Aeon Flux appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. One of the earliest Blu-rays, Flux showed its age.
Sharpness was one of the areas that took a hit, as the movie showed lackluster definition for Blu-ray. This meant much of it displayed pretty good delineation but I thought too much softness interfered with various shots. No issues with jaggies or shimmering occurred, but the image tended to look somewhat noisy, and I saw mild edge haloes. Print flaws failed to appear.
Colors seemed decent. The movie went with a broader than usual palette for a 21st century action film, but these never became especially dynamic; they showed acceptable reproduction and that was it. Blacks were fairly deep and tight, while shadows gave us pretty good clarity. Nothing here looked bad, but the image was ordinary by Blu-ray standards.
In terms of audio, the disc came with both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 mixes. I compared the two and found them to seem very similar; if one surpassed the other, I couldn’t tell.
I like an active track as much as anyone, but Flux seemed over the top. It filled all five channels with music and effects almost constantly, even if the scenes didn’t need those elements to be so dominant.
At its best, the audio fleshed out matters and created a basis of actual drama to the film. Unfortunately, much of the time the mix felt like a desperate attempt at forced excitement, as though the auditory action would make us feel entertained.
At least the track used its pieces well. Although it threw too much information at us, the material blended well and created a smooth soundscape. The elements moved neatly and popped up in logical spots to form a solid environment.
Audio quality was string. Speech was natural and concise, while effects sounded clean and concise. Music presented strong range and impact. The whole thing packed a good punch, as low-end was deep and powerful. I left this one with a “B+” because the excessive activity created distractions.
How does this Blu-ray compare with the original DVD from 2006? Audio appeared to be a wash. Even with the addition of a DTS track, the sound seemed similar, as the absence of a lossless mix restricted the audio.
Visuals demonstrated a step up over the DVD, though not as substantial a jump as I might’ve liked. As noted, this was an early Blu-ray and not an especially good one. While the Blu-ray was tighter and more film-like than the DVD, it never became the big upgrade I’d expect.
Despite the film’s low profile at the box office, the Flux DVD comes with a fairly impressive array of extras. We open with two audio commentaries. The first features actor Charlize Theron and producer Gale Anne Hurd. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific chat. Though generally informative, its low-key nature makes it slow going at times.
We get coverage of the expected subjects. The women discuss locations and sets, physical training and stunts, connections to the TV series, visual issues, and some story topics. Theron tosses out the best elements as she tells us about her injury, shooting in Berlin, and working with a baby. The commentary gives us a reasonable amount of information but it comes with a fair amount of dead air and never really kicks into gear. Fans will want to give it a listen, but they shouldn’t expect a scintillating piece.
For the second commentary, we hear from co-screenwriters Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. They also sit together for their running, screen-specific discussion. Though a bit low-key as well, the writers compensate with dry humor and good information.
Occasionally the pair toss out general production notes, but they usually concentrate on script issues. They tell us about the influence of the original series, characters and story, plot concerns, and changes between the screenplay and the final product. They tell us about cut elements and allow us to get a better feel for the film they intended to make.
Those areas offer the commentary’s best parts. Manfredi and Hay don’t openly criticize the film, and they praise some parts of it, usually related to the actors. However, one could definitely tell that the final product wasn’t what they wanted. They relate how studio pressures affected the movie and offer some notes about their original vision. Though the track drags at times, the combination of wit and openness helps make this a worthwhile discussion.
Five featurettes appear after this. Creating a World: Aeon Flux runs 20 minutes and 49 seconds. It presents notes from Hay, Manfredi, Hurd, Theron, producer David Gale, creator Peter Chung, storyboard artist Robin Richesson, director Karyn Kusama, and actors Marton Csokas, Sophie Okonedo and Pete Postlethwaite. The program looks at the MTV series’ adaptation for the big screen and connections to the show, visual design and the film’s world, the story and themes, and characters and actors.
“Creating” offers an average overview of the film. It doesn’t spotlight any one subject particularly well, but it gives us a decent run through a mix of appropriate areas. I like the parts about the TV series the best and wish we learned a little more about it.
For The Locations of Aeon Flux, we find a 14-minute and 47-second show. It features Gale, Kusama, Manfredi, Hurd, Hay, production designer Andrew McAlpine, location manager Matthias Braun, technician Rosemarie Ludewig, engineer Frank Lauterbach, and Tierheim manager Stefan Schenck. The piece looks at the original idea to shoot in Brazil, the eventual choice of Berlin, and the many elements of that city used in the film.
“Locations” gets into these topics quite well. We see all the different spots and learn background about them. Some of the information repeats from the commentaries, but the visuals and other aspects of the show allow it to become useful.
The Stunts of Aeon Flux fills nine minutes, three seconds with comments from Theron, Kusama, Okonedo, stunt coordinator Charlie Croughwell, and actor Caroline Chikezie. Though the title implies a general look at the stunts, instead it focuses on the work of Theron and the other main actors. We hear about training and the physical aspects of the shoot.
This never becomes a really deep program and it tends to be a bit fluffy as it praises the achievements of the actors. Nonetheless, we get some nice tidbits, and the footage from the set adds to the piece.
Next comes a 13-minute, 36-second program called The Costume Design Workshop of Aeon Flux. It presents information from costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor, assistant costume designer Alexis Scott, and costume supervisor Meike Schlegel.
As implied by the title, this one tells us about the design and assembly of the movie’s clothes. We discover solid notes about influences and plans for the outfits as well as how they turn the concepts into reality. This ends up as a nice piece.
The set finishes with a trailer and The Craft of the Set Photographer on Aeon Flux goes for three minutes, 34 seconds. We hear from still photographer Jasin Boland as he discusses his job. Despite the brevity of the featurette, it provides decent insights as it illuminates the set photographer’s work.
Does Aeon Flux have anything to offer the viewer other than shots of Charlize Theron in sexy outfits? Unfortunately, it doesn’t. The flick provides the occasional intriguing moment but buries these among pointless visuals and dull characters. The Blu-ray brings us erratic but acceptable audio along with good audio and a mostly informative set of supplements. Nothing here excels and this remains a poor film.
To rate this film, visit the original review of AEON FLUX
