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I was never a fan
of the techno-punk, cult series “Aeon Flux” from MTV, and for good
reason. While, I’m always up for an animated series about a hot woman
kicking ass, “Aeon Flux” was dull, lifeless, and ached to be as
entertaining as fare like “Ghost in the Shell” from day one. Thus was
MTV’s prime goal back in the days: make every series hipper than the
last. And with this they failed. So it was only a matter of time for a
movie to be made and eventually flop. You can blame America’s hesitation
to enjoy a female superhero, you can say that they mishandled the
character of Aeon Flux, but whatever excuse you create, at the end of
the day “Aeon Flux” is a pretty bad film, clear and simple, and worse
yet, it hearkens back to the absolutely excruciating “Ultraviolet” on
many occasions. Sure, Charlize Theron is gorgeous in it, but gorgeous
women does not a good movie make, kiddies. Most importantly though,
special effects, regardless of how gorgeous, does not a good movie make.
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With a
rather incoherent storyline that’s obviously appealing to
the video gaming crowds, “Aeon Flux” really relies more on
the hyper stylized CGI, clunky staged sequence after
sequence of Flux breaking in to every high compound in her
home, and it’s clear that director Kusama places the
aforementioned in a higher regard. There’s never a defined
plot in this, only sequences of padding that are intended to
serve as dialogue and exposition only for the sake of
introducing another action sequence our viewer is forced to
sit through. |
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Between bouts of gun
fights and acrobatics, “Aeon Flux” is a dreadfully boring and
incomprehensible mess with a screenplay that constantly jumps between
clunky to just plain embarrassing. The interplay between Theron and
Okonedo’s Sithandra is awfully artificial from the moment they meet, and
we’re forced to watch these two gifted actresses wade through the muck
of stunt shows and convoluted chemistry. Okonedo is of course underused
and woefully mishandled in her range, while Theron is constantly in a
sleepy haze, delivering every bit of dialogue in a hypnotic low whisper,
never displaying an inch of charisma or energy. Fans hoping for the same
adult hyper kinetic science fiction atmosphere will sadly either have to
settle for the dull and lifeless cliché Orwellian storyline, or abandon
all hope and retreat back to the series. Either way, with “Aeon Flux,” I
gather the series is a better alternative.
Boring,
incoherent, bland, and cliché, “Aeon Flux” garners a strong cast who are
all sadly wasted in sub-par performances portraying one-dimensional
characters in a typical Orwellian storyline that’s flat and dreadful on
arrival.
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