Not Spectacular but worth a watch

Rating: 6/10 (1 September 2013)

Elysium review (7 out of 10)
I approached this movie with a lot of excitement but after seeing some of the initial reactions scaled back my own expectations. I have to say I was not disappointed or blown away; though if you are into action or sci-fi movies then you will find the movie enjoyable. It doesn't really have any plot holes and doesn't have many particular set-pieces that seem implausible or illogical.
Cinematography
Starting with the best reason to watch this movie; the camera angles, the slow motion effects and video-game like camera movements, the attention to detail of the weapons and setting. The universe felt real and was absorbing; with no spectacularly naff Bay-esque explosions. The choice of setting for the future of Los Angeles felt unnervingly realistic and hopefully this movie doesn't turn out to be prophetic for the future of the human race.
Casting and Acting
Compared with its stablemate, District 9, this movie had a much bigger budget and thus attracted far more famous faces which were well-cast and well-acted even if the script left the characters feeling a bit one dimensional at times.
I was particularly impressed by Sharlto Copley's turn as a despotic war criminal/cyborg and Matt Damon portrayed the protagonist of the story with his usual blend of intelligent, measured aggression which fitted the character perfectly. Jodie Foster's fascistic security leader was good; though some may find her accent a bit forced and jarring. The supporting cast stood out as realistic, though I found Wagner Moura's caricature of an idealistic criminal "Che Guevara" was the exception to this rule because of its naive simplicity.
Plot
Fairly straight forward action plot with a fairly predictable outcome with no particular questions left unanswered at the end (unless you are a bit of a nerd and want to debate the Malthusian implications of the outcome...).
I quite enjoyed the final tussle for power between an idealistic "socialistic" hero, a murderous despot, an obvious fascist (cough *neo- conservative*) and an ineffectual democratic president.
Conclusion Though not genre-defining, it a good movie that is worth a watch: especially if you are a fan of the action/sci-fi genre.