Blomkamp's futuristic gamble pays off

Rating: 8/10 (3 September 2013)

AN original science-fiction film these days is a gamble, it's either going to be a hit or a miss. Luckily for Elysium, the man behind one of the hardest hitting sci-fi films for the last few years isn't Michael Bay. It has been about four years since South African-born Neill Blomkamp totally shocked international and local audiences when he released District 9 in 2009. This time he is back in the director's seat and is well equipped with Hollywood A-listers Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. In the year 2154, Earth is over populated and basically turned into a massive slum. The rich leave to a man-made space station known as Elysium where everybody lives in perfect harmony with lovely gardens and suburban homes, and the health care is beyond excellent. Foster plays the Secretary of Defence on Elysium who is challenged by her superiors on her actions trying to protect the well­being of the utopian society. Damon plays Max, a criminal with a rocky past, who now leads a mundane life as a worker in a robot manufacturing plant on Earth. When he is exposed to a deadly quantity of radiation, he has no choice but to try and find a way to Elysium, but it's not that easy for our leading man. He seeks the help of one his acquaintances from the criminal underworld to help him get to Elysium, and it is at this point the film really kicks up a gear. From the onset, it is clear that the film is far more than just an average popcorn sci-fi watch. It is obvious – but I'm going to say it anyway – this film is a social narrative on issues relating to the rich and the poor, class differences and the health system. And these issues are common to all societies, whether you live in Paris or Parys. As far as science fiction goes, the film delivers, with a worthy plot, believable character development, outstanding visuals and a decent amount of action. Blomkamp comes from a visual effects background and it is evident that he didn't hold with the elegant use of CGI, far better than the "summer" blockbuster we saw a few months ago. Although the film is primarily driven through dialogue and storytelling, there are a few well executed action sequences with some entertaining gun battles and futuristic weaponry that will put a smile on your face. There are, however, a few downs to Elysium. It suffers from some of the classic Hollywood pitfalls — aspects of the story are just too convenient for our lead character and for the progression of the story. (It won't be too hard for audiences to predict how the film unfolds). Foster's character plays an important role in the film, but it doesn't seem like she put a whole lot of effort into it. Without a shadow of a doubt, the absolute highlight of Elysium is Sharlto Copley. Just when we thought we saw one of the best villains earlier this year in JJ Abrams's version of Khan, Copley gives Benedict Cumberbatch a run for his money playing a menacing South African mercenary hired as a sleeper agent by the higher-ups of Elysium.