Aeon Flux

[LegionX]

Aeon Flux
http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/paramount_pictures/aeon_flux/charlize_theron/flux_release.jpg
n the 25th century, a rampaging virus has forced the remnants of humanity into the seclusion of a final city. There is great political conflict within, however, and this is the story of an acrobatic assassin, Aeon Flux (Theron), whose latest target is the government's top leader.

Starring: Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Marton Csokas, Jonny Lee Miller, Sophie Okonedo
Directed by: Karyn Kusama
Running Time: 93 min.
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of violence and sexual content.
Distributors:Paramount Pictures
http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/paramount_pictures/aeon_flux/charlize_theron/flux42.jpg

Review:
Well we decided to watch this tonight, since it is the only movie really getting a wide release this week. I wasnt a big fan of the series so I went into this movie without high hopes. It didnt look to fantastic in the trailer. The acting was not that great and the dialogue was shitty! The editing that the director did to this film was horrible. The movie all around did not do the series or any fan of the genre justice. But if you are going into this movie with the intent to see decent CGI work and great special effects then you may want to check this out. The movie had that. It had great special effects. I actually fell asleep half way through this movie so with that aside, the only other joy I got out of this film was seeing Charlize Theron in those skimpy, yet fantastic wardrobe! See for yourself.... http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/paramount_pictures/aeon_flux/charlize_theron/flux38.jpg
This movie lacked everything I look for in a good action, future, sci-fi movie. Sorry Charlize but please stay away from films like this.

2.5/10

[BorderEevilIII]

I just can't imagine WHAT the critics will be saying about this movie.
Charlize Theron somehow DOES capture the image of the character from the show I watched then when MTV used to play music videos back in the early 90's....

This movie is on my iffy list.....
So if they can do a movie on this one how about The Adventures of Stevie Washington & Zoya? :D


http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/news/aeon-flux/aeon-flux-movie.jpg

*wonders why they went BLACK and not the colors seen in the anime version?*

[Cronos]

never liked the cartoon, this doesnt really look very interesting either

[Lemmywinks]

Not to mention that rotten tomatoes doesnt have a single review of the film up. Not a good sign. Movie must suck badly.

[Lazy Boy]

There seems to be a pattern with Oscar winnng actresses who follow up with crappy action films. Halle Berry had Catwoman, Hilary Swank had The Core, and Charlize has this.

I can't believe Karyn Kusama directed this. I could see how the concept intrigues her, having already made a film about an ass-kicking tough as nails female (Girlfight). This looks dreadful.

[TylerDurden182]

This movie does look pretty awful, but I will probably see it for Charlize's hotness.

[Mr-Blonde]

Apparently there are no reviews at all for this film anywhere on the Net. They didn't even screen it.

[War Movie Mania]

Doesn't really interest me that much. Not very original at all. The only reason I would see this is for the visuals.

[ilovemovies]

James Berardinelli gave it 2 1/2 stars out of 4. Here is his review:


Aeon Flux
A Film Review by James Berardinelli
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

United States, 2005
U.S. Release Date: 12/4/05 (wide)
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Violence, sexual situations, partial nudity)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Charlize Theron, Marton Csokas, Jonny Lee Miller, Sophie Okonedo, Frances McDormand, Pete Poslethwaite, Amelia Warner
Director: Karyn Kusama
Producers: David Gale, Gregory Goodman, Gale Anne Hurd, Gary Lucchesi
Screenplay: Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi, based on characters created by Peter Chung
Cinematography: Stuart Dryburgh
Music: Graeme Revell
U.S. Distributor: Paramount Pictures

I'll never understand why studios sometimes choose to withhold films from critics. The lack of advance screenings of Aeon Flux establishes an expectation that the film is likely to be tough to sit through. It's the studio's way of throwing in the towel. It's a declaration of "no confidence." Imagine my surprise, therefore, to discover that Aeon Flux is not a bad movie. Okay, it's flawed and isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it's perfectly watchable, especially if viewed on a low-risk medium like DVD. And it's better than about 1/3 of movies for which distributors hold advance screenings.

