Æon Flux (2005)

Aeon Flux is a mysterious assassin working for the Monicans, a group of rebels trying to overthrow the government. When she is a sent on a mission to kill the Chairman, a whole new mystery is found.

Director:

Karyn Kusama

Writers:

Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi,

Stars:

Charlize Theron, Marton Csokas, Sophie Okonedo

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlize Theron	...	Æon Flux
Marton Csokas	...	Trevor Goodchild
Jonny Lee Miller	...	Oren Goodchild
Sophie Okonedo	...	Sithandra
Frances McDormand	...	Handler
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Keeper
Amelia Warner	...	Una Flux
Caroline Chikezie	...	Freya
Nikolai Kinski	...	Claudius
Paterson Joseph	...	Giroux
Yangzom Brauen	...	Inari
Aoibheann O'Hara	...	Scientist
Thomas Huber	...	Scientist
Weijian Liu	...	Scientist
Maverick Quek	...	Chemist

Storyline

400 years in the future, set in the year 2415, Aeon Flux is a mysterious assassin. Four centuries after a virus nearly annihilated the human race, leaving only five million survivors in a utopian city called Bregna. Aeon is struggling to destroy the Goodchild regime led by its namesake, Trevor Goodchild, the ruler of Bregna and a descendant of the man who found a cure for the deadly virus. As instructed by the Handler, Aeon is assigned to assassinate Goodchild, but there are deeper secrets to be discovered, and conspiracies to be foiled.

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Plot Keywords:

future | disease | one woman army | martial arts | female protagonist | 

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Taglines:

The future is flux.

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [it] Official site [kr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 December 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aeon Flux

Filming Locations:

Babelsberg, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$62,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$678,974 (Australia) (17 March 2006)

Gross:

$1,293,236 (Australia) (24 March 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Lakeshore Entertainment, Valhalla Motion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michelle Rodriguez was originally set to play the lead when the film was announced in 2003.

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Goofs

Sithandra's "feet" get impaled in multiple places by the grass. The wounds are not there in any other subsequent shot where we see her "feet".

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Quotes

[first lines]
Æon Flux: [narrating] Some called Bregna the perfect society. Some call it the height of human civilization. But others know better. The Goodchilds built Bregna to ensure us a future. They built the Relico, a memorial to remind us of what we've survived. They built walls to protect us. They tell us that outside, nature has retaken the world. But the real problems lie within. We are haunted by sorrows we cannot name. People disappear and our government denies these crimes. The Goodchild regime...

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Connections

Edited into Creating a World: Aeon Flux (2006)

User Reviews

Like Fifth Element, without the humour

When I originally heard of Aeon Flux, it sounded absolutely terrible. The posters looked even worse. However, after seeing a trailer somewhere, I loved the look and bright colours (being easily pleased) and decided to give the movie a chance.

Aeon Flux is the story of a female, barely clothed rebel sent in to assassinate the ruler of a dystopian isolated city, which contains the entire remainder of mankind. Let's just say the plot is entirely unoriginal, a derivative of many other Sci-Fi movies and stories.

Charlieze Theron gets to prance around with an insect-like walk (her first appearance strongly reminded me of a praying mantis), salamander-like crawls, and other, animal-inspired, ballet-like movements. The world of Aeon Flux is drawn in bright, almost psychedelic colours, and it feels as if we glimpse only the tiniest part of this strange place. A lake of tears acts as CCTV for the entire city, pills exchanged in French kisses are used for telepathy, little pellets of liquid metal have a will of their own... A good chunk of the film is dazzling to watch, without any explanation behind it. Strictly speaking, Aeon Flux is about 80% futuristic fantasy, with very little science fiction in it. In fact, it sometimes feels as if the strangely organic gadgets of the rebels do not fit in this world - as the authorities seem to have more conventional technology and weapons.

What Aeon Flux succeeds at the most is dazzling the audience. Visually, stylistically, and with its energy and futuristic fantasy (and constantly underdressed heroine). In that, it reminds me strongly of Fifth Element - another film where we feel as if we only get a glimpse of a futuristic, colourful world full of strangely dressed people, without the need to explain or expose every aspect of it. However, Aeon Flux is less satisfying than Luc Besson's classic - because it lacks a sense of humour and takes itself too seriously (which, given the plot, is a bad move).

All in all, I would recommend the film to people who enjoy Fifth Element, bright colours, a sense of visual alienation, and unoriginal science fiction dressed up in a bright, original and almost unique coating.