Customer Reviews

Elysium [Blu-ray] [2013]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Elysium is a half-decent sci-fi movie but with the emphasis on the half. Half the actors are good, half the plot is good (the bit without the holes and the anomalies) and half the action is good if a little blurry - à la Bourne trilogy.

The shaven headed Damon puts in a good performance as the ex-con trying to go straight in the 22nd century LA of urban decay but with the odds stacked firmly against him. A work accident leaves him dying of radiation poisoning and with medical care on the overpopulated and chaotic earth leaving a lot to be desired; only a trip to Elysium could save him. All well and good but the man-made satellite where the beautiful people have relocated to would not accept a lowlife earthling such as himself so he has to find his own way there by fair means or foul. His only hope is the gangster / hacker / fixer Spider who can offer him (un) safe passage but in return for one last job. Thus begins his transformation to part droid and fight for survival.

I quite enjoyed Elysium but it could have been better. Jodie Foster was a weird choice as Delacourt the power hungry "defence minister" of Elysium and I winced every time she enunciated her words. Sharlto Copley as her covert enforcer, the grenade eating Kruger put in a fairly convincing shift but his South African accent only reinforced the District 9 visuals and overall feel of the movie for me. Like that movie it is pretty grizzly in parts (you've been warned) and easily earns it's 15 rating.

Also, whilst the Elysium space station did look pretty impressive I was left wondering why in 2154 the rich lived in 21st century neo-classical houses and wore clothes from the same era. Aside from the droids (borrowed straight from Real Steel), people tracking and dusty space shuttles there was not a great deal of imagination put into future life for me. The shuttle crash-landing did look a bit Thunderbirds too...

Overall though I'd give Elysium 4 stars for the story but 3 for execution. It's provocative and visually impressive but without the mech-ed up Jason Bourne at the helm would have been a much poorer overall experience IMO.

This film by the South African director Neil Blomkamp is set in 2154, in an Earth that has become a planet wide slum. The wealthy classes has migrated to a space satellite called Elysium, which looks like a gigantic gated community, who is protected from the invasion of illegal immigrants by the ruthless Jodie Foster. Matt Damon stars as Max, who lives in a completely Mexicanized Los Angeles, and is on his death throes after being exposed to radiation in a factory accident. He wants to infiltrate Elysium in order to cure himself (the residents of Elyisum has cutting edge medical technology able t o cure all ailments which is denied to the inhabitants of the Earth) and to do that he decides to work for a bunch of gangsters. Though the political undertones and the metaphors of the movies are a bit obvious, the film is entertaining and well done. Many critics have interpreted this movie as a left wing screed, but it could be easily seen as a right wing pamphlet, in which the end of civilization is blamed at the uncontrolled influx of immigrants.

Neil Blomkamp liked his first film (District 9) so much, he decided to remake it. Only here he has lost any political subtext D9 had and dropped in a 'them and us' storyline which is as old as Sci-Fi itself and imported in Frankenstein imagery and a Jesus complex. Even then the plight of Max and his fellow earthlings doesn't do enough to make you care about his plight one way of the other. Most vitally, any semblance of character has been replaced by one-dimensional cardboard cutouts. The worst of whom is Jodie Foster, who may as well not have turned up. Sharlto Copley falls on the opposite end shines as a maniac, with no real purpose beyond a bit of the old ultra-violence, but nothing more. Why the three stars? The effects work and the world building is of the highest class. The cyberpunk mechanics and the gore are fantastic, if only they were in a film that was as committed to the surface as it was to the actual substance and the camera work actually have us the chance to see anything during the more kinetic moments.

After the unexpected triumph of the peerless District 9 in 2011, Matt Damon heads the cast in Blomkamp's latest treatise on immigration, society, and apartheid. Damon's reformed car thief Max Da Costa becomes the unwitting potential saviour of mankind, after an industrial accident leaves his body riddled with catastrophic amounts of radiation. Like most of his peers, Max cannot access the medical treatment he needs, as this is only available on the paradisiacal satellite of Elysium, where the rich and pampered of Earth have all escaped to after their home planet has finally become too crowded, polluted, and dangerous for their liking. In collusion with smuggling kingpin and former associate Spider, Max and his buddy Julio set out to infiltrate Elysium and ensure that all residents of Earth become eligible for the medical treatment available to the privileged few.

