Aeon Flux

I am quite a fan if science fiction and am often intregued by visions of a futuristic world or society. Aeon Flux is set 400 years in the future after a virus has wiped out 99% of the Earths population. Those who remain live in one 'perfect' city rules over by a single family unable to leave the city walls for fear of the overgrown world outside. Charlize Theron stars as Aeon Flux, a mysterious assassin working for a group called the Monicans who are trying to bring down the goverment they see as controlling and damaging the remaining population. The film has a bright look and some interesting design ideas, however it never quite manages its own look, rather is seems pieced together from other similar films inclusing the recent action film Equilibrium and The Fifth Element. The plot involves Aeon Flux's main mission to kill the leader of the government and help the Monicans gain control. The story is decent enough and takes some interesting directions, however the characters are poorly defined and realised which leaves the audience less connected with events. One of the main culprits for this has to be Charlize Theron herself. After winning an Oscar for her turn in Monster this is a real step down, she looks nice enough in the role, but fails to emote at all which leaves the central character hard to care about. She speaks rarely and doesn't ground the story at all. Really this is the problem with the whole film. It has nice ideas (one character has had her feet replaced with hands for extra agility) but fails to implement them well. Cliche after cliche are met and the rules of the universe are set up and then ignored. Huge plot holes ruin the story at times as well and there is often little emotion behind the rather hackneyed dialogue. However it's not all bad, the action sequences are well constructed and executed. Some of the designs are excellent and the central mystery is intreguing and the answer not what you may expect. I think the main problem with the film is that it tries to be serious and heavy, when it should be over the top and light hearted. That is one of the reasons the Fifth Element worked so well and something missing here. Deadly serious talk of this nature can threaten to make the whole film look rather silly and this film crosses that line a few too many times. So not exactly recommended but not a waste of time either, Aeon Flux is that annoyance of the film world, a film that is OK but you feel could have been great. A disappointing mish-mash of existing sci-fi films and ideas that brings little new to the table. The action sequences are decent and there are good ideas here, its just a shame they are so deeply buried in mediocrity.