I recently bought the DVD box set of the "Aeon Flux" animated series that aired on MTV in the early 90s, and I watched just about all of the episodes before watching this movie. I kinda wish I didn't buy it, because even though the animated series was kinda cool, it was very esoteric, and after a while, I had no idea what I was watching. Visually, there's some great stuff there, but following the story is a challenge, or at least it was for me. I wasn't sure what to expect with the feature film version of "Aeon Flux." The trailer was only so-so, and the geeks who would usually be thrilled with this kinda movie seemed almost indifferent. Then came the kicker; the movie didn't have a special screening for critics. That's almost always a bad sign, because it means that the studio expects a lot of bad reviews. Because of all that, as well as the fact fact that the animated series was a little too complicated for my feeble little mind, I figured I wouldn't like the movie, but I kinda did. It wasn't great, but it was pretty good, and Charlize Theron looked really yummy.
Although I did like the visual style of animated series, I can't say I'm a fan. However, I ended up liking the movie because unlike the animated series, I didn't feel lost watching it. The story wasn't perfect, but it wasn't hard to follow, and I knew what was going on. The thing is, those who are fans of the animated series will find much to complain about, especially when it comes to the relationship between the title character and "Trevor Goodchild." In the animated series, their relationship is ambiguous, and they have a very passionate love/hate relationship. In the movie, their relationship is explained in detail (though not immediately), so you're practically spoon-fed the information.
Another big difference between the animated series and the movie is that the movie is very tame. The animated series, especially the shorts that aired on "Liquid Television," were very violent and very sexual. This movie is rated PG-13, so there is a lot less violence, and there's a lot less kissing and licking going on (there was a lot of licking in the animated series... don't ask). Not only that, the outfit that "Aeon Flux" wears in the movie isn't nearly as revealing as it was in the animated series. Sure, in the animated series, she was wearing little more than strategically placed black straps with gun holsters, but I wanted to see Charlize Theron in an outfit like that! Okay, so maybe it wouldn't be very practical, but couldn't we at least get one scene with her wearing an outfit like the character did in the animated series? That would have been nice.
"Aeon Flux" was directed by Karyn Kusama, and this is her second feature film as director, her first being "Girlfight," which was pretty good. I can see why she was hired to direct the movie, but I think the relatively low budget prevented it from being the spectacle that it could have been. Still, I think Kusama did a really good job. The screenplay was written by Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi, who helped write the horrible Jackie Chan movie, "The Tuxedo". They also wrote "Crazy/Beautiful," which I never saw. I think they wrote a good script, but I wonder how Peter Chung feels about it. In case you don't know, "Aeon Flux" was created by Peter Chung, and he directed every episode of the animated series.
Charlize Theron looks nothing like the character from the animated series, but dye her hair black (or give her a wig), and it works for me. Sure, there are plenty of brunette actresses who could have played the role, but Charlize Theron is probably the most beautiful actress working today who has also won a Best Actress Oscar. I was fine with her being cast in the role, and I think she did a good job in the movie. It wasn't her toughest acting gig, since most of her dialogue requires a deadpan delivery, but she made a believable badass, and she looked really sexy in the role. "Trevor Goodchild" was played by Marton Csokas (he was "Celeborn" in "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"), and even though he looks nothing like the character from the animated series, he was really good. Frances McDormand (who worked with Charlize Theron in "North Country"... like Theron, she won a Best Actress Oscar, having won it for her role in "Fargo") plays a small role in the movie (a character not in the animated series), and she's pretty cool to watch. Also, there's Sophie Okonedo (she played "Tatiana Rusesabagina," the wife of Don Cheadle's character, in the great movie, "Hotel Rwanda") as "Sithandra," who WAS in the animated series, and I was happy to see that they actually included her bizarre body modification from the show. She's really good in the movie.
"Aeon Flux" will probably piss off fans of the show, and on top of that, I don't think that a lot of non-fans will be interested in seeing it. I enjoyed the movie, though. I was never bored while watching it, and if it's loaded with some cool supplements, I'll probably buy the DVD when it comes out. Still, I don't think a lotta people will be flocking to see this one, despite Charlize Theron's considerable sex appeal.
Scale of 1-10: 7