Aeon Flux is a science fiction adventure film that includes a lot of intriguing ideas, some of which are left underdeveloped. The script, credited to Phil Hay & Matt Mandredi (based on Peter Chung's MTV animated shorts), doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be smart enough to appeal to serious-minded movie-goers or dumb enough to appeal to popcorn-munchers (apologies to those who straddle both categories). So it vacillates and, ultimately, that becomes its undoing. However, except during a few routine action sequences that fail to raise a single nape hair, Aeon Flux is never uninteresting.

Some day, someone is going to make a great feature about cloning. The Island wasn't it, and neither is this. But both films pose some intriguing options that, if properly developed, could result in an eye-opener of a motion picture. Aeon Flux transpires in the year 2415. For 400 years, since 99% of the human race was wiped out by a virus, mankind has been living under the protection of the Goodchild regime in a walled city surrounded by the untamed wild. The population is static. There were 5 million survivors of the global plague in 2011, and there are 5 million men and women in 2415.

As is the case with any totalitarian government, there are rebels. Viewing their predicament as "having traded freedom for a gilded cage," their goals are to disrupt the accepted order and kill the ruler, Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas), and/or his second-in-command brother, Oren (Jonny Lee Miller). The most dangerous of the rebels (who call themselves "Monicans") is Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron). Along with her sidekick, Sithandra (Sophie Okonedo), she accepts any mission offered by the Handler (Frances McDormand, wearing an outrageous red wig that makes her look like the spawn of Raggedy Ann and Heat Miser from The Year Without a Santa Claus). When her beloved sister, Una (Amelia Warner), is killed by government forces, Aeon seizes the opportunity to assassinate Goodchild. But what she learns once she penetrates the Citadel changes her perspective about everything.

Aeon Flux has a strong cast, including Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand, and Oscar nominees Sophie Okonedo and Pete Postlethwaite. Despite that, there isn't a good performance to be found. Everyone appears to have had the life sucked out of them. They're doing the minimum necessary to collect their paychecks. Theron apparently put all of her efforts into doing her own stunts (she was seriously injured during filming), leaving little opportunity for emoting or delivering convincing dialogue. She flips and flops like a circus pro, and some of her costumes don't leave much to the imagination. Nevertheless, it's tough to develop a strong allegiance with a character when the portrayal is bland.

Early in the film, there's a nice action scene featuring pods that spit darts and grass that might cut the lawn mower (rather than the other way around). After that, the "exciting" stuff becomes routine: running around, blowing things up, shooting, etc. The ideas underlying Aeon Flux's plot are the film's strength, and the filmmakers deserve some credit for doing more than paying lip service to them. Director Karyn Kusama (Girlfight) has a sense of visual flair. Many aspects of Aeon Flux's look could have been derivative, but are not. In truth, although it would be difficult to laud this movie as being anything stronger than mediocre, it is superior to what one would reasonably expect from something Paramount was trying to keep under wraps.


© 2005 James Berardinelli

[Joshmo]

A rock solid 7/10!

A really good popcorn muncher with enough story to keep ya interested and cool special effects. There was nothing wrong with the acting btw.... if you want oscar calibur acting than dont see a popcorn flick. Glad I seen it on the big screen!

[ilovemovies]

I loved it! Movies like this remind me why science fiction is my favorite genre! Great action, interesting story with some really cool twists. The second half of the movie is fantastic. I really like where the story goes.

As for the acting, I thought generally it was adaquet. Charlize Theron is shockingly flat in the begining of the movie but she gets better as the movie goes along and is generally ok. Marton Csokas gives the movies best performance. He's solid all the way through. Johnny Lee Miller gives a decent performance as the movie's real villian. Sophie Okonedo, who gave such a great performance in Hotel Rwanda, is surprisingly lifeless here. And Frances McDormand and Pete Poslethwaite are wasted in nothing roles.

But some weak acting aside, I think this movie is very close to being perfect. I do wish they had expanded on a few things. I wish they expanded on the rebellian and especially on Frances McDormand's character. We know nothing of her in the begining of the movie and that remains so at the end.

But overall, I loved it. For the life of me I don't understand why the movie wasn't screened for critics. It's a visually stunning movie with a really interesting story. Overall, it's great science fiction.

