Film Review
‘Aeon Flux’ Blends Action, Intelligent
Science Fiction, Thrilling Twists

By Billy Gallagher (January 14, 2006)

“Aeon Flux” is a science fiction film based on a television show and comic series.  I am not familiar with either but was informed by a friend that the TV show was put together by the same staff that worked on “River.”  Several people had tried to convince me that the movie was going to be a big waste of time, but I saw it anyway.  And let me tell you, it was worth it.  The movie combines the surreal utopia of “Minority Report” and the twisted futuristic background of “Equilibrium.”  However, this film does not in any way copy the previously mentioned films.

Unlike many sci-fi adventures, “Aeon Flux” does not focus on trying to explain what is different in its society from our lifestyle and why.  Many science fiction stories will spend most of their time giving the audience a big introduction to the new world.  Others feature unrealistically pristine cityscape without garbage and dirt.  ‘Aeon Flux,’ however, keeps things natural.  The movie lets the audience look at the action on the screen and figure out the explanations.  It takes a thinking mind to understand the culture and society in this film.  The audience has to watch and determine for themselves questions like “why is that there and what purpose does it serve?”

If you are looking for a nonstop, action-packed adventure, don’t look for this film to fulfill your craving.  Don’t get me wrong, “Aeon Flux” has plenty of action; however, it has much more plot than an all-action movie.  It has great dialogue and an intriguing story.  Just when you think you have it all figured out, it turns around on you. “Aeon Flux” completely surprised me; as soon as I felt I had figured out exactly what was going on, the film had a plot twist that made me question what was going to happen next. I would highly recommend this movie -- it is thought provoking and has revolutionary ideas.  And I must say that the cinematography is wonderful.

**Spoiler Alert!  If you don’t want to ruin the movie for yourself, don’t read on!**

While watching the movie, the audience is constantly left asking “why are the characters living in this world, and why do people keep getting abducted?”  When the film eventually answered this question, it took me by surprise.  This is a movie about cloning, and it takes a very unique stance on the issue.  In “Aeon Flux,” a virus has wiped out 99 percent of the world’s human population, and the cure has made people sterile.  The surviving leaders then cloned people to keep the human race alive until they found a way to cure the cure.  The plot is not that simple, so I would still suggest that you see the film, even after reading this section, and see the twist that I left out.  Happy viewing!