Elysium - Review

Rating: 3/10 (26 August 2013)

Neil Blomkamp's tremendous success with District 9 made him one of the most exciting prospects to emerge from the science-fiction genre in recent years. His original approach to the genre was both refreshing and ingenious, earning the film four nominations from the Academy, including Best Picture and Best Adopted Screenplay. Naturally enough, this sort of success created much anticipation for Elysium, his second feature, which would star both Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. Sadly Elysium produced one of the greatest disappointments of the year so far.
The premise of Elysium is actually quite good. Set at the end of the twenty-first century, the world has become overpopulated, infected with disease and reduced to a global slum. Therefore another world was created, Elysium, to treat the over-populated earth. This creates an obvious class system, literally worlds apart, where the wealthy reside on Elysium and the working class roam the dilapidated earth. In this two-tier universe the wealthy, who reside on Elysium, are portrayed as heartless snobs who have no regard for those left behind, making them immediately dislikeable. However the working-class residents of earth aren't exactly endearing either. Of course they garner some sympathy for their neglect from Elysium, but other than that there's little reason to be rooting for them.
The story moves at a frantically rapid pace. As a result the characters are underdeveloped and disinteresting whilst the plot is rushed. Matt Damon who usually embodies such affable, intriguing characters, is given a lead character so empty and underdeveloped that most will do well to remember his name along the ride. Only his fatal circumstances earn him some sympathy, but this is soon flattened by the rushed, action-packed second half of the film.
The plot advances in a truly illogical and convenient fashion. Little detail is given on how Max (Matt Damon) and his gang will go about their mission, they simply just go and do it. Any obstacles or faults in the script are dressed up in action sequences or desperate cut-a-ways to the endangered love interest. Also Elysium delivers the a ridiculous metaphor, spoken by the young daughter of Max's ex-lover.
Not only are the characters hollow but some of the acting performances are particularly poor also. Sharlto Copley's portrayal of the villainous Kruger is laughable at best. Between taunting Max and teasing Frey (A.K.A generic love interest) he allows a lot of unintentional comedy to surface.
Jodie Foster also gives an unnecessarily over-acted performance as Delacourt. In case some people were unsure that her character was a wealthy, ruthless elitist her overtly pompous display will certainly confirm it.
Elysium lost almost everything that was so great about District 9, even its brilliant performance from Sharlto Copley. Blomkamp has certainly proved that he's a talented and capable writer/director, yet so did M. Night Shyamalan. Let's hope that Blomkamp doesn't follow a similar path.