I had a great time watching this film - I don't know why people are griping so much!

Rating: 8/10 (9 August 2013)

I've read a lot of negative stuff about Elysium in IMDb lately and I don't think it's all warranted. Certainly many of the negative points are true. There is a lack of story development/backstory for the Elysium world. I really feel the film skipped across the actual people and world of Elysium in a way that actually made it feel a bit budget. Everyone wears suits or bikinis and the lawns are perfectly manicured - apparently I'm supposed to think that this means Elysium is the perfect utopia. The shaky cam is a little distracting and frustrating at times. The story is just OK. The ending a over the top cliché. There are a bunch of plot holes. D9 is in an entirely different league in these respects and is overall a better film by some way.
But what is fantastic about this is the gripping, visceral action. Sharlto Copley returns as a psychotic mercenary is an unbelievable departure from his wussy character in D9. Honestly I was amazed how effective he was as a scary bad guy given the roles I've seen him play before. The futuristic weaponry and robots is a feast for the eyes and ears. The violence is jarring, realistic and left me speechless at times. In these ways the film matched D9 and I was again impressed at what Neil Blomkamp had created on screen. Matt Damon is a great actor and was solid in this film. At the end of the day I was entertained from start to finish and had a great time watching the film. Granted, its no District 9 but it is a great film to watch anyhow. Go check it out.