Considered a reference in science fiction, Aeon Flux completely transformed the conception of animation in the 90s. Created by Peter Chung for MTV, the series presents itself as a journey between psychedelic images, a dystopia, biopunk and a psychological thriller. Its success spawned a franchise that included comic books, video games, and a disappointing live-action adaptation.
When Hollywood wanted to bring this experimental project to the screen with Charlize Theron in the lead role, the film became a free reinvention of the original work. This vision, so far from the original, not only disappointed the public, but also its creator, who described it as “parody“.
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Enigmatic and dangerous, the heroine of the program found herself plunged into dizzying confrontations throughout the episodes. Additionally, the series tackled deep themes such as power, control, and identity, all wrapped in an aesthetic of stylized violence and provocative sensuality.
“I was unhappy when I read the script“
However, the film released in 2005 completely neglected this essence. The pursuit of profit by exploiting Chung’s dystopian fiction sidelined the philosophical, social, and political themes that had captivated loyal admirers. For the artist, the protagonist of the film was not the one he had created.
During an interview with LiveJournal, Chung expressed his disappointment with this version and his lack of attachment to its creation. By focusing on action and visual effects, the film relegated aesthetic and narrative depth to the background.
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“I was unhappy when I read the script four years ago; seeing it projected on a large scale in a crowded cinema made me feel helpless, humiliated and sad. I know it’s frowned upon to express my disapproval in public, but it would be absurd for me, of all people, to continue to pretend to ignore“.
While the original animation showed a dystopian world with a unique style, where characters moved as if dancing between violence and betrayal, the film simplified this vision by turning it into a generic depiction of the future.
“Maybe the creators did not understand the original material and thought they were faithful to it; or maybe they understood it, but didn’t think it would appeal to a wide enough audience and changed it to suit their presumed target audience. They say they like the original version; However, they don’t extend that trust to their audience“.
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In addition to Chung’s perspective, the film received such negative reviews that it maintains a score of 10% on Rotten Tomatoes and 5.4 on IMDb to this day. Unfortunately, the original series is not available to stream in Mexico, but if you want to venture into the Karyn Kusama-directed film, you can find the live-action Aeon Flux on Mercado Play.
Article written in collaboration with our colleagues from Xataka.
