REVIEW: Elysium

PLOT: Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.

REVIEW: My excitement for this movie comes purely from how awesome I find 2009's District 9, which was writer/director Neill Blomkamp's first feature film. In a genre that is almost completely comprised of cookie cutter films, not only did Blomkamp create a successful film in the genre but also one that was seemingly different than all of the rest. I found District 9 to be a monumental achievement, not only for Blomkamp's career, but for the rejuvenation of sci-fi film. Up until that point, sci-fi was treading familiar waters all too often with no originality or story to draw viewers in. So after such a huge hit, which wasn't a big cost to make but generated a lot of profit, Blomkamp began work on his follow-up film. As the film came together, it was hyped more and more because of the acting talent that the director was going to have this time around.

District 9 didn't boast a large list of names that would be in the film, as a matter of fact there really weren't any familiar faces at all. Yet, Blomkamp was able to craft a seemingly perfect sci-fi actioner without all of that, so the question remained, what could he do with bigger names and a bigger budget? Elysium is his answer to that question and while it most definitely was a great film, it wasn't nearly the sci-fi classic I expected after District 9. What stands out to me after seeing Elysium is that Blomkamp has an incredible eye for the visuals in his movies. Even though District 9 was made on a fairly low budget for the type of movie it was, it has an amazingly realistic look and captured the essence of the slums that were now alien infested in South Africa. Neill takes a somewhat similar approach to the new film where the surroundings are gritty and dystopian, but also have a very realistic look even with the robots and such walking around. I particularly loved the robot sentries look in the film, as they looked very humanoid which again was a strength of District 9 to create compelling alien characters that were relatable and understandable. The robots don't play a major role in the film, but our main actors turned robots, do.

Matt Damon really isn't a sci-fi actor, most of his films consist of drama or action. So for him I'm sure this was a fairly new job, but I'm sure he was more than excited to be working with the up and comer, Blomkamp. Damon plays Max, a boy who grew up in the dystopian world dreaming of the day he would be able to afford his ticket to Elysium, the upper class world relocated from Earth to space to protect their prestigious way of life. Max is now an adult, working his way up in a factory that assembles the robots that now enforce the laws on Earth and Elysium. His past is frequently touched on throughout the film, as he is a former felon, guilty of carjacking and violent behavior. Matt Damon with a neck tattoo was actually a little more believable than I thought it would be. His amazing ability to be sarcastic and endearing works well for him, and despite normally acting dramatic roles, he nailed this one. He's a relatable person in this new world, even though he's a criminal, and Damon delicately walks the edge of being badass but easily sympathized with. I'm a pretty big fan of Matt Damon and everything he does, but I think it's an obvious trait than anyone will see when they set their eyes on this film. It's a perfect showcase for him to show he's capable of so much more than many believe he is, and it also furthers his case as an A-list actor who has been tremendously busy as of late.

Max has a band of former friends who are all part of a criminal enterprise with which he used to work, and they all play minor to small significant roles in the main storyline of the film. Being that the film takes place in a future version of Los Angeles, most of the side characters are predominately Hispanic. Spider is the leader of the underground people of Earth fighting a class war with the people of Elysium, and is involved in multiple criminal acts such as sneaking people into Elysium. Julio, Max's seemingly longtime friend and former partner, also assists Max with his plot to get to Elysium to cure himself of radiation poisoning suffered at the hand of his employer at the factory. There are so many parallels from our real world to the world of Elysium, and I think that is some of the main point in the movie. It's a tale of the 99%, health care, and environmental conditions and I would imagine that if that's something that bothers you to acknowledge, then you're not going to like this movie because it will remind you of just that. Elitist folk will find a way to sabotage this film for preaching the values and points it touches on, but at the end of the day it is just a movie that oddly seems so similar to our current situation, just in the future and a little more exaggerated. I agree with most of the social commentaries made in the film of course, so I enjoyed drawing those similarities in my film experience, but others may choose to ignore the message and just enjoy the sci-fi action, which there is plenty of.