8/10

[Tyler_Durden_208]

Wait, so you're telling me they somehow attracted good actors (aside from Theron) such as Sophie Okonedo and Pete Postlethwaite? And not only that but they wasted them? What is it with good actors being attracted to bad projects lately? *cough*Bloodrayne/IntheNameoftheKing*cough*

[inglourious basterd]

Originally posted by Tyler_Durden_208
What is it with good actors being attracted to bad projects lately? *cough*Bloodrayne/IntheNameoftheKing*cough*

One guess:

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[jaw2929]

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

I've been wantin to see this one since I heard it was comin out... I like the MTV Liquid TV cartoon series in the mid 90's, even though I never understood a fucking thing about it, cuz it was so bizarre... Plus Theron is one of my favourite actresses....

So true to the cartoon, the movie started out just as bizarre as anything you've seen on the big screen.... Taking place 400 years after a virus wiped out 99% of the world's population, the remaining humans are forced to live in a protected by walls city, the last city on earth called "Bregna"... By which Trevor Goodchild has lead them, and come up with a cure to the virus, so they can eventually travel outside the city and set up civilization all over the world again.... Eventually the story becomes more coherent as the movie goes along, and everything starts to make sense ;)

Aeon Flux is a rebel against the Goodchild family, sent on a mission to kill leader Trevor, because there have been kidnappings and people disappearing out of nowhere with the gov't not doin a damn thing about it (sounds sorta familiar, eh :P)... Anyhow, some of the citizens keep getting re-accurring memories that don't belong to them, and don't know why... Aeon and Trevor Goodchild are just 2 of the many...

Without givin anything away, this movie is sorta like a mix between Tomb Raider and the 5th Element... Bizarre Sci-fi "cyberpunk" concepts make for quite an interesting setting and visuals.... Theron does a great job of playing the cold, almost soul-less Flux, and Johnny Lee Miller (Sick Boy from Trainspotting) puts on a good American accent (even though he's from England) and plays Oren Goodchild, brother of Trevor....

If you enjoyed the cartoons, or just want a crazy sci-fi action movie to enjoy, then this is definately the movie for you!

[Tyler_Durden_208]

Originally posted by psudoazn
One guess:

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Yeah, but I remember a day when if an actor didn't believe in the material or think it would be a good movie, then they wouldn't commit to it. *sighs*

[dman476]

This movie was the shit. I loved it, and it is because I love sci-fi, but this was just one heck of a movie. The visual effects were great, the acting was all right, Charlize Theron was hot, the action was pretty good also. The story was very complex but was done tastefully in a weird euro-bizarro sort of fashion with exotic mind warps and such.
I reccomend seeing it on the big screen, I got a kick out of the film and will probably be buying it. Very fun stuff.

7/10

[BigRedNeck]

Should change the title to Aeon SUCKS. This was the worst movie of 2005.

[chinton]

You know for such stylized visuals and such an interesting story I was really amazed at how utterly boring and lifeless it is. Oh well at least they tried.

5/10

[moviegroupie]

Anyone who saw this and honestly thought it would be good was wrong.

[Joshmo]

Well that settles it. With such an insightful review and profound opinion, I thank you for letting me know I am incorrect in MY opinion and will now add you to my buddies list so I can know how to think in the future. :rolleyes:

I was just saying the other day that this place lacks well thought out and in depth opinions...glad I am proven wrong. :D

[moviegroupie]

Hahahhaha common, usually I say insightful things. But what's wrong with making fun of Charlize Theron's equivalent of Catwoman? I'll bet when there was a Gigli thread back in the day, I was probably cracking the same joke, and you were upset with it. Common now, this is just in good taste :)

[Joshmo]

Aeon Flux and Catwoman dont even share the same reality.

Catwoman was shameful, Theron has no reason to be ashamed of Flux.

[Pigpen]

Originally posted by Joshmo
Aeon Flux and Catwoman dont even share the same reality.

Catwoman was shameful, Theron has no reason to be ashamed of Flux.
I agree.

I just saw Aeon Flux, and it was much better than I anticipated ( 7/10 ).

