Elysium is set in 2154 in a world where disease, famine, and poverty has taken over the planet. The privileged and the elite have escaped to a Elysium, a space station for the rich, leaving the rest of the population suffering on Earth, as on Elysium there are medical bays in everyone's house that can cure anything with a couple quick scans. Matt Damon (anyone else think of Team America and say his name like in this video...because I still do) is Max, a lovable little trouble maker growing up in orphanage run by nuns where he meets Frey and falls in love...promising her that he would take them to Elysium some day. Fast forward 30+ years, and Max is a parolee working a factory job. After a little accident with the robot cops, he finds Frey (Alice Braga) working as a nurse in the hospital with hopes of rekindling what they had as kids. Well, without giving things away, he is forced into taking on a job to help your friendly neighborhood gang leader Spider, who sells spots on shuttles heading to Elysium with stolen flight codes to those desperate enough to risk being blown up for a chance to reach Elysium and their panacea med-bays. Jodie Foster plays Sec. of Defense Delacourt who in charge of stopping such attempts using methods authorized and unauthorized by Elysium's government. One of the unauthorized methods is deploying Kruger, an almost unrecognizable Sharlto Copely, and his mercenary team. And there you have all the major players set in motion for a typical story of the downtrodden rising up to combat the over powered and privileged for a right to a better life...and healthcare.
Blomkam does a good job of adding enough elements to the general story line to keep it fresh and entertaining. The action is very good, as are the special effects - both the practical and CGI work. The is one scene with a grenade blast on a dummy's head that had people tilt their head at the brutality. There are also some cyberpunk influences as in how data is stored and Max's exo-skeleton. The movie also gets some help from Damon and Copely. Damon, in his normal charm, pulls off Max's thief with a heart of gold trying to live the straight and narrow until things happen and force him back. Copley's Kruger is the physical villain with enough "evil charisma" that you enjoy his scenes. And most of the actors do a good job of keeping you vested in their causes and world to enjoy the experience.
The movie, however, suffers from the "don't think too much" problem, which pretty common for summer blockbusters. For example, the poor people who pay ungodly amounts of money for an illegal ride to Elysium...which can, and usually does end with being blown up. At first I wondered by they would take that big of a risk, especially when one does land that the Elysium security forces of robots rounds them up just as quick and deport them back. Well one reason would be to use the med-bays to cure whatever ails you. But is it worth the risk if your problem is not life threatening?
And while I do enjoy Jodie Foster, I thought her performance here was a little too over the top as the over zealous Sec. of Defense. It was nice to have a second villain...one that is more scheming and less physically threatening. I am sure most of this is how the character was written.
Overall, I really enjoyed the movie...I just wasn't wow'd. I think I set my expectations too high before seeing this. I wonder if it was already seeing a movie that commented on the disparity between the super wealthy and the rest of us...The Purge tried to do this as well. The movie also speaks on the issue of immigration and health care, and I usually do not care so much about over the top social commentary. It's not that I disagree with it, but I look for movies to be more of an escape....not a potential view of the future, which this Blomkam paints very well here.
It is a really smart and entertaining movie, with solid performances from the actors. Is it worth seeing in the theatre for $11+...I think so. The large set pieces, the beauty of Elysium contrasted by the poverty stricken L.A., and the action benefit quite a bit from the big screen.
This is another Mondo poster done by Martin Ansin
And as for a little hint on where I saw the film...here is a video by a favorite EDM group Mt Eden (New Zealand), who have one of their tracks in the movie...not the track below, but one called "Sierra Leone" that I caught while it was playing in the background. Anyway, here is the "hint" track...an amazing song by the way!
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