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Aeon Flux (15)
Director
Karyn Kusama
Karyn Kusama
Review byMatthew Turner15/02/2006
Two out of Five stars
Running time: 93 mins
Watchable, visually impressive thriller that’s ultimately scuppered by a criminal lack of humour.
What’s it all about?
Based on the MTV cartoons, Aeon Flux is set in 2415, four hundred years after 99 per cent of the population was wiped out by a deadly disease. The remaining citizens live in Bregna, a fortified city ruled by benevolent dictator Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas) and his brother Oren (Jonny Lee Miller).
Charlize Theron stars as Aeon Flux, a beautiful assassin and a member of the resistance, who agrees to take out Goodchild after the government murders her sister (Amelia Warner). However, when she comes face to face with her target she makes a shocking discovery.
The Good
The production design of the film is impressive – the bright sunlight, sculpted gardens and weird concrete architecture make a refreshing change from the perpetual rain and technological wizardry of other sci-fi flicks. Similarly, the costumes and hairdos are extremely amusing, particularly Theron’s beaded pyjama combo and Frances McDormand’s ginger fright wig.
The Bad
Unfortunately, the costumes and hairdos are the only evidence of a sense of humour in the entire film – even Sophie Okenedo (as Aeon’s sidekick Sithandra) and her genetically modified hand feet aren’t played for laughs.
Theron looks terrific and the cast do the best they can with the material they’re given, but someone really should have written Aeon a snappy comeback or two. Similarly the action scenes are badly directed, relying too heavily on rapid cutting and close-ups so you can’t tell what’s happening.
Worth seeing?
In short, Aeon Flux is gorgeous to look at but ultimately nowhere near as good as it should have been. Shame.
Running time: 93 mins
Watchable, visually impressive thriller that’s ultimately scuppered by a criminal lack of humour.
What’s it all about?
Based on the MTV cartoons, Aeon Flux is set in 2415, four hundred years after 99 per cent of the population was wiped out by a deadly disease. The remaining citizens live in Bregna, a fortified city ruled by benevolent dictator Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas) and his brother Oren (Jonny Lee Miller).
Charlize Theron stars as Aeon Flux, a beautiful assassin and a member of the resistance, who agrees to take out Goodchild after the government murders her sister (Amelia Warner). However, when she comes face to face with her target she makes a shocking discovery.
The Good
The production design of the film is impressive – the bright sunlight, sculpted gardens and weird concrete architecture make a refreshing change from the perpetual rain and technological wizardry of other sci-fi flicks. Similarly, the costumes and hairdos are extremely amusing, particularly Theron’s beaded pyjama combo and Frances McDormand’s ginger fright wig.
The Bad
Unfortunately, the costumes and hairdos are the only evidence of a sense of humour in the entire film – even Sophie Okenedo (as Aeon’s sidekick Sithandra) and her genetically modified hand feet aren’t played for laughs.
Theron looks terrific and the cast do the best they can with the material they’re given, but someone really should have written Aeon a snappy comeback or two. Similarly the action scenes are badly directed, relying too heavily on rapid cutting and close-ups so you can’t tell what’s happening.
Worth seeing?
In short, Aeon Flux is gorgeous to look at but ultimately nowhere near as good as it should have been. Shame.
Film Trailer
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