It's a bit unnerving when a studio declines to screen a film for the press before it goes into wide release. That many movies suck is no surprise, but when a studio itself admits as much ahead of time, the process of movie-going becomes a passion play of sorts. Consider it an early Christmas gift from Hollywood, then, that "Aeon Flux" isn't nearly the affront to taste and decency one might expect, given the above. Though ultimately overwhelmed by its flaws, it at least has (sort of) an idea with which to toy around. Too bad director Karyn Kusama seems to have little clue how to execute it all.

It's the future. There's been a plague. There is a dictatorship, and there are rebels. The latter are known as the Monicans, and far from being a cult of beret or tennis racket worshipers, they're into attempts to overthrow the former, called the Goodchild regime. The regime is occasionally mean to the citizenry, which is more than Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) and her pals can stand. Through some sort of biochemical virtual reality technology, the Monicans receive orders from their dear leader (Frances McDormand), a mystical priestess-type who appears to have been cross-bred with a carrot. It falls to Aeon to strap on some form-fitting, futuristic spandex get-ups to carry out the High Carrot's orders, which are of course some version of "destroy the regime." Having years earlier watched her sister get liquidated by the Goodchilds, she needs little convincing.

Not surprisingly, things get complicated. The Goodchilds might not be quite what they seem, and Aeon herself might have an unexpected history with them. Though occasionally muddled, the film's central conceit (of which I won't reveal more) contains some neat notions about the nature of human existence and survival. There's room for much more examination of which the film doesn't take advantage, but the ideas are there, at least. The big problems of "Aeon Flux" are technical. Kusama has made the baffling decision to film nearly all the action so close that we can rarely follow what's going on. To make matters worse, it's edited in a flurry of jump cuts that leave us completely lost. The result is some serious spacial disorientation that takes over the film. "Aeon Flux"'s aesthetic is one of sleek costume, oddly-angled architecture, and nimble characters. Much of the action occurs in minimalist, open spaces that beg for some unbroken long shots that might convey the grace and athleticism implied by the above. Instead, we get split seconds of flying limbs, breaking glass, and accompanying sound effects.

There is a pretty good movie trying to get out of the morass of "Aeon Flux." Put this stuff in the hands of the Wachowski brothers, say, and the results could be quite different. As it is, though, I felt like "Aeon Flux" was willfully pushing me away from a movie I wanted to enjoy. This film is unattuned to its own strengths. Like a novice poker player dealt a royal flush, it somehow finds a way to lose in spite of its potential.

I decided I had to watch this film when the reviewer I listen to said that other reviewers who said it was the worst film of the year were mistaken... he also mentioned Charlize Theron's costume but my wanting to watch the film had nothing to do with that... honest! I'm glad I decided to give it a go as it was a lot of fun even though it is rather silly. The action was fun to watch and the acting wasn't bad.

Set in a future where most of the population has died and only one city of healthy people remains Charlize Theron plays the eponymous Æon Flux, a rebel fighting against the city's government. When her innocent sister is killed by government forces she assumes it is because of her own involvement with the rebels. When she is given a mission to infiltrate the government zone and assassinate its leader she takes it hoping to get revenge on those responsible for her sister's death. However when she has her target in her sights she does not take the shot; having a strange feeling that she knows him even though they have never met. She soon learns that her world is not as it seems and she must battle against both government forces and her own people to protect her erstwhile target and uncover the truth.

The film is a bit let down by the writing but the special effects and the acting were both pretty good especially Charlize Theron. I particularly liked the garden that contained plants that attacked people. I never saw the animated television series so can't say how it compares but as a stand alone film it is good mindless fun which knows it isn't anything serious.

Charlize Theron cuts an exceptionally striking presence as the heroine of this smashing action-oriented fantasy involving a rebel fighter in 2415 whose assignment is to kill the leader of a totalitarian regime; turns out, she recognizes him as a man who once meant a great deal to her and finds she can't eliminate him (nor vice-versa), precipitating a coupe amongst his people. Though exceptionally flashy, this MTV production (based upon their animated series) has its roots steeped in the past, with a plot that admittedly recalls dozens of enemy-for-the-people adventures. Despite some intentionally amusing asides, the dialogue is fairly stilted (though there isn't much of it, which is ultimately a plus) and the editing is occasionally sharp though it eliminates things we should be seeing to clarify the narrative (like how Æon Flux manages to climb aboard and exit a flying monument). Frances McDormand's role as Theron's boss is left a bit sketchy (who does she get her orders from?) and her reluctance to give Æon even the slightest benefit of the doubt is perplexing. The action sequences are elaborately, entertainingly staged, and the crisp, expensive-seeming production gives us a glittering vision of the future (think "Logan's Run" on a modern budget). In the end, the film is more a tasty morsel than a satisfying meal--it may slip right out of your consciousness a day after you've seen it--but the misfits-as-rebels angle and the suave star-turns by Theron, Sophie Okonedo (as ever-faithful Sithandra, who has hands for feet) and handsome Marton Csokas (as Trevor Goodchild, who puts all the pieces in place) help make this an enjoyable ride. **1/2 from ****