THE year is 2415 and disease has ravaged most of the Earth's population. The walled state of Bregna is one of the last strongholds of humanity, ruled by an elected body of scientists under the command of the mercurial Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas) and his scheming, younger brother Oren (Jonny Lee Miller).

An underground rebellion known as the Monicans, who refuse to bow down to dictatorial rule, despatches elite agent Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) to kill Trevor, the man she holds responsible for the murder of her family.

In the process of carrying out her dangerous mission, under the aegis of her handler (Frances McDormand), Aeon unearths dark secrets beyond her wildest imagination, incurring the wrath of fellow Monican assassin Sithandra (Sophie Okonedo).

Aeon Flux is a futuristic, spandex-clad bore. Visually, the film holds a certain appeal, especially if your pulse quickens at the thought of Theron in a figure-hugging black catsuit, performing all manner of gravity-defying gymnastics. However, you can only watch her pert frame pirouette through the air so many times before you hanker for a fluid plot.

Action set pieces are competently directed but there's no invention or imagination. If Aeon Flux is the future, then it's anything but bright.

DVD extras include producer, actor and writers' commentaries, "Creating A World: Aeon Flux" featurette, "The Locations Of Aeon Flux" featurette, "The Stunts Of Aeon Flux" featurette, "The Costume Design Workshop Of Aeon Flux" featurette and "The Craft Of The Set Photographer On Aeon Flux" featurette.

Damon Smith