Review of Elysium (2013) by Colten L — 27 Dec 2014

While it's a whole lot less intelligent than it thinks it is, Neill Blomkamp's follow-up to his 2009 surprise sci-fi hit, District 9, is a reasonably entertaining, if disposable action film. Elysium's premise is almost exactly similar to that of District 9, though this time Blomkamp uses it to draw an allegory for modern class conflict instead of apartheid.

But as respectable as it is that a South African -born director like Blomkamp tries to make a sci-fi film that also works as a political parable, the results are this time much less satisfying. When you look into the film's ideology, Elysium is just another example of a liberal filmmaker wagging his finger at the higher authorities, without subtlety or understanding of the complexities of the film's themes, while trying to make audiences feel smart.

So on an intellectual level, the film is a bummer, but in terms of entertainment value and execution, it is very valid. The visual effects are once again imposing, and the action is effective despite some overused shaky-cam.

Matt Damon is reliably charismatic in the lead role, and Sharlto Copley gives one of the most entertainingly hammy performances in the history of cinema. Jodie Foster, however, struggles with her British-French-African accent so hard that she forgets to focus on the performance itself.

In the end, Elysium is predictable and quite shallow, but still well made in its own terms. At this point, there is still some sort of insecurity about which Blomkamp respects more, good stories or thought-provoking themes, but he still has time to evolve and direct the next Alien or Blade Runner.