Elysium (2013)

Elysium

Elysium is at one point disappointing and at the other it is fine. It's a Dystopia which does not look like it could be too far away from the present. The longer you think about it, Elyisum already happens everywhere, and Neill Blomkamp is a South African native, so it becomes clear, that the message is about poverty and money in the future. The difficulty making such a future logic and scientifically well, is obvious, and it is not completely convincing. There lies the main problem of a sci-fi movie. You make either a starwarsy fairy tale or you have to make it very, very believable like the director's much acclaimed "District 9".

Plotwise it reminded me of "Wall-E" (which was better), "Oblivion", "Escape from NY" and some anime type plots . The story was very predictable from the beginning and for my taste, it could have been made completely PG 18 in terms of violence, to make it darker and more grim. Now, it looks a bit indecisive. The actors were fine, especially the less known, like Copley, Luna and Moura. Jodie Foster is great here, reminded me a bit of Tilda Swintons performance in "Michael Clayton". Matt Damon is a good actor, but he's a bit overused lately. In comparison to "Pacific Rim" it's clear, why the audience is more happy with Del Toros skyscraper-style movie: it's pure entertainment, reality is far away and the violence is very mild - you hate it or you love it.

To sum it up, I was well entertained by this. I liked the strong hints of real present problems. I disliked the predictable way the story unfolds, the overall mixture of action and violence and some illogic details. I definitely want to see more movies by Blomkamp and so it gets my 7.0.

Fmovies: WOW! This movie is just awful. They call it Science Fiction but there is no science in it...only really bad fiction.

Have you ever noticed in these kind of futuristic society stories they never really explain how society got to the current state it is in at the start of the movie? There is a reason why. There is no possible way that such a stupid societal construct could ever come to be! So ...like a Paul Krugman economic theory...the answer is that the construct exists because the premise starts out saying "Let's assume that all logic and common sense goes out the door."(!)

Evidently in the future only future Los Angeles and Elysium exist. Supposedly the world is ravaged by population and disease but there are no Asians or EEU or South American or African members...or even Washington, DC, involved with Elysium! EVERY POLITICALLY SYSTEM GLOBALL JUST SOMEHOW UP AND VANISHED! DOH! So...Elysium is built and lived on evidently by only Hollywood types who rule the planet! The internet as we know it has also completely vanished. So has e-mail and cell phone technology...but you can still get a good deal on GMC vehicles that look like leftover Road Warrior vehicles!

Matt Damon (say it Team America-like) works in a factory where he...I guess...builds robots (?). That's a little unclear. But...he is stupidly badgered into some sort of elevator style "heat-treatment" booth by his superior. Since their is no OSHA anymore his character gets trapped in the room where they...get this!...dose the robots WITH HUMAN KILLING RADIATION! Now...there's like no big signs up anywhere in this factory that say WARNING: RADIATION AT WORK! It is never explained why robots need radiation treatment but that is what they do. AND...get this!...when the treatment is done the radiation "magically" disappears! People just walk in and out of the room! Like...WTF!??!!!??? How does radiation magically dissipate or get moved out of a room? IT DOESN'T! Unless all science goes out the window!

Poor Matt. Now he has 4 days to live because of Radiation poisoning and he is very ill and can barely walk or stay awake or keep from puking...for about 5 minutes! The rest of the movie he is hooked up to a biometric-ally controlled exoskeleton and Matt never shows any effects of radiation poisoning and he fights his way all over LA and Elysium! So...in a complete Johnny Mnemonic rip off (they should sue)...Matt Damon has the magic data in his skull and people want his head. How this all comes about is so incredibly ridiculously stupid and unbelievable I wanted to throw things at the screen.

Matt then shows up with a grenade with the pin pulled out and his hand holding the grenade from exploding and he demands a ride to Elysium or he will blow his head off. So...not strapped in...and with no refueling of any sort at all...the ship just flies off on a 12 minute flight to Elysium! So...they are breaking through Earth's atmosphere with the super rocket powered ship...he is not strapped in and is holding a grenade...AND THERE IS NO BLEEPING G FORCE CAUSING ANY ISSUES!

The final "evil guygood guy" fight is just awful. The "evil guy" basically runs around saying "I could kill you but I will continue to spout stupid statements to drag this out until you...and this will be SUCH A SURPRISE...manage to overcome and defeat me because I kept just spouting off at the mouth rather than just killing you!"

This is after Matt goes to the armory and rescues t

Before watching Elysium, I read every review about it. And it seems to me that there are a lot of people that hated it. Most have said that the message in the film is what kept it 'likable'. Well, after I watched it, I thought to myself, "Why?". Trust me, don't believe any negative reviews about this film. Yes, it's flawed, but the film itself is really good.

