Aeon Flux, which stars Charlize Theron as an acrobatic assassin, arrived in theaters this month, ending the wait for fans of the original series.

The film, a live version of Peter Chung's 1995 MTV animated series, takes place in a post-apocalyptic world 400 years in the future.

Theron's character, Aeon Flux, is the lead assassin in a rebellion against the government called the "Monicans," whose mission is to kill the head of state, Trevor Goodchild, played by relative newcomer Marton Csokas.

There is a range of subplots within the film, as Aeon's original mission to bring down Goodchild gets a little more complicated.

True to its form, the opening scene is a straight throwback to the original series, with Aeon and her master reflexes capturing a fly in her eyelashes.

Flux, which tried to cater to original fans and new audiences, falls short in delivering a convincing and suspenseful story. With awkward casting peppered with cameos from Frances McDormand and famous British actor Peter Postlethwaite, the constraints of the script seemed to waste a lot of good talent. The dialogue was pretty weak, as expected, but nobody's watching the movie for its witty lines.

Theron, who's definitely a talented actress in her own right, gives a lukewarm performance. There's really nothing special about her character besides her bag of tricks.

Of course, you have Charlize decked out in various latex costumes, a staple for most female animated characters. The cartoon itself is pretty risqué, but producers were pushing for a PG-13 rating, so Theron's costumes appear Amish in comparison.

It seems that doing a live-action flick is the new rite of passage for female actresses, although this film is leagues ahead of bombs like Catwoman. However, I did enjoy watching Theron kick some major ass, and it's always nice to see a heroine rescuing the man for a change.

The primary salvation for this film is in the sets and intricate costumes setting the scene for the year 2405. Audiences will enjoy seeing machine-gun shootouts among a field of cherry blossom trees and blades of grass turn into deadly razor blades. In most of the fight scenes, the choreography is pretty good; it's a little cheesy in the beginning, but if you're patient, there's one hell of a catfight midway through.

This film continues the trend of making movies out of cult favorites such as Sin City, so I wouldn't be surprised if an Oddities movie was released next year.

I wouldn't say this film has mass appeal -- obviously, those familiar with the cartoon will appreciate seeing the character in 3D for a change -- but it's still enjoyable for those who missed out on a time when MTV actually had good programming.