hyperkinetic figure. Set in a surreal futuristic cold war between the adjacent city-states of oppressive Bregna and liberal Monica, the barely-costumed Aeon played many roles – spy, terrorist, freedom fighter. The emphasis was on biotechnology, sexuality and violence. 'Aeon Flux' was experimental, on-the-edge, and on a shoe-string.

As with several other recent ‘super-hero’ style remakes for the cinema, this version of 'Aeon Flux' is stylistically impressive but underwritten and relatively uninspiring. Kusama’s last directing job was Girlfight (2000), an intense film about a young woman finding her personal power. It’s a pity that the director doesn’t get under the leading woman’s skin in the same way. Charlize Theron has great potential to inhabit the otherworldly character of Aeon, but doesn’t have enough material to make her other than a slick action-figure, which admittedly she does well.

The plot is a relatively simple political intrigue and not really worth going into. It gives an opportunity to showcase some ideas inspired by the series – a character who replaced her feet with hands, a virtual reality communication system, and other biotechnological enhancements. Essentially Aeon must go after Government leader Trevor Goodchild, but their relationship rapidly becomes complicated as long-held secrets about Bregna are revealed.

In terms of presentation, the film doesn’t do much to pay homage to its source material, other than provide some slightly-distorted cinematic perspectives and a Pop Art palette. It does open with a scene from the animation, where Aeon catches a fly in her eye-lashes, but quickly backs away from this kind of quirkiness in favour of fast-cut SFX-enhanced action. In that respect it’s an above-average ride but still one in need of more energy, thought and better pacing. It’s a shame they didn’t bring Peter Chung, the creator of the original, in to write the script and generally spruce things up. Next!  

 

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