Aeon Flux [Blu-ray] [2005]

a lot of people compare this film too the comic it is based on. i never knew the comic existed, so i watched the film from a totally "innocent" perspective, if that is the right term. with this in mind, i think it is a fantastic film for it's overall visual aspect of a future world set after a devastating plague. the overall story is fine but the action sequences are really what makes this film great. i have the dvd version aswell as the blu-ray, and i can definately say that the blu version is superior for picture and sound quality. mind you, of over 30 films that i have compared so far, EVERY blu version has been superior too their dvd version. if someone says they cannot see any difference, or it isn't worth buying the blu version for the "slight gain" in picture quality, then they are probably in need of an upgrade of their equipment. it's always good to have something better. i realize some people may not like this review of the film itself, but come on people, it's just a work of fiction, enjoy the film for what it is and don't get hung-up on life.

I still find it difficult to understand why this little gem of a film is so frequently dismissed by reviewers. There is, perhaps, a clue in the fact that many compare it with the television `anime' series of the same name. (I qualify `anime', as strictly speaking MTV's `Aeon Flux' does not belong to this category. Animator Peter Chung is an American who was born in South Korea.) I am also a fan of anime, and of Peter Chung, but apart from the names of Aeon Flux and Goodchild and the inventive visual approach, there are few similarities between this film and Peter Chung's short animations.
The visual quality of this film is extremely high and occasionally outstanding. The art direction shows a remarkable grasp of the use of colour and lighting, composition, texture and form, succeeding to a degree which even many overtly `art' films fail to reach. You could take a hundred screenshots from this film and have them accepted for an exhibition of art photography. Similarly much of the set design would not raise too many eyebrows as part of an installation in the Tate Modern. The trouble is, the film presents itself as Action/Science Fiction, and the action is sufficiently well directed that the stunning visual shots - often only a few seconds long - can be easily overlooked. Then again, many people are used to seeing unusual graphical compositions and set designs in Science Fiction films, and this familiarity, together with the pace at which most of the film is taken, might make it difficult for some to appreciate the higher aesthetic values if they were not looking for them. Nevertheless, to dismiss its artistic flair as `cheesy style' as one reviewer has done is mind-numbingly inappropriate and surprisingly reactionary.
Be that as it may, even if it is only considered as a straightforward Science Fiction film, it is really not all that bad. The plot contains many long-standing and revered Sci-Fi principles it is true, (giving certain reviewers the opportunity to use some of their favourite phrases such as `dystopic society',) but so do most SF productions these days, and they are not necessarily the worse for that. In any case it has become extremely difficult to come up with any entirely novel SF concept. Most of them have been dealt with before, many of them in written form (and often as early as the forties, fifties and sixties), most of which were superior treatments of the subject than later films based on them, whether acknowledged by the film-makers as the source of their inspiration or not. Besides, Aeon Flux has some intriguing little plot twists and some excellent ideas in its own right. Indeed some scenes show considerable originality both in concept and in the manner in which they are presented. The `hidden' laboratory is an excellent example of this, being both visually striking and providing considerable stimulus for speculation on the nature and/or accessibility of superimposed dimensions. And yet the scene is not an isolated incident. It is an integral part of the plot. Surely this degree of wonder, presented coherently and in a manner which is capable of sustaining suspension of disbelief, is a hallmark of good Science Fiction. Furthermore, even less esoteric motifs are generally dealt with well. Whoever can remain unmoved by the ominous nature of the `Relical' - its purpose, its ubiquitous inescapability, even its very appearance (reminiscent of a Portuguese man-of-war) - should ask themselves whether Science Fiction is really the right genre for them.
Finally, in common with many other SF films there is considerable use of tecnological gadgetry and special effects, but in Aeon Flux these are often beautifully designed, and frequently surprisingly inventive and unusual in concept. This, again, is not what we would expect from `poor' Science Fiction. If there is a major flaw, it is perhaps in the quality of some of the acting, although the beautiful Charlize Theron is competent enough, and deals with the demands of her `action heroine' role with apparent ease.
If you like Science Fiction, without being too fixed in your preconceptions as to how it should be handled, and particularly if you are susceptible to beautiful cinematography and visual flair, then I think you would enjoy this film, and as one might expect, the Blu-Ray version is even more spectacular than the DVD.

I had a life.
Now all I have is a mission

The year is 2415; it has been seven generations since the industrial plague whipped out 99% of the people. The few remaining survivors are all huddled into one city with walls protecting them from whatever is outside. It is an ideal city of Bregna ran by Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas) and a council. In addition, as with any such city there will always be rebels that thinks something is wrong with lack of freedom and mysterious disappearances. Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) belongs to such an organization. Her mission as the most ept agent is to dispatch the so-called benevolent ruler. Can she do this or will circumstances and chance encounters change the situation?

The film does not boast of anything really extraordinary except maybe an exceptionally rich architectural backdrop. Shot mostly in Berlin we see many popular places that for some reason they thought would not be that familiar to the audience. Evidently, they must not know how popular Berlin is, especially key locations. The original location on their wish list was Brasilia because of its 1050's futuristic look; however, that proved to be economically unfeasible. See if you recognize Sans Souci, Potsdam built in 1745 by Frederick the Great, one of the world best know orangeries.

Although this movie had nothing extraordinary, it is a perfect example of the genre and will hold your attention as you anticipate where they are going with the story. Only someone that anticipates that it will stick to the animated series may be disappointed.

The DVD rendering adds some background commentaries that make rewatching the film more enjoyable.

Hancock (Two-Disc Unrated Edition)