Matt Damon was great in this film and he was a very likable hero. But Sharlto Copley, oh boy, he was one heck of a villain. He was so good, every scene he was in was disturbing, in a very, very creepy way. He owned almost every scene he was in and was the stronghold of this film. Jodie Foster as the other antagonist, err, she did her part I guess. Every one did a good job and they really enabled the film to lighten up in most areas.

So, this film was really good, and I was extremely pleased by it. The film did a nice job for making the audience feel attached to the characters, and I applaud to that. The action sequences were nice, and it didn't over power the film, something Elysium got right and what others sort of didn't. (Man Of Steel's epic final battle, was just TOO LONG!) Also on the scenes where it tones down and becomes emotional, was very well done, and it gives this movie heart. It's fast, epic, emotional and incredible.

Now, although the film is great, I only have one small gripe about Elysium. Now, the film is around about 109 minutes. I know, that when a film feels really good and it begins to near it's end, you don't want it to do that just yet. That's how I felt when I saw District 9, and I felt the same with Elysium. The film didn't feel rushed which was nice, but an extra half an hour would've been great.

Is it a Sci-Fi movie? Yes! Is it an action movie? It gets to it. Is it an epic Sci-Fi action movie? Yes. It is epic! It's definitely a must watch this year. I'm being generous to this film, because of the film's message consisting of poverty, wealth and equality. Watch this film with an open mind, and you will not be disappointed.

8/10

Elysium fmovies. I tend to be curious every time a talented filmmaker gets to direct a film set in a pessimistic future/post-apocalyptic era : visually, it's the perfect setting for desolated landscapes and amazing images of urban chaos ; story-wise, it's the perfect occasion to insert social commentary and establish more or less subtle metaphors about our current way of life, our current values, and extend in a fictitious way many assumptions that we have regarding the fate of mankind and our very own planet.

In my opinion, it has to be one of science-fiction's most important sub-genres, since it leaves so much room to contemporary concerns (the environment, pollution, wars, immigration, etc.). Films like "Children of Men", "Looper", and "The Road" have greatly contributed to this sub-genre which, in reality, is not really new, but is constantly being redefined and given different treatments : "Children of Men" was an ode to life, "Looper" felt a lot like a modern-day western, "The Road" was a classic tale of a father-and-son relationship, and now, "Elysium", a thriller/action film/social commentary about disparity between the rich and the poor. Neill Blomkamp burst out of the scene in 2009 with "District 9", a very similar project in several regards, and blew audiences away with a clever mix of documentary-style filmmaking, explosive action, and the refreshing implement of an obvious social commentary.

"Elysium" starts off brilliantly, showcasing two opposite environments: the old Earth, which has turned into a huge ghetto where people live like cattle, and Elysium, a high-end space station where all the wealthy people from Earth have moved to establish their home. We are then introduced to our protagonist, Max Da Costa (Matt Damon), whose quest is quickly defined after being exposed to deadly radiation : With five days left to live, Max will ally up with a group of illegal immigrants to get to Elysium so he can get the proper medical attention he needs. But Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), an evil government executive in charge of defending Elysium, will stand in his way, by hiring Kruger (Sharlto Copley), a psychopathic mercenary in charge of neutralizing all illegal immigrants.

The first third of "Elysium" is both fascinating and stressful : You are being introduced to the over-populated Earth, its hospitals, its industrial plants, its streets. These images are very reminiscent of the Johannesburg ghettos depicted in "District 9". And then, you get to see glimpses of the wonderful Elysium, a visual tour-de-force that ends up being shamefully underused in the film. The first moments Max is shown after being exposed to radiation, the film jumps into a nerve-racking tone, and it is very effective, as it is blended with several dramatic elements that range from innovative to pretty common.

Unfortunately, the pace slows down in the second third, where Max's story gets sidelined a bit, to the profit of a few sub-plots that involve an unpredictable, yet not so major twist in terms of impact on the story, as well as a sub-story involving the daughter of an old friend of Max. And while the twist is a welcome addition, the sub-story comes a little out of nowhere and comes off as a bit of a cliché. It seemed like Blomkamp was trying to preserve this family theme that was dear to him in "District 9", and that served the story so well in his previous film. Its unusual aspect prevented it

Matt Damon stars in the Sci-fi/political thriller Elysium, Neill Blomkamp's follow up to District 9, along with Jodie Foster as Elysium's Secretary Delacourt and Sharlto Copley as the main villain Kruger. Is Elysium on par with Oscar nominated District 9? Absolutely NOT! Not even close but it is still a solid sci/fi entertainment. It is a more conventional film than its predecessor, which I was not expecting from Blomkamp.