Sharlto Copley - Blomkamp's muse from Distric 9, makes a welcome appearance as sociopathic mercenary Kruger, while Jodie Foster adds gravitas as the ruthless administrator of Elysium. Alice Braga also pops up as Max's childhood sweetheart Frey, whose daughter has Leukaemia and who is also desperate to avail her of the miracle cure found only on Elysium. The movie is tense and effective from the start, and there is enough action to satisfy the most ardent Sci-fi/Thriller fans, while Damon does a good job of reminding us of the acting chops he first showed in the likes of The Talented Mr Ripley and Saving Private Ryan. Whilst not as original as District 9, Elysium is another solid action/adventure with a strongly-beating yet subtle political core, and a sign that its director is getting to the top of his game and will be a force in the movie industry for quite some time to come.

Neill Blomkamp is a pretty clever director in that he has had two major sci-fis out over the last few years and they both have been pretty inspiring and most original (almost) both District 9 and Elysium are pretty bold and breathtaking in there scale, Elysium certainly hits the spot again with a clever and unique story, amazing visual effects that really make you think this place can exist, great casting of Matt Damon, im not a massive fan but he does fit in very well with this movie, Blomkamp certainly has a very specific vision of the future, one side is a paradise and the other side is a slum very much like in District 9, if you love a bit of sci-fi then this is a must, personally I still prefer District 9 as Blomkamp's best movie, the only downers I had with this were actor Sharlto Copley who I thought was awesome in District9 but did not deliver as great a character in this and some of the camera work was way too shakey to enjoy certain scenes,check it out for sure its still great fun!!

It's safe to say this was the one that was on my radar for movies to see in 2013, directed by Neil Blomkamp, the man who brought us the masterpiece that was "District 9", this was one movie that was highly anticipated by both me and the media.
It's the year 2154, the Earth is over populated, those who can afford it live on Elysium, a man made Space Station that is a Utopia, those who can't live on the ruined planet Earth.

We're safely in "District 9" for the scenes on Earth, an almost fascist Police state, a ruined planet, this is mirrored with the Nirvana that is Elysium. The film again, like it's predecessor is socio-political (the haves and the have nots) the movie looks great, from the baron grim LA to the bright colours of Elysium. The acting from the cast is top notch as you would expect from Matt Damon, Jodie Foster (excellent as the power crazed Senator Delacourt) and a more than welcome return of "District 9" Sharlto Copley.

Intelligent, thought provoking, great sfx and action, obviously not as good as Blomkamps legendary debut, but still a masterful piece of work.

It is not really possible to review the DVD/Blu-Ray at this point given that it's not released. I suspect however that the picture will be great and hope that the latest technology will apply. I am particularly keen on seeing whether there's been any deleted scenes that could have enhanced the movie.

Now to the movie itself. Personally I must say that I rather enjoyed it. The story-line is utterly contemporary and fits in perfectly with where we see the world going, namely one with a small nucleus of extremely rich and powerful people and then the rest, with a lot of poor people and a middle-class that seems to struggle to keep its head above the waves....

The movie takes it to a next level, whereby it seems that there is no middle-class and that you have the poor living on earth while the few rich live, well protected, on a massive man-made satellite world in Earth's orbit.

My take on this is that the story developed too fast and that the director should have considered doing at least two if not three movies to help us really get into that story. It would have been great to see for instance how the world got into this, exploit the whole idea of a true rift between rich and poor and then develop the characters a bit better. Given that I am partial to both Matt Damon and Jodie Foster I can't fault their acting skills. Jodie is brilliant as the bad girl and adds a kick to it by representing a French woman. For those who may not know it, Jodie Foster speaks French fluently and she shows it in this film. Matt Damon plays the anti-hero of course. A longer version of the movie would have helped us understand why Jodie Foster became who she is, why she is so tough (mandate or nature?). Matt Damon's "call to action" in his hero's journey is also too short.

In short I strongly believe that the movie could have been a lot better. But the story works and what makes it truly worrying is that there are signs that we are going in that direction....