Catwoman was utterly horrid, and there is no real comparison between the two, save for the two actresses Oscar wins.

[moviegroupie]

Apologies, then.

[Badbird]

This movie was pretty darn good. I loved the whole visual look of it. It really took its far future concept and ran with it. There wasn't anything mundane about the visuals when they could have easily copped out and went for an obvious high-tech look that would be out of date in five years. But the visuals in this were truly unique and refreshing from a studio movie.

It was a well done, servicable movie in most regards. The action sequences were fairly tame - nothing special - except for the dash across the lawn with the machine gun tree pod thingies, and the scene where she took out the armor plated guards. The guns had surprisingly little pop to their sound effects.

The story was pretty cool. Nothing ground breaking, but at the same time it was a different take on a familiar story, and I'll give it credit for being so out there. Though I could have done without the excessive voice over at the beginning.

And the refrences to the original cartoons were pretty cool. Plus great music score. Not a bad movie at all.

[gspawn]

5/10
Theron and Csokas are both hot- my fiancee only saw this movie for him, and she was very happy. Also look out for Johnny Lee Miller (the kid from Hackers!!!). Good to see the dude's still got it.

The rest of the movie? Terrible. Sure, Theron is hot and wearing almost nothing- but even HER costuming sucks. In the very first scene, her hood-thing doesn't line up with her face properly. This should have been fixed with another take. Theron's also THE ONLY CHARACTER IN THE WHOLE MOVIE wearing outfits like she does. 200 extras are dressed in a similar way, and Theron looks like she's going to a techno-ballroom-dance-club. Something went rotten there.

The flick is just mid-bogglingly poor in spots. When Theron goes on a night mission, she wears white. On a day mission, black.

The "Black chick's" modifications were cool, but was anyone else thinking "Thunderbirds"? It looks like they just did a close-up on Csokas's hands doing the action, with absolutely no attempts at clever effects. You'll know what I mean if you've seen it. Ridiculous.

Rating?
-5/10 by itself. Not terrible, but it is forgettable.
-8/10 if you know what you're in for. Johnny Lee Miller, Clarlize Boner *cough* uhhh... Theron... and Martin Csokas looking like he's auditioning for Rammstein's next video. These bits are awesome. Also look for Pete Postlethwaite playing his usual "knowledgeable but weird" character. Everything else? Who cares. If this paragraph sounds like it's worth a ticket, go see this movie. Everyone else? Meh.

[Mystique963]

I'm going to have to second the 5/10 rating.

I thought it was over the top and in an attempt to make everything look pretty they kinda started subplots for no apperant reason and then finished them in a weak way. They seemed to be pushing the limits of wardrobe and then shattered them violently and ended up with a lot of the charactors looking pretty stupid. I have as much appriciation as anyone for attractive women, but comon. Theron looked ridiculous throughout most of the movie.

[Lemmywinks]

I saw this last night, and I had low expectations but there wasnt really anything else to see, and I was bored. I was actually impressed. This movie wasnt nearly as bad as some people made it out to be. I honestly wasnt bored at all. Sure, some of the diologue was bad, but I figured it was a pretty boring place to live, and the way people talk to each other could have evolved. I also noticed that she was wearing all white during a night mission. That was kind of dumb. Also, where was Frances Mcdormands character located? Was she a real person somewhere, or just something someone created to have the orders come from some personalitly. The world they lived in could have been explained more. Mostly the movie was just centered around the government building. Only 1 or 2 houses were shown, and it would have been better to see how these people live 400 years in the future. The movie just felt kind of small for such a grand idea. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes scifi. 8/10

Oh, and did anyone else laugh out loud when Sithandra(cythandra, whatever) was finally pulled out of the water after like 2 days in the pond breathing out of that little straw? Was it supposed to be funny? I laughed for a good 30 seconds or so. Funny stchuff.

[dfd3657]

These reactions are better than I expected. I WAS going to see it on opening day, but I didn't get the chance to, then I read the reviews, so I decided not to go. But I really LOVE Charlize Theron (she was amazing in Monster and North Country) and I love the Aeon Flux series. Looks like I'll just wait for the DVD now (I'm sure it won't take that long to get to DVD).