| Æ O N F L U X |
| 2 8 N O V 2 0 0 6 |
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| Does not sux The story is set in the year 2415 in the lone city of Bregna, where the last remnants of humanity reside after surviving a catastrophic epidemic centuries ago. Ruled by the Goodchild dynasty, whose ancestor discovered the cure for the epidemic, Bregna resembles a futuristic utopia, if not for the frequent disappearance of seemingly random individuals. A rebel group who calls itself the Monicans strongly believes that the government is responsible for the kidnappings. When an opportunity arises, they send their best operative, Æon Flux (Charlize Theron) to assassinate current despot Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas), but all is not what it appears with the seemingly well-meaning “dictator”, and possibly Flux herself. |
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| Æon Flux is an adaptation of an adult (as in mature, not sleaze) animated series created by Peter Chung. I never had the opportunity to see it, but heard about its innovativeness (e.g. one recurring character possesses a trait similar to South Park’s Kenny’s). I guess very little of that quality crossed over, because Æon Flux the movie feels a lot like a retread of Logan’s Run (and maybe Twelve Monkeys), which was already ripped-off by Michael Bay's The Island only a few months before, though its plot is slightly less predictable. Even as an action movie, Æon disappoints; the only highlight being the killer flora surrounding the Goodchild palace early on in the movie. The gunplay and martial arts are somewhat perfunctory (she shoots, bad guy falls over dead, repeat), in contrast with Ultraviolet’s over-the-top but imaginative action choreography. |
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| But it’s the star power that kept me riveted, because we have the mesmerising Oscar-winner Charlize Theron to guide us through the heavy-handed sci-fi plot, armed with nothing but good looks and acting chops. Marton Csokas, who made no impression on me during his appearances in XxX and Lord of the Rings, blew me away as a deadly clandestine operative in The Bourne Supremacy. He surprises me here, playing a gentler character. The presence of acting calibre such as Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda), Frances McDormand (Fargo) and Pete Postlethwaite (The Usual Suspects) keeps us emotionally attached to an otherwise reality-detached story.
(Loved the whole Euro fashion sets and costumes too.) |
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| R E V I E W S |
| Best viewed on Java-enabled Internet Explorer with a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. |
| E M A I L : bmf@bigmoviefreak.com Creative property of W.L. Kwa. A completely personal and non-profit endeavor. |
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