My first conclusion ... If someone tells you that you are special and meant to do great things in future, there's a high chance you might...

Rating: 7/10 (13 August 2013)

A quick disclaimer before I start writing my opinions about this movie. I will usually TRY not to watch any trailers or read up on the movies I am going to watch, so that I won't have any expectation or anticipation for the movie. However, I caught the trailer during one of my previous movie screenings and I will admit that this whole visual machine versus human kind of movie didn't really attract me.
My first conclusion after the movie was: If someone tells you that you are special and meant to do great things in future, there's a high chance you might have to sacrifice yourself for everyone. #sarcasmintended
The movie was good, but somehow, it felt bad in many different ways, My friend wanted to give the movie a 5/5 as he loved the visuals and flow of the story etc. But I beg to differ. There were a lot of jerky and messy fighting scenes, which I could see where the director was coming from, but it made me a little giddy trying to focus on their scenes. However, the Earth and Elysium scenes were beautiful and near perfect, and the technology doesn't make you feel like you are in 2154. I felt that it is more like a 2054.
Plot wise, it is pretty simple, the rich versus the poor and someone from the dumps try to get into the privileged society. Usually, it will be easy for me to relate to the storyline, but this time, I was hard for me to feel for any of the main characters. I think the two characters who managed to touch me were Julio, Max's friend and Matilda, Frey's cancer-ridden daughter.
Spoiler alert: Julio sacrificed himself during their interception attack on Carlyle's spaceship, one of the few humane or emotional parts in the whole film. I had thought that Julio was just one of the few hooligans who made fun of Max and it was only at the scene where Max was fatally injured that I could see the depth of their friendship. A large part of the movie was about Frey's desperation to treat her daughter from leukemia. But I couldn't really feel that motherly love from her. It was Frey's (Emma Tremblay) little narration about the mouse and hippopotamus that moved me (you need watch till the end to know why).
For full review, visit: http://tiffanyyong.com/2013/08/13/elysium-movie- review/