Baldy Matt Damon fights the power
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Year: 2013
Stars: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley
Imagine you lived in a total shit-hole – this may be easier for some of you than others. Now what if every night you looked up into the sky and saw a place where there was no sickness or poverty? Well that place is Elysium. Everyone there is happy and beautiful, kind of like an orbiting Sweden. Earth on the other hand is more like modern day Detroit (too soon?).
Matt Damon plays Max one of the poor Earth citizens. After getting sick following a workplace accident (I spilled a pot noodle on my keyboard once but you don’t see me crying) he attempts to get to Elysium for some life saving treatment. Unfortunately the leaders on Elysium send a mentally unstable mercenary named Kruger (Sharlto Copley) to stop him getting there.
I think it’s fair to say Elysium is a film of two halves – the Earth based stuff and the Elysium section and it becomes obvious which is more interesting. Sadly the part set on the surface of our planet mainly consists of blunt political metaphors with little to no interesting events taking place.
Is the movie about the gap between the rich and the poor? Is it about socialised medicine? Is it about immigration? It tries to be all of these but never actually convinces. The message seems to be ‘if you see someone with more money than you, you have every right to take some of it.’ Neil Blomkamp’s previous movie District 9 took the issue of immigration and embedded it in an exhilarating story full of great characters. Elysium fails in this regard.
What the film does right though is the design of the world. Just like District 9, the technology shown is amazingly intricate. There’s no super shiny Jetsons style futuristic machinery. This is all grubby, used, practical equipment that makes the world feel totally real.
Throughout the film there are flashes of brilliance mainly in Copley’s unhinged villain who somehow becomes crazier as the movie goes on and the inventive action set pieces. However these just serve to remind you how turgid a lot of the film has been. These are the moments that we all wanted from a Blomkamp film, it’s just a pity they hadn’t been bolted into a better plot and script.
Elysium is an average sci-fi movie elevated by fantastic production design and bursts of memorable action. But as a story it’s too damn preachy and unfocused. Maybe if Blomkamp had kept the plot simpler and shorter it could have been something special. Instead it’s a disappointment.
5/10
What are your thoughts on Elysium? Let me know in the comments below.
Screenkicker! 
I felt the exact same way, Ace. Good work!
LikeLike
Thanks mate, glad you agree. was a total disappointment
LikeLike
Aww man, I wanted to see this one and was hoping that it would be good. But I guess I’m not surprised. The sci-fi genre these days seems to be more about creating expansive action sequences and less about offering thought-provoking views into the future. I miss the good old days, that’s for sure. Great review!
LikeLike
To be honest there wasn’t even that much action in it! You should still watch it and see what you think. My expectations were probably too high
LikeLike
Good review Mikey. Good movie, but not as great as District 9 was, which is a real shame because we could have had a real winner on our hands here.
LikeLike
District 9 will forever haunt Blomkamp, i feel. hahaha its so easy to make comparisons to his debut film which did so well, but I’ve gotta say this is a completely different movie and should be evaluated as such. it’s too bad you didn’t enjoy this more, though i fully agree with your points, some of which were hilarious by the way. i liked it, though a few huge factors came into play which really did disappoint me as well (cough-cough, Jodie Foster cough-cough). I do also have to say the messages being delivered here were not handled as subtly or as creatively as they were in District 9, and that’s a fair comparison. i guess no one else is making any other assertions, but i’ve just seen it so many times, i’m like. . . c’mon, maaannn…… haha.
LikeLike
You’re right Tom, I was probably a bit harsh but I guess that’s just because of my disappointment. I don’t think its a bad film, just a totally average one. I started thinking that the problem may have been giving Blomkamp a huge budget. Maybe District 9 was amazing because of its tight budget. All I know is I don’t have any desire to watch it again.
Thanks for the comment Tom, I agree with pretty much everything you’re saying
LikeLike
nah, i don’t think it was harsh.certainly there’s a place for negative views on it!! i think the more i see people citing District 9 for comparison’s sake, the more i think that movie was truly something special.
LikeLike
Ouch! Pretty low score.
Was probably my most anticipated film this year but then all the reviews of it being “meh” poured in from America (why do they have to get films way before we do here?!). Oh well – still want to check it out.
LikeLike
You should still see it. I just thought it was average. Pretty disappointing but maybe I was just in a grumpy mood!
LikeLike
I’ll still see it. Wish I’d chosen to see it instead of You’re Next…
LikeLike
Good review. I was super pumped for this movie, watched it on day one. For me it was decent, but also a let down from my high expectations.
LikeLike
Yeah I may have been a bit harsh but that’s because I loved District 9 so much
LikeLike
Nice Review Mikey. I found the whole thing a bit shambolic, promising and interesting ideas were teased at the beginning but never followed up, instead thrown to the wayside in favour for poorly executed action sequence after action sequence. These scenes were patched together and the quick cut technique (were you could not make head nor tail of what was going on) were nothing more than a headache to watch. Must try harder Mr Blomkamp. Nice review all the same dude. Stop by Movie Review World sometime if you get the chance. Heres my take on Elysium http://www.moviereviewworld.com/movie-review/elysium-review/
LikeLike
Thanks buddy, I agree completely with that annoying editing style where you can’t see what’s going on. It was particularly bad in the fight scenes in Batman Begins
LikeLike
I thought it was painful in ‘Taken 2; but I Elysium was close to being on par. It was clearly aiming for a ‘Bourne’ look to the fighting scenes but in the end it was nothing more than nauseating. I feel this technique is used to often to disguise or mask poor technique and unconvincingly shot choreography. I didnt notice it so much in Batman Begins but then it has been a while since Ive seen it.
LikeLike
Its why I love Asian martial arts films, they just stand back with the camera and let you see everything. The Raid did this particularly well
LikeLike
Agreed, The Raid is a perfect example of how it should be done.
LikeLike
5 outta 10! You are having a larf innit blud.
It was very enjoyable. Yes, a little too heavy on metaphor, and way too much superfluous lens flared, soft focus flashback sequences. But when it was down and dirty sci fi barrio gun fights I was gripped!
Loved Kruger (he is like austin stevens evil brother). Hated Foster.
Better than district 9 I’d say. No alien and man buddy comedy crap.
LikeLike
Ps – the accident at work made me think of claims direct!
LikeLike
Alien and man buddy comedy? I thought you loved that kind of thing. It’s like 48 hours!
LikeLike
Yeah it’s no District 9, but pretty great nonetheless. As you say, production design is top notch, and surely Sharlto Copley’s insane, almost indecipherable, villain deserves 2 stars alone?
A full apology for the 5/10 now please.
P.S. There’s a great interview with Blonkamp and Copley for Empire mag at https://soundcloud.com/empiremagazine/sharlto-copley-and-neill if anyone’s interested
LikeLike
I didn’t apologise for killing the Queen Mother and I definitely won’t apologise for this. Actually I’d maybe give it a 6 if I was a nicer person but sadly I’m not.
Thanks for the link!
LikeLike
This review made me laugh! I will definitely be checking out the rest of your reviews. : )
LikeLike
Thanks Michelle! Hope you enjoy them. And if you have any suggestions about the site let me know 🙂
LikeLike