Liberal Sci-Fi "Elysium" Shines over Disappointing Summer

Rating: 9/10 (11 August 2013)

The incredible disappointing summer blockbusters of 2013 come to a close with August slipping away from our grasp.
A quick recap of the summer: Star Trek 2 got good reviews but I sadly did not get to see it. The Man of Steel gets shot down with poor critical reception. Iron Man 3 was just OK, if that. World War Zombie or whatever was awful, and Del Toro's Pacific Rim, although lacked heart, was completely badass but lost in the box office to GROWN UPS 2 (i'll just let that sink in for a little bit). So a sequel to that is about as unlikely as a life long marriage between Kim and Kanye. So you could say that this summer was a huge let down.
I had high hopes for Elysium. Its Neil Blomkamp's second attempt at his signature "smart-sci-fi" movies, the first one being the amazing "District 9". Also, it has a bald Matt Damon in a dirty robot suit fighting the rich with sweet guns on a giant floating Halo in the sky. Oh yeah, and its also about health care.
Now that I think about it, it could've fallen flat on its face.
This film, being a movie with an opinionated message concerning the rich and the poor, gets very mixed reviews. It did OK in its opening weekend, and barely managed to NOT score a rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. So what makes it one of the best films of 2013 (the other being The Place Beyond The Pines)? I'll tell you. Its the explosive action and gripping realism behind this applause-worthy hour-and-a-half sci-fi thriller.
The scenery and cinematography are breathtaking, and none of it feels CGI or fake. Especially the way Blomkamp tackles these gritty robotic tales: giant planes are pushed to the background or not in focus because they aren't a big deal to the people of 2154. This is directing at its best.
The performances are almost all top notch across the board. Matt Damon plays a likable protagonist named Max who wants to help people, but his hint of selfishness inside him sometimes holds him back. He does a lot of the stunt work himself, and he plays his character well to make him enjoyable to watch on screen. I really cared about his character, which really surprised me.
Max's teammates do not appear in all that much of the movie, but are enjoyable as well. While some are a little over the top (Spyder, played by Wagner Moura), there are others that are loyal to Max and try to help him on his journey (Diego Luna as Julio), and serve as one of Max's motivations to fight the "bad guys".
Jodie Foster, however, is a different story. She gives a lazy performance as Delacourt. Her accent in the movie annoyed me, and her lines, while well-written, felt unnatural and uninspired, due to her over the top delivery. Oh well, you're supposed to hate her character anyway, so I guess it worked. Alice Braga is good as the main love interest. She and Max have a complex relationship that existed long before the events of the film, so the romance does not feel forced at all. It's very unusual for a summer blockbuster, I know.
Sharlto Copley as Kruger seems like another one of Delacourt's hired guns at first, but once his story and Max's story cross, he shows his true colors. Kruger is a totally different role for Copley, but he manages to own the role. He made Kruger feel just as likable and fun as he was menacing. He steals every scene he's in, making the third act exciting and full of life.
The plot, while at first glance seems generic, is actually a metaphor for foreign immigration. Elysium is basically America's wealthy, and Earth holds America's less-fortunate, as well as foreign ethnic groups including Max, who appears to be part of the Spanish heritage. Some might call Elysium racist, but I completely disagree and think it tackles a very apparent problem in our society and hits it hard into my brain without being too preachy.
When there is action, it is brutal, intense, and jaw dropping. There's plenty of big budget explosions and eye candy. Cars are spinning and flipping, robots are exploding, planes are crashing, grenades are taking people's faces clean off, and amazing high-tech guns are literally blowing up people, not to mention some serious hand to hand combat that was worth the price of admission alone. Despite all of this, I wouldn't call this movie an action movie.
What shines over this action is the deep drama between the characters and the heart that this movie really has.
The ending may be identified as cliché to some folks, but I thought it tied this futuristic ride up in a nice little bow. See, even if you don't agree with Elysium's message, I can't seem to shake the fact that Blomkamp made this movie with passion, and at a rare occasion: during another summer movie season in 2013.
Great script, good characters, interesting premise, amazing spectacle, and a controversial but powerful message that leaves you thinking long after the credits.
Sounds like my kind of movie. Is it yours?
For me, this easily deserves a 9/10. Tell me what you think. Cheers.