Elysium - Movie Review
In the year 2154 the rich live on Elysium, a structure that is pretty much a revolving paradise (see Halo video game for a more current reference on what it is) orbiting Earth, while the rest of the world lives on Earth. Meaning that Earth has gone completely dystopian. When ex con Max, played by Matt Damon, assimilates himself into being a helpful member of a dystopian society he soon becomes stricken with an affliction that will kill him in 5 days. The only way to cure him is by using the advance medical technology on Elysium that can pretty much cure or fix any medical problem no matter how absurd. However in order to do so, he must strike a deal with this story's version of a "coyote" (someone who helps illegal immigrants cross borders) by completing a job that escalate the stakes of the story into new territory.
That new territory being whatever was mentioned in the first 30 minutes will not matter for the rest of the ride.
In the Shadow of District 9
Neil Blomkamp's feature film debut, District 9, is a science fiction marvel. It walks the fine line between hard science fiction (dealing with social commentary) and soft science fiction (pure unapologetic sci-fi explosive fun). The films sets us up in a pseudo-documentary style world that has experienced an alien encounter for several years in a country that is usually not associated with alien invasion films. Right from the start it gives the viewers something to think about. It brings up social commentary in an interesting way that makes us think about ourselves as human being and how apartheid can also be a result of how we would treat outsiders from another galaxy. The film quickly takes a massive turn of events when our guide, Wikus (wonderfully played by Sharlto Copley) finds himself being transformed into an alien. This causes a massive chain of