Aeon Flux The Movie - The Memorable TV DVD Review

Whilst being touted as a big budget action piece Aeon Flux is really a scifi movie in the classic tradition with grand ideas and big "imagination" that far outstrips its animated MTV origins to put forth a new spin on the totalitarian future dystopia.

400 years in the future Mankinds population has dwindled to a single city, Bregna, ruled over by Trevor Goodchild (quite possibly the first dictator to be called Trevor); Little do this perfect but sterile community know that they are all actually clones constantly regenerated by Goodchild as he and his brother (Jonny Lee Miller) try to come up with a cure for their citizens lack of fertility.

Charlize Theron, all skin tight cat suits and wonky fringed hair do, plays Aeon Flux, one of the prime movers in a resistance movement called the Monicans who seek to bring down Goodchild and his one party system. When she is given the task of assassinating Trevor Aeon learns the secret of the city and also learns that Jonny Lee is planning to usurp his brother and take control of the city; Flux's job is further complicated when she sleeps with Trevor after he reveals she is the clone of his long dead wife.

There's a huge amount of gunplay and lingering close ups of Theron's figure hugging outfits to clearly try and catch the teenage audience and to also stay true to creator Peter Chungs original concept but the story stands up more than well enough on its own merits to not need the flashy pyrotechnics; The cleverest set piece sees the escape of Flux from government hands by her mentally calling upon thousands of tiny metal balls which attach themselves to the wall of her cell and explode clearing the way for her escape.

The only downside is that it could have gone on another 20 minutes to wrap things up properly. Also Pete Postlethwaite has a somewhat eccentric turn that must surely have been bigger in the original version as he's only in it for five minutes. Fast paced, clever and exciting Aeon Flux is definitely worth making a Friday night date with.

ANY SPECIAL FEATURES?

Plenty of extras including five featurettes going behind the scenes of the movie looking at stunts, locations and costume design. There are also two separate audio commentaries from screenwriters Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi as well as Charlize Theron and producer Gail Anne Hurd.