The film starts of very cliché and gave me some eye roll moments but it quickly picks itself up from reaching into mediocrity. They way it does this is by evoking political messages through out the film in relevance with today's society. Questioning our handling with immigration, military power, our health care. Which I found to be important in this film. Obviously me and Blomkamp share each others political stance. For anyone else it might seem like its trying to oversell its message.

I felt most of the cast were very under used. Jodie Foster's character really didn't have much to work with. She was just there to move the plot forward. Matt Damon served his purpose as the lead but by no means of the imagination is this one of his best performances. They were all over shadowed by Sharlto Copley. My God, is he great as Kruger! Right away we are introduced into this provocative-sociopath with no regard for human life. The story really needed this kind of menacing character. He is by far the film's best positive. Another negative aspect of this film would be its pacing. When we are given emotional scenes they don't stay long enough to settle and doesn't give that emotional impact you were hoping for.

Like District 9 it delivers on the the beautiful imagery. Using the very best Weta Workshop has to offer. From its big guns to the human-like robots, to the space station of Elysium. The action set pieces were just as exciting as its predecessor. The film really manages to capture all its budget on screen. My biggest issue comes from the excessive use of shaky cam. It was used when the characters were simply walking to the action sequences. I felt ninety percent of this film was shaky cam. Which got me a little dizzy since I ,unfortunately, got to sit in the very front of the theater. That might have something to do with it as well.

Neill Blomkamp has established once again that he can compete with the best Directors of the genre films. Elysium shows more flaws than his first film but they are overwhelmed by its positive aspects, to me at least. It was not a disappointment and it was a solid popcorn entertainment and a smarter than average sci/fi film.

Elysium is the follow up, much anticipated by many, to the critically acclaimed District 9 from South African-Canadian director and writer Neill Blomkamp.

In the middle of the 21st Century, with the world now grossly over-populated and law and order seemingly at breaking point, the super wealthy have decamped to a satellite space station highly visible from earth, a utopian society free of poverty, illness and other such mundane woes.

Meanwhile, the vast majority of earth's population lives in squalid, cramped slums seemingly based on the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Needless to say, the rich are all too keen to protect their enclave and any unauthorised vessels arriving from earth are duly dispatched by being blasted away.

Jodie Foster stars as Elysium's ambitious and sociopathic Defence Secretary, as ruthless at advancing her own interests as she is at ensuring the purity of the over-sized Ferris wheel whose security is in her charge; Matt Damon is the working class drone desperately trying to access the other world for the treatment to cure his radiation sickness from which he will die in 5 days.

There was clearly an interesting concept waiting to burst out here, an opportunity to explore themes of wealth, inequality, social status, health care and immigration, but sadly it failed on almost every level to build interest or have anything relevant to say.

First, we saw so little of the societal structure or way of life on Elysium itself. Apart from Jodie Foster and a few other high ranking officials, the film showed us nothing of how this satellite was run. It looked as if everyone lived in a McMansion style-home – the type you find next to golf courses in Florida or on the Sunshine Coast. It all looked terribly sterile, reminiscent of the contrived town Jim Carrey inhabited in The Truman Show. We were not privy as to who cut the lawns, did the plumbing or washed the dishes. Superficially, the lives of these pampered people seemed hollow and totally unfulfilled – where were the galleries, the museums, the theatres or even a casino for those that might like that sort of thing? Frankly, the impoverished life on earth which was shown with enforced work in a fascistic environment seemed far more fulfilling.

Further, Matt Damon's motives for getting on Elysium were totally selfish. All he wanted was to save his own skin. Granted, there was then concocted an unconvincing love interest and a wish to save his childhood sweetheart's little girl but this too was just parochial. Where was the burning anger borne from social injustice, the wish to better the lot of all humankind, the working class warrior on a mission? And when the film's final denouement came it was head in a sick-bag time.

The script and dialogue were banal, as was Jodie Foster's delivery. Matt Damon worked harder to bring some interest to his character but he was up against it – but at least he tried.

The CGI was good – but that's pretty much a given in any well-funded Hollywood film these days. Close up camera work was appalling, non-stop wobble vision which made action sequences confusing. This camera style is so unnecessary and it really is beyond comprehension as to why film-makers persist in its use; in small doses it can be effective but when near constant it produces a feeling of nausea.

It is so disappointing to be relentlessly negative about a film but when they are as lacking as this one, the positives can be hard to find.