By Robbie Jones
I’m about to say something that may attract me a lot of hate. Ready? I think District 9 is overwhelmingly over-rated. I found very little enjoyment in the film. The change from documentary style filming to action film was one that really felt uneven, and the plot did not entice me in anyway. So you can imagine I was less than enthusiastic about Elysium. To be honest, I’m not too big on Sci-Fi films; the thought of watching one always puts me off. And that’s why there are some legendary examples of the genre I haven’t seen yet, such as Blade Runner, Metropolis, Sunshine etc. But Elysium was a film that my friend was eager to see. Therefore, I had to give it a chance. And by that point, it appealed to me a lot more, but I still had my doubts. Could Neill Blomkamp win me over this time round, or would it fall down to its predecessor’s level?
I’m about to say something that may attract me a lot of hate. Ready? I think District 9 is overwhelmingly over-rated. I found very little enjoyment in the film. The change from documentary style filming to action film was one that really felt uneven, and the plot did not entice me in anyway. So you can imagine I was less than enthusiastic about Elysium. To be honest, I’m not too big on Sci-Fi films; the thought of watching one always puts me off. And that’s why there are some legendary examples of the genre I haven’t seen yet, such as Blade Runner, Metropolis, Sunshine etc. But Elysium was a film that my friend was eager to see. Therefore, I had to give it a chance. And by that point, it appealed to me a lot more, but I still had my doubts. Could Neill Blomkamp win me over this time round, or would it fall down to its predecessor’s level?
Elysium is a space station built by the wealthy, for the wealthy; they live in comfort and safety with robotic servants, whilst Earth remains overpopulated and devastated, policed by ruthless androids. In 2154, Max (Matt Damon) works at Armadyne Corp, a factory that produces these law enforcement robots, and after making a joke, his arm is broken. Despite his life of crime, Max is desperate to reconcile with an old friend, whose daughter suffers from Leukaemia. After an accident at work, Max is poisoned with radiation and is given 5 days to live. However, this leads him to a whole new goal; citizens of Earth regularly try to get into Elysium using fake citizenships in order to gain access Elysian Med-Pods, which can cure humans of any disease or injury. When Elysian Secretary of Defence Jessica Delacourt (Jodie Foster) orders the destruction of 2 ships of immigrants at the hands of Kruger (Sharlto Copley), a ruthless and possibly insane agent situated on Earth, the people of Earth are outraged. Spider (Wagner Moura), the man behind the trips, offers Max the chance to cure himself but he wants Max to ambush an Elysium..
So as you can see, Elysium differs from District 9 greatly, creating and exploring a whole new world as part of a much more complex and character driven premise. So, where do I start? I’m genuinely struggling here. I really should’ve thanked my friend for convincing me to watch the film as it was a truly fantastic piece of Sci-Fi entertainment. At its heart, it’s a popcorn film, but layered with enough intelligence to be considered a serious tale of the battle between rich and poor. This alone shows the excellent writing skills of Neill Blomkamp, who clearly knows what he wants to do and how he wants to do it with his plots.
So as you can see, Elysium differs from District 9 greatly, creating and exploring a whole new world as part of a much more complex and character driven premise. So, where do I start? I’m genuinely struggling here. I really should’ve thanked my friend for convincing me to watch the film as it was a truly fantastic piece of Sci-Fi entertainment. At its heart, it’s a popcorn film, but layered with enough intelligence to be considered a serious tale of the battle between rich and poor. This alone shows the excellent writing skills of Neill Blomkamp, who clearly knows what he wants to do and how he wants to do it with his plots.
Before I start on the cast, let’s take a moment to appreciate the technology of Elysium; this has got to have some of the coolest technology. We see a variety of awesome weapons throughout the film, and it’s even more fun to watch them in action. But of course, the true awesomeness lies with Max’s Endoskeleton. Not only does Matt Damon look like a badass, but he becomes one too, as it becomes more and more entertaining to watch him fight with it. Oh, and let’s not forget the cinematography of the film either; Max’s first fight with Kruger uses camera shots that make it feel like a third person shooter video games, which is hugely effective in building the tension and atmosphere of the scene, leaving an impact on you until some more action arrives.
And before we move on, credit goes to Neill Blomkamp once again for not only writing this fascinating space station and all of its logic but for bringing it to life with direction that is an absolute treat for the eyes. Elysium from the outside is a beautiful sight, but everything looks great on Earth too. So whilst I wasn’t quite swayed with his style in District 9, I can now say I look forward to any of Blomkamp’s future films.
And before we move on, credit goes to Neill Blomkamp once again for not only writing this fascinating space station and all of its logic but for bringing it to life with direction that is an absolute treat for the eyes. Elysium from the outside is a beautiful sight, but everything looks great on Earth too. So whilst I wasn’t quite swayed with his style in District 9, I can now say I look forward to any of Blomkamp’s future films.
So, let’s move on to the cast. How spoilt are we to have not only beautiful visuals, a fantastic script and awesome technology, but some great performances too? Did we do something right? Well either way, it’s a reward to happily accept. Matt Damon is brilliant as Max; it’s been a long time since I’ve rooted for a hero so much. His chemistry with all of the cast members is really great to watch, even if their performances are a tad underwhelming (*cough* Alice Braga *cough*) but Matt always stays on top form. Jodie Foster plays a great villain, and does exactly what she’s supposed to do; be a bitch. Whether you admire her performance or not, it’s more than likely you’re going to end up hating her, as it’s revealed early on that she is a ruthless, power hungry killer.
But, none of them compare to Sharlto Copley.....Oh my. Having reteamed with Blomkamp following District 9, Copley absolutely kills it in this film. Sure, you could argue that his performance is very scenery chewing and over the top, and it’s true, Kruger is insane. But he’s a villain that you just can’t help but like. Copley’s performance is so out of control yet so in power at the same time, he’s an absolute blast to watch.
If you liked District 9, then there’s no doubt you’ll like this, but even if you didn’t, give it a shot. I did, and now this film has crept its way into my favourites of 2013. With a great script, beautiful visuals and stellar cast, Elysium is an action packed, always fun yet always smart Sci-Fi from a man who is destined to achieve even more greatness.
4 Stars
Find Robbie on Twitter!
But, none of them compare to Sharlto Copley.....Oh my. Having reteamed with Blomkamp following District 9, Copley absolutely kills it in this film. Sure, you could argue that his performance is very scenery chewing and over the top, and it’s true, Kruger is insane. But he’s a villain that you just can’t help but like. Copley’s performance is so out of control yet so in power at the same time, he’s an absolute blast to watch.
If you liked District 9, then there’s no doubt you’ll like this, but even if you didn’t, give it a shot. I did, and now this film has crept its way into my favourites of 2013. With a great script, beautiful visuals and stellar cast, Elysium is an action packed, always fun yet always smart Sci-Fi from a man who is destined to achieve even more greatness.
4 Stars
Find Robbie on Twitter!
RSS Feed
