Film Review: Aeon Flux

Aeon Flux (15)
Dir. Karyn Kusama

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

It’s been said that “stupid is as stupid does…” and unfortunately Aeon Flux is stupid over and above the call of duty.
But does that necessarily mean it isn’t a decent film? Yes, yes it really does.
Director Karyn ‘Girlfight’ Kusama has taken the cool unsettling, future shock MTV Television animated series of the same name and given it a live action lobotomy. The weird plot, which worked in cartoon form, really doesn’t translate at all well and what we end up with is an hour and a half with nothing better to do than stare at Charlize Theron in various figure-hugging spandex outfits. Erm, which of course isn’t the worst way to spend an hour and a half but even after such red hot eye candy you’ll still come out wondering how an action adventure could be so dull.
Set 400 years in the future, it seems that a disease has wiped out the majority of the earth's population and those who are left are holed up in a walled city called Bregna. But something isn’t right in Bregna (and I mean apart from the fact that some of the people have had a new pair of hands grafted onto the bottom of their legs to replace their feet!?). The ruling elite are corrupt and it’s up to special underground agents like Aeon Flux to take the fight to those in power. It seems that everything on offer here has been done in some form before and better somewhere else, it’s like having a major attack of déjà vu. British talent like Jonny Lee Miller’s smirking baddie pop up from time to time but even Pete Postlethwaite’s amusing cameo can’t save this film from its preposterously pretentious set up. Theron does at least try to take it all seriously but the script only calls for little more than her showing off her perfect figure in various gymnastic poses – and occasionally blowing away bad guys.
I guess that if you like watching fine looking ladies in skin-tight cat suits and have the ability to turn off the rational thought areas of your brain, then Aeon Flux might be one of the best films you’re ever likely to see… For the majority of the film going public though, it won’t ever be much more than Theron’s ‘Catwoman’ and anyone who saw Catwoman knows how damning that statement is…

Poster Quote: "the future might be retarded but it sure looks good... "

Darkmatt Rating: ööö (three stars for Miss Theron's outfits only!!)

"Now... where did I put my costume?"

Darkmatters: H O M E