"Elysium" is a futuristic type of film that illustrates what could happen if members of the wealthiest income strata decided to create completely separate living regions from other socio-economic classes. I truly wish that I could say that what is depicted in "Elysium" will never happen on earth and that harmony and unity is going to reign supreme within the next 25 years at the latest. However, it looks like a more unified world may not come about until at least 250 years from now. Additionally, it is becoming even more easy for the top 1% to create their own communities due to the socio-economic and racial segregation that still exists in many middle socio-economic class and lower socio-economic class neighborhoods across America. There was an element of the immigration debate within the film. I have to confess that I am on the fence and undecided about the immigration issue because I would have to gather more information before making an informed decision on the still controversial matter. "Matt Damon" gave a compelling performance as a man who unexpectedly carries the responsibility of making the amenities of Elysium more accessible to a greater number of men and women. Jodie Foster also gives a brilliant performance as an abrasive and shrewd politician who wants to preserve the culture of "Elysium" at even the most extreme of costs. The following actors and actresses are also included in "Elysium": Diego Luna, Alice Braga,Sharlto Copley, Faran Tahir,Wagner Moura, William Fichtner, Brandon Auret, Josh Blacker, Emma Tremblay, Jose Cantillo, Adrian Holmes, Jared Keeso, Adrian Holmes, Jared Keeso, Carly Pope, and Ona Grauer. "Elysium" is great for those who are curious to watch futuristic "potential" type of films.

As soon as I watched the trailer's for Elysium I could not wait to go see it knowing it was made by the same guy who made District 9.And i was not disapointed at all.Some strange reviews on here which leave me a bit baffled,but hey,like any movie it wont be everyone's cup of tea.This a great sci-fi/action movie.Very well directed and written and very,very believable.Great performances from Matt Damon,Sharlto Copley & Wagner Moura.The FX are amazing as with District 9.Cant wait for it to come out on DVD and watch it again.

"After much scorn and disdain from news outlets and audiences, Elysium is the newest worry and/or promising light at the multiplex. After Django Unchained made people cringe of its racial politics and extreme violence and after The Purge unsettled people to think that it sucked and a scenario involving government-approved mass murder could happen, Elysium is the newest entry in the battlefield metaphorically representing issues of classism, immigration, poverty, healthcare, and government-assited marital law and assassinations that all resemble a current nasty picture of America (especially California's US-Mexico border, Arizona, and Texas), Brazil (especially with the recent 2013 Rio de Janiero protests and favela slums), Mexico, China, Thailand, Syria, Egypt, and many other countries with similar issues.

Elysium examines Max da Costa, an orphan child raised to believe the titled place known as Elysium was a safe haven and it was possible to go not knowing he would live a life of poverty, seedy crime, overpopulation, and health problems. There is so many things to discuss here but for the sake of Amazon reviews, what is important to know here are the themes itself and how they relate to the current day.

For a liberal though, this is a nightmare and an orgasm but for a conservative, this is a flaky, Hollywood-funded, hypocritical propaganda piece. However you see it, the film does not disappoint but it does skim a few lines from its similarly thematic and violence-driven sister film, District 9, an allegory about South African apartheid but making the film's premise a little more general, relying more on action, and slimming down the element of creativity with a narrative that is striking but a bit similar to films like Soylent Green, Children of Men, ZPG, or Brave New World.

It does strike several accords, in addition, with its practical and virtuoso special effects (spearheaded by Neill Blomkamp himself), Matt Damon playing a believable yet sickly role as Max in his funky exoskeleton costume, and a darkly humourous and vicious role from District 9 actor Sharlto Copley as a rogue bounty hunter. While I am quite critical of the sci-fi genre, the science fiction represented here has some aura of believability (that is the themes and setting on Earth) and superficiality in the narrative where space is the next frontier and so are fast-moving spacecraft, mechanical chip-inserts that collect people's data in their brain, and robotic law enforcement which is all fun but does suffer a bit. District 9 had similar problems too but had a more believable, historically-significant narrative and credibility to it.

Then again, Elysium was not a film I was waiting to see but it did slip in the radar a bit by chance after I got the jist of its themes, narrative, and action. On that weekend, We're the Millers looked a bit tired, Planes was not really a Pixar production so I skipped it for a later time, and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters was just never a film I cared to see after the first film was just contrived drivel.

Despite some of its downfalls, it is still an ambitious effort on Blomkamp, Damon, and others partaking in this film. It was dark, intense, melancholic (dealt with a child having leukemia and in need of assistance), graphically violent (lots of body parts exploding, not for the faint-of-heart), and humanising (when you know that Max's ambition was sacrifice in the name for everyone who has worked and survived or is in need of help). It is a hard-edged 15-certificate film with heart and that is something you will not find very often and it was engaging and not deliberately brutal or offensive.

Even if some find discomfort in all of this, just remember, what would you do for a loved one or for a child you know has felt sickly or in pain? Would you, if you had the money or not, take to emergency quickly or leave to die under selfish reasons? Think about that."