Lightweight Maybe. Great Fun Certainly.

Rating: 8/10 (3 September 2013)

While this doesn't have the power and impact of District 9, there's no denying that Blomkamp is a sci fi master.
With Elysium, he has created a dystopian future that Philip K Dick would be proud of.
The set design and CGI work brilliantly together to create a beautifully realised world that is all at once recognisable and at the same time clearly of the future.
This is a romp of a movie with great action sequences, believable characters and an in your face social subtext that although not fully explored, offers enough bite to create an emotional bond with the characters.
Yes it was all a bit obvious and yes you've seen it loads of times before but it was so well done that I was having too much fun to care.
Like District 9, this is a nice piece of body shock that while grim, never becomes pornographic.
Matt Damon does a fine job. In fact, the acting on the whole was good. Sharlto is brilliant as ever with his absurd and hilarious marine. Only Foster feels like a fish out of water. She would have done better to have reprised her role from the Inside Man.
All in all this was a very enjoyable summer blockbuster with a good story, decent characters and great CGI.