Ultraviolet: Rating: 3 stars

Vampires, ninjas, Japanese mobsters — you name it, it’s in here.

Ultraviolet (2006)
2006 · PG-13 · Science Fiction
Reviewed September 25, 2006

I deliberately watched this movie while my memories of Æon Flux were still fresh, because the two movies came out at the same time and with strikingly similar plots: both involve a future tainted by tyranny and a deadly pandemic, both plots hinge on human clones, and both star skinny chicks in sexy outfits. From what I’d heard of this movie when it came out, I was expecting a truly terrible film; what I got, surprisingly, was a decent sci-fi/action flick with a memorable visual style and a plot far more interesting (and easier to follow) than the critical reviews would have me believe. It was certainly better than Æon Flux; not only did I understand the plot, but I found Violet’s obligatory superhero grudge (the Bad Government™ killed her husband and child and turned her into a mutant outcast) more sympathetic than Æon’s (the Bad Government™ killed her sister and… and it just pissed her off, dammit!); not only that, but it fits in well with the storyline, which revolves around a mysterious child whom Violet is trying to protect. Milla Jovovich may not be Oscar material, but she’s found her niche playing ass-kicking superwomen. As guilty-pleasure amusement, this fit the bill quite nicely; I’d certainly recommend it over Æon Flux any day.