A solid futuristic action film, thumbs up

Rating: 8/10 (25 May 2020)

This movie was on the TV last night and I went in completely open minded, I didn't know anything about it.
I thought it was definitely worth watching and would recommend it as an action film. It got bonus points from me because it was thought-provoking too. It reminded me of The Terminator, where the action is at the forefront of the film but the story itself invites you to reflect on the ominous themes of our own reality and not too distant future.
Setting/ locations - loved it. There are 2 main locations - the futuristic slums of LA in the stifling heat on Earth, and Elysium, the off-planet habitat of the elite and rich, which appears in the Earth's sky as some sort of everpresent star-shaped moon. I appreciated how people on Elysium could see planet Earth and people on Earth could see Elysium yet there was an invisible class barrier between the two entities.
Plot - one man living in hard times, finds himself on a mission, motivated by love and survival etc. Nothing new but to be honest it didn't matter as the wider themes and setting were the main draws for me.
Acting - convincing all round and did the characters justice. Sharlto Copley as the main bad guy was the stand out for me, excellent casting and a great performance!
Action - the action scenes were good, again nothing particularly memorable but still engaging.
Overall, I enjoyed it and I would like to mention that the pacing was really good. It never dwelt on one character, relationship or plot thread for too long but didn't feel rushed, you get just the right amount of info about what's going on which I think is spot on for an action film. I would loved to have seen more characters and locations from both LA and Elysium which is credit to the film for making such an interesting world.