Entertaining and subtly thought provoking

Rating: 7/10 (11 August 2013)

It may not be the smash hit that District 9 was, but Elysium still pulls its weight and leaves you to ponder our world relative to Neil Blomkamp's very plausible version of a dystopian Earth for several days following the film.
Elysium definitely looks the part, right away you're going to be stunned by the incredible CGI that leaves the universe feeling as clean or as gritty as Blomkamp intended it to be. The contrast between the paradise of Elysium and the destitute servant class on earth is made visually, as well as depicted early and forcefully by interactions with robotic police, working conditions, and quick glimpses into medical care on an overpopulated planet.
While it excels visually, Elysium lacks in terms of a story line. We are left with hardly enough time to really get to know Max (Matt Damon)and the plot is very standard action movie fare. The plot also has more holes than swiss cheese, and the magic wand of science fiction is waved over some rather critical components. This rampant outbreak of plot holes and absence of any real character development or resolution leaves you feeling like you've been cheated, and is certainly disappointing coming on the heels of D9, where we were allowed to really identify with the protagonist as he underwent his mutation into an alien.
Elysium's real beauty is in it's undeniably relevant social commentary. The film makes an obvious plug for universal health care, but leaves more subtle commentary to the viewer. Elysium exists as a powerful symbol of class division, one that exhibits a shockingly relevant point: all human beings are inextricably connected. Despite the best efforts of the rich to isolate themselves from their economically enslaved servant class, fate would have it otherwise. This isn't to say that anything is better as a result (indeed, there were no indications that the world was operating with unlimited resources) but that the plight of humanity as a whole cannot be lost in a private reality, for eventually it will make itself known.
TL DR;
Go see Elysium, but be ready to simply drink it in and wait for a few days before you make any strong evaluation of the film. It's a visually stunning, entertaining action film with brilliantly subtle messages.