Solid, but disappointing

Rating: 4/10 (29 August 2013)

'District 9' was a brilliant directorial debut and also a true sleeper hit. It didn't feature any stars (or recognisable faces), was directed by a first-timer and was set in South Africa (an unusual location for a sci-fi movie), featuring some of the ugliest aliens for some time. However, it was a box-office hit, managing to recuperate its budget over six times and garnered critical acclaim, eventually (and deservedly) scoping an Oscar nomination for Best Picture (another unusual thing for a sci-fi film). Thus, Neill Blomkamp's follow-up attracted great interest, especially since being another gritty work of science fiction and featuring Sharlto Copley, who was so great as Wikus in 'District 9'. Sadly, 'Elysium' is no 'District 9'.
The premise sounded very promising. In 2154, the Earth has become over- populated and over-polluted, with the poor residing there in slums while the wealthy have moved to an elaborate space station called Elysium in order to preserve their way of life. Max (Matt Damon) is an ex-con who is now a factory line worker; unfortunately, he becomes fatally exposed to radiation and is given five days left to live. As a result, he decides to do all in his power to get up to Elysium even if that means melding his body with a mechanical exoskeleton. As Max, the reliable Matt Damon is quite good, making the down-on-his-luck hero a likable lead. However, it is Sharlto Copley who steals the show, portraying a character that is a world away from Wikus, clearly revelling in the nastiness of Agent Kruger, who despite being a one-dimensional villain, is a magnetic presence whenever on screen. Jodie Foster, on the other hand, delivers a wooden performance with a bizarre and stilted accent.
Like 'District 9', this movie is home to some brilliant design work, the decaying Earth is beautifully ugly and the CGI robots slot seamlessly into the world. Some of the action sequences are good, especially the first one after Max puts on the exoskeleton, but the flat third act becomes focused on generic action and good-guy-punch-bad-guy. This action-heavy finale wouldn't feel sterile if it wasn't for the touches of greatness present within the first act, where everything is expertly set-up. However, 'Elysium' only has touches of greatness and that doesn't equal a great movie especially with a heavy-handed and clunky political message. That isn't to say that it is a bad film – it's not – it's alright, but nothing more.