A slight step down from District 9, but still enjoyable

Rating: 6/10 (21 September 2013)

In the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. The people of Earth are desperate to escape the planet's crime and poverty, and they critically need the state-of-the-art medical care available on Elysium - but some in Elysium will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens' luxurious lifestyle. The only man with the chance bring equality to these worlds is Max (Matt Damon), an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission - one that pits him against Elysium's Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her hard-line forces - but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well. (Sony). The film is visually stunning, as in one of the best looking movies of the year. It is truly a joy for the eyes. And the action scenes are really, really good. Matt Damon gives a good performance,as does Sharlto Copley as Kruger and so does most of the cast. And the pacing is fast and makes sure you never get bored. The script is sort of a mixed bag however: While not bad, it is filled with an abundance of cliché's and the overall political message is constantly thrown at the viewer to the point of becoming flat out annoying. Also note to Mr. Neill Blomkamp: If you are going to try to deliver a heavy political message, make sure you chose a movie that isn't a dumb summer blockbuster action flick. Also the villains in the movie I found to be incredibly one-dimensional. Also the third-act leaves much to be desired. At the end of the day, Elysium is a dumb but really fun summer blockbuster, nothing more, nothing less.