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By CityAeon Flux
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Aeon FluxFluctuating between mediocre and decent
2005-12-08
Article Written by: Sami Jo
Adapted from the MTV animated series, this futuristic film takes place in a world where a deadly virus nearly wiped out the human population 400 years earlier. Scientist Trevor Goodchild created a cure for the disease and all of the survivors live in Bregna, a city enclosed by giant walls that "protect" citizens from the world outside. Charlize Theron stars as Aeon Flux, a leader of the underground regime instructed to assassinate Goodchild, who leads the totalitarian government. As Aeon sets out to complete her task, she starts to learn the disturbing secrets of the world in which she lives.
Even with some good acrobatic action sequences and a decent story, Aeon Flux just doesn't have what it takes to be more than second-rate. Writers Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi and Peter Chung provide the main element of interest. They develop the characters in a way that keeps the audience interested in learning the truth about each character's past and what will happen next in the film. However, even though they successfully complete their task of holding an audience's attention, the film looks like many other sci-fi films we have already seen, such as The Island and Equilibrium . The action sequences were average because of the acrobatics, but don't compare to the sequences in other action films such as Mr. & Mrs. Smith or Spiderman . I'm not even going to mention The Matrix , because that would just be wickedly unfair, but would it be wrong for an audience to expect better action sequences?
Costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor added to the flux by failing to bring the quality of work she provided for Vanity Fair to this film. Other than the barely-there sleepwear Theron wore in one scene, the costumes were hideous. The outfit Theron wore throughout most of the film wasn't hot and it did nothing for her – it appears as if it was just an attempt to top the Catwoman costume. The men in the film never wore anything original or even eye-catching.
Despite her wardrobe, Theron ( Monster ) dazzles with her black hair. This film may not be one of her most successful ones, but she once again shows off her ability to portray a wide range of characters. Veteran actors Frances McDormand ( Something's Gotta Give ) and Pete Postlethwaite ( Romeo + Juliet ) are almost unrecognizable as Handler and the Gatekeeper. Marton Csokas, who plays Trevor Goodchild, has appeared in a number of films including Star Wars , The Lord of the Rings and The Bourne Supremacy . This clearly indicates that he has made a good impression on those in the industry, but his portrayal of Trevor Goodchild may increase his popularity among audiences. Evidently, it was only the acting that kept Flux from becoming a total flop.
Final Thought: Charlize Theron is an actress to keep your eye on – she has the talent and potential to earn many more Oscars.