The film has plenty of action to go along with a fairly simple storyline of redemption and salvation. In comparison to District 9, it is particularly more disgusting in its blood and gore but with reason. This film is supposed to paint the ugly picture of the world of Elysium, and warn those who are watching that this could truly be. There is one point during which someone gets their face blown off, and it is reminiscent of the head explosion in Drive. Very little cut from real to fake, you see a face for a second and then a gigantic explosion of face blood. Being a fan of practical FX, I was generally pleased to see such things executed to such perfection, so I loudly applauded this filmmaking decision in my head during the showing. It caused a noticeable few head turns, and even several scenes later the face is shown up close and personal. I loved this, and it was an obvious use of practical FX until the face was regenerated using Elysium's regenerative system. Much like the guns in District 9 that were pretty inventive and so neat looking when fired, Elysium has its own style of weaponry and gadgets that make this film fun and full of action. There were the real guns of course, but some special bullets that caused some mayhem, as well as futuristic weaponry that is seen towards the end of the film that is crazy. Also, our main man Sharlto Copley utilizes an electric force field to defend himself from Max and others on multiple occasions, which is another example of the nifty gadgets and weaponry used in Blomkamp's new world.

To the villains, there are quite a few. I will start with the most bothersome being William Fichtner's Carlyle, whom Max is to withdraw information from to get his ticket to Elysium. From the beginning, this guy sounds like a straight robot. I'm not sure if that is what he was aiming for, and suggesting that his business professional character was so far from his origins of being a human that he was now closer to a robot, but it was surely what it seemed like. Considering there was a lot of commentary on elitist folk from Elysium, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the aim of the robotic acting, but Fichtner plays such a good villain in other things that I was disappointed to see that. Also, Jodie Foster channels her inner robot at times which was also annoying, but she was a little more believable with an accent to her elitist robot. It definitely gave her a bit of an evil edge, but at the same time you expect so much more from Jodie Foster. Also, speaking of the Delacourt portrayal of Foster, her home world Elysium is just absolutely beautiful. It's an amazingly serene looking planet, if you could call it one, but it's equally as convincing a real thing, as Blomkamp makes a stunning visual that is totally believable. Elysium could have been extremely corny and classic Trek-like, but it seemed a legitimate thing, though unfortunately under the control of a tyrant. 

Last but certainly not least is the return of Sharlto Copley, the actor who's portrayal of Wikus Van De Merwe in his first feature film have now scored him multiple jobs in Hollywood including that of Murdock in the revived version of The A-Team in 2010, a year after his turn in District 9. I really think that Copley has the potential to be a wonderful actor, and after seeing polar opposite portrayals from him in both of Blomkamp's films, my opinion is strengthened. Copley plays Kruger, an asset of Foster's Delacourt on Earth, that is pretty much a muscle for hire type that she uses to further her agenda on Elysium. After being warned not to use him, she is caught using him to prevent immigrants from Earth making it to Elysium and then he is discharged from his service. From the beginning, his South African accent and higher pitched voice for a mercenary strikes you as kind of strange, but as his character is developed further, you soon learn that he is completely psychotic and has no regard for human life. I loved Copley's portrayal of Kruger and I think without it, I would have enjoyed the movie a little less. I love seeing actors in movies that are good character actors, and not just there to look tough and muscular. Blomkamp could have easily rented this role out to The Rock or someone like him, but he obviously knows the talents of his prodigal actor that will surely see more demand for his name as time goes on.

Overall I highly enjoyed the film. It has all of the elements of a great sci-fi film, but doesn't take a departure from the current world so far that it makes it too futuristic. This makes the film extremely relatable, and comparable to our current way of life. If this movie goes into a future we don't understand, it surely wouldn't have been as fun to watch. It is a testament to the writing of Blomkamp, as he has now successfully made two of the greatest original science fiction films of the last 10 years, and also his talents as a director. I can't wait to see what Blomkamp has up his sleeve next, and it seems that he will hold his buddy Sharlto Copley close, though rightfully so. I am glad to see that Elysium topped the box office this past weekend against reasonable competition, and also for being R-rated that is a very good sign. I'd highly recommend Elysium for any fans of action, sci-fi, and even drama. This film works so well on so many levels, and it's a shame to see a lot of critics bashing it for being plain entertaining and/or preachy. Leave your opinions about our world's disasters and tragedies at home, and go entertain yourself with this pulse pounding and smart sci-fi film that will leave you on the verge of tears with an incredible ending that is always nice to see with films of such magnitude.

ACTING : ( 7 / 10 )

STORY : ( 9 / 10 )

EXECUTION : ( 10 / 10 )

POSTER : ( 8 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 9 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 8 / 10 )