Review of Æon Flux (2005) by Kalinn. — 26 Dec 2005

After hearing lots (and lots... and lots...) of negative comments, I finally overcame my revulsion toward the grotesque that has recently been parading under the "SF" label and made myself watch AE.

(Ms Theron's participation helped, too. After Devil's Advocate, Sweet November and The Monster, how would it not?) I was, at first, pleasantly surprised. Passable choreography, delicate human touches (in addition to the futuristic gadgets, none too original, but often presented in a memorable manner.

..think Aeon with two contrasting eyes), Ms Theron and Mr Czokas moving me in a way that has little to do with 13, excuse me American friends :), 15-year-olds, some ecological/genetic/ethical food for thought even, gee, the stuff's getting into cinematic SF too, at last.

.. But it really hit me as I was pondering over the story - and everyone's disparaging reviews - tonight: a phrase I'd almost missed, half-deafened by the crash of machine guns; something that I had never, ever expected to hear in a Hollywood movie, perhaps because I've heard it only in such unorthodox tales like Peter Beagle's _Last Unicorn_ (the book, not the animated adaptation), or just any SF movie, with the usual technological bias of SF - something that makes, to me at least, Aeon Flux the mightiest revolution in film SF thought since The Matrix.

(A very silent revolution, prone to remain unnoticed, obviously.) I'm not going to give it away. Heck, you've been irking me with your insensitive readings for a week already; you deserve some teasing in turn.

:) Try to listen for it yourselves, probe its boldness and humanity on your own. It's not that _subtle_; as some critic said, it has to get across to the popcorn-munchers, too. (Hee-hee...funny it hasn't got across to _you_, is it not?) The 9, rather than a 10, is because of a personal grudge against the omnipresent use of violence for resolving conflict, and the annoying "We're not anarchists" explanation near the end - that one is a subtle offense, too, if you are inclined to look at the characters in a particular PC way.

These are minor flaws compared to the film's strengths, so my rating is 9.5, really. I am not the most astute and observant of film critics - I mostly watch movies for their emotional and thought-provoking impact.