It’s clear that this summer’s movie season is rife with post-earth and apocalyptic themes. Oblivion was decent, but After Earth might have finally sent M. Night heading into self-exile territory. Elysium is the newest entry in an earth gone to shit premise and boy does it sell that package.
From Neill Blomkamp, the director of the fascinating District 9, Elysium is a dystopian visual feast that satisfies on most levels. Set in time where Earth has finally had enough of being shit on and is essentially one giant landfill, the word’s rich and elite live on an orbiting space station called Elysium. Up on Elysium there is no crime, poverty or sickness and everyone has the ability to cure whatever ailments pop up using a fancy CAT scan type of device in their home. Everyone on Earth is sick, poor and oppressed by these really cool looking police robots. Something to look forward to right?
The film stars Matt Damon as Max, a criminal on the mend who spends his days working at his grind of a job, which is some type of robot manufacturing plant run by the “I know that guy” William Fichtner. After being forced into a situation that ends up maiming Max for the worse with a countdown to extinction, he resorts to his old ways in order to get to Elysium to heal himself. Along the way he crosses paths with his best friend Frey (Alice Braga) who has some dire conflicts of her own that ends up compromising Max’s original intentions.
The movie’s visual aesthetic is highly detailed and Los Angeles in 2154 looks absolutely ravaged. Heavily populated and densely grim, the look really sells the scenario. In a plush antithesis, Elysium is more manicured and lush than a stripper on her first day on the pole. Ever so, the verticality of the space station is staggering and some real eye candy.
Jodie Foster plays the secretary of defense and is essentially in charge of maintaining the integrity of the space station and keeping it clear of Earth scum. She’s on a heavy power trip and wants total control of Elysium and is prepared to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Therein, Max disrupts her plans drawing them closer to a volatile meeting on Elysium.
While the story arc itself leaves a little to be desired but you can’t help but be immersed in this futuristic world. There’s more drama than action but many a time I felt like I was playing a video game from the third person angles and fight scenes. There was a ton of near future gadgets and weapons but I thought there should have been more out of Max’s Exo-Suit which looked more like a hinderance more than anything else.
The ending isn’t predictable, but I wish more of the inhabitants of Elysium were explored and there was some overall character development. If you fancy transhumanism and futuristic landscapes and themes go and check out Elysium!