Three of the crack staff at WMD went yesternight to watch the new film starring Charlize (grr, baby!) Theron, Aeon Flux. This film is based on the cartoon from the 1990s that appeared first on MTV's Liquid Television program and has been a cult staple. As part of the film's release, the cartoons have been released on DVD. I remember the outline of the cartoon, and Matt and I went in with low expectations, basically just wanting to see Charlize ( I admit it, that was the main reason). Knowing it was an MTV film just made us warier. Let's just say, we have seen this film before.
Here is the basic plot. In 2011, the bird flu strikes and kills 99% of the Earth's population. No, they didn't say Bird Flu, but they did say some type of "industrial virus". The remaining humans joined under the regime of the Goodchilds who developed the "cure" for the virus. The Goodchilds established a walled city and have governed for 400 years. However, even though things appear to be a paradise in this new walled city the Goodchilds have created, people still mysteriously disappear. Aeon Flux is an assassin for the rebel Monacans, who want to overthrow the Goodchild regime and give the people true freedom.
In this paradise, generation after generation, people are having strange visions, strange dreams, if you will. It appears to be getting worse with each generation. Goodchild is trying to keep this information from the public. Aeon is charged with assassinating the Goodchild leader. This is where things get interesting, as big lies are revealed and we find out that this paradise is merely a "ghost" of times past.
Mark's Review
In terms of babe hotness, I was not disappointed. While I did not like the short dark hair on Charlize, come on, it's Charlize Theron! A disappointment (purely chauvanistic) is that she did not wear the same skimpy outfit as the cartoon character. However, given what she was doing stuntwise, that would have been difficult, and probably very cold.
Anyway, the plot we have seen before. A post-apocolyptic paradise where all is not what it seems. People disappear at certain times, only to resurface with old memories intruding on new ones. Logan's Run anyone? This film, I told Matt, was Logan's Run with Matrix music. It also had some elements of the Matrix big conspiracy and manipulation by outsiders (the machines in the Matrix). However, it was not done well or originally. It was the Diet Coke of post-apocalyptic movies.
We get lots of genetically/surgically altered mercenaries, government bodyguards in technoarmor, and lots of gun battles and explosions. However, there is not a lot of meaningful action, not a lot of plot device other than, check out this hot babe trying to kill this other guy, only to end allying with him (an understatement!), and whoa, did we tell you she is hot and can jump alot. The characters were shallow archetypes and the dialogue at times was painful. However, it's Charlize Theron.
The camerawork stunk in the fight scenes. When I watch a fight, I want to actually see where people are being hit. The cinematography was not good in that you could not see the punches and kicks landing and the camera was here, there, and everywhere. Of course, being an MTV Film, I am sure they wanted it to look like a Mt. Dew commercial. The music was interesting, but as I said, was too reminiscent of the Matrix and the ilk of those movies.
The more this movie progressed, the more I saw of Logan's Run in it (no, Kids, it is not a sports movie...Rollerball is a sports movie). All the chases, the shooting of rayguns, the strange alliances, and the walled city where the wilderness awaits outside. The not so surprise ending was also VERY much like the 1970s classic.
Here is my advice. You want a real post-apocalyptic classic? Use your 9 bucks to rent Logan's Run. For those of you wanting babe-ocity, there is even a little cheesecake in Logan's that you don't get in Aeon.
I give it 2 Mushroom clouds, only because of the "talent" Charlize Theron brings to the role. It was a surprise casting, but she did well at it. Other than that, it was overly cliched and not well done. Definately a matinee at the supersaver, not an evening at full price.
Doug's Dialogue
So the guys asked me "Hey Doug, wanna go see a movie?" Always up for a challenge, I said sure. "What are we going to see?" I asked. "Aeon Flux" was the reply. My question was "What is that?" The reply was "it stars Charlize Theron" Enough for me.
Strangely enough, after seeing the movie, but before talking to the other guys, I had also come to the conclusion that this was a remake of Logan's Run. While the story is set differently than Logan's Run (in theory a different story line altogether), you can see the same plot developments in Aeon Flux.
The scenes that you see in the walled city reminded me a lot of my days spent at the two universities I attended. The concrete jungle design of universities that were built in the 60's and 70's could be used as perfect settings. Makes me wonder which one of the two universities that I attended did they use to film on location.
I thought the story was weak. Some of the characters were also weak. Had I have not already seen Logan's Run, I might have actually enjoyed this one a little bit. The special effects were rather bland and stale. The dialogue was bland. The acting was bland. Had my doctor not warned me about my high blood pressure, I would have taken some salt with me into the theater to give it some spice.
Hollywood has not disappointed me. They have not come up with an original idea in quite some time. As a result, their box office receipts are floundering. The funny part is that they can't seem to figure out why, so they keep putting out more and more films as somebody's original take on a film that's been already done. Trouble is it is not working. The people who are going to the movies are seeing through this Hollywood brain freeze and letting the Hollywood producers know that they do not appreciate this form of hostage by not paying the ransom to see the same trodden crap in the theatres.
This movie could have been more than it was. It was a disappointing venture into an area that could have had a lot of potential. I will give it one mushroom cloud out of five. Save your money and spend it on yourself for Christmas.
