Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
400 years into the future, disease has wiped out the majority of the world's population, except one walled city, Bregna, ruled by a congress of scientists. When Æon Flux, the top operative in the underground 'Monican' rebellion, is sent on a mission to kill a government leader, she uncovers a world of secrets.
Æon Flux adapts the surreal, boundary-pushing animated series into a fairly conventional sci-fi action thriller, losing much of the source material's distinctive weirdness in the process. The plot is serviceable but predictable, leaning on familiar dystopian tropes without the original's subversive edge. Charlize Theron commits to the role but is let down by underwritten characters and stilted dialogue throughout the cast. Visually, the film has some interesting production design and stylized action sequences that elevate it slightly above average — the world-building aesthetic has moments of genuine flair. However, the adaptation strips away so much of what made the cartoon novel that the Novelty score suffers considerably. The ending resolves too neatly and without the ambiguity that defined the source material, feeling like a generic blockbuster conclusion.