In 1991, MTV, which is aired music videos much more frequently than they do today, introduced us to the world of Aeon Flux as a part of its Liquid Television series. The success of the series led to it getting five more episodes the following year, then another series a few years later. Then, Aeon Flux was all but forgotten save for the die-hard fans that still remember it fondly.

The problem though is that the cult animated series has gone the way of Hollywood, and now fifteen years after the series premiered, someone decided that it was time for a live action version to hit theaters. That in itself was met with mixed reaction, and when it wasn’t even premiered for critics and reviewers, that simply didn’t sit well with anyone.

Aeon Flux, the film, is set some 400 years in the future of Earth. As we learn in the beginning, in 2011 a deadly virus wiped out nearly 90% of the worlds population, and the only refuge left for the descendants of the survivors is a walled city Bregna, but all is not well in the utopia. The city is under the control of a group of scientists, and their leader Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas), has been targeted by the Monican, a group determined to regain control of the city for the people. Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) belongs to this elite group, and she has her won reasons for wanting Trevor dead. A year ago her sister Una (Amelia Warner) was slain by the government under belief that she was a Monican, but Aeon is finding the Trevor isn’t easy to kill as the two seem to have a connection, but just what that is, she can’t remember.

While the film may go a bit more in-depth into the character of Aeon as well as the world, while it may actually incorporate a few things that fans remember from the series, adapting the cartoon into a live action series is one of those things that someone should have put a stop to before it got too far. Sadly, that never happened, and Aeon Flux is yet another example of Hollywood giving a green light to something that otherwise should have simply remained as it was, though the movie at least gave Paramount a reason to release the animated series on DVD at long last.

The only thing that really saves Aeon Flux from being a complete abomination is that it wasn’t nearly the atrocity that another, and quite similar film, was that happened to be released shortly after this. I think we all know which film that would have been, but just in case, Ultraviolet is the culprit. Aeon Flux doesn’t rely nearly as much on computer animation as what Ultraviolet did thankfully, but unfortunately I’ve now had to sit through BOTH of these films in the course of a week, and not by choice. Why review them you may ask? Simple; it’s a warning just in case you haven’t already seen them.

Aeon Flux, as you probably might recall, looks nothing like the character seen in the animation, though that’s something that you really can’t hold anyone at fault for. Peter Chung has a very stylistic approach to both characters and setting in his anime-inspired classic, and it’s something that a live action version can’t accomplish nearly as well. Chung himself has even been quoted in the past at stating that he never wanted the series made into a live action version, and thus I suppose we can speculate either something in the licensing contract let him loose control of the property or the money spoke to him quite clearly.

Though the film is something that can be lumped into the science fiction category, it plays off more like an action film first, then sci-fi. There is a good deal of action, we see Aeon doing some butt kicking whenever the opportunity arises, but any futuristic elements are second to that. She has some good gadgets of course, there are some good effects used throughout the film, but there’s one that that it ultimately lacks and that is a real plot. Sure, there’s one thinly disguised here, but it really becomes nothing more than a minor backdrop, and instead it’s high flying moves, jumps, and choreographed fights that become the star attraction. That might be good for some, and considering that the film merely received a PG-13 rating, you can tell exactly who the film was aimed at, and it doesn’t seem that it was the fans of the series. This is something that is all too common these days, and in the world adaptations and remakes, the original intent is often forgotten in favor of simply making a few quick dollars off an unsuspecting public or a target audience who has no idea about what the original source material was.

The biggest problem with Aeon Flux is that when you take away the action and the effects, it simply becomes a boring and trite movie. Aeon’s connection to Trevor becomes evident all too quickly, as does just about everything else in the film. Without giving too much away just in case you’re just dying to see the film, there are minor plot points dealing with the disappearance of citizens from the city as well as cloning. Aeon has some veiled past about who she was, Trevor seems to have been quite important to her at one point, and she goes against her mission orders to try and put this all together. While she’s slowly adding it together, most are going to already know exactly what the truth is, and seeing her stumble through everything is just as painful as it is annoying.

Aside from getting the film itself, there are two separate commentary tracks included on the DVD. The first features Charlize Theron and the films producer Gale Anne Hurd, the second included the screenwriters, Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. Notice that Peter Chung isn’t involved in this aspect? I couldn’t even begin to image why that would be. There are also a number of features that look at the production of the film. The stunts, costumes, locations, set photography and the creation of the world itself for the film are all examined. Even the theatrical trailer is found on the DVD but what you won’t find is a look of the original animation, not even in the previews section. Great way to tie it in and increase the DVD sales, but then again, the film did so poorly; I don’t think even seeing the original source material could improve opinions.

Thanks once again to the producers and executives in Hollywood for ruining yet another franchise. They couldn’t stop with making live action versions of Scooby-Doo, remakes of Asian horror films wasn’t enough, and even taking classic horror films like The Fog, Dawn of the Dead, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre just couldn’t be enough to suffice. Now we’re looking to pop culture animation that was never quite mainstream enough to gain a great deal of attention, but was certainly cool back when it was originally broadcast. Apparently, nothing is sacred when it comes to Hollywood (something that has become more evident when seeing the list of films slated for remake) and Aeon Flux is a shining example of what not to do, not just with a property, but with a film in general. I suppose the obvious play on the title here is Aeon Sucks, and it that’s actually being quite kind.
 

-mike-
 

Directed by: Karyn Kusama   Written By: Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi   Cast: Charlize Theron Sophie Okonedo Marton Csokas Jonny Lee Miller

DVD Features: Audio Tracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1  & 2.0 Surround), French Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono English & Spanish Subtitles Commentary w/Charlize Theron & Gale Anne Hurd Commentary w/Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi Creating a World: Aeon Flux The Locations of Aeon Flux The Stunts of Aeon Flux The Costume Design of Aeon Flux The Craft of the Set: Photographer on Aeon Flux Theatrical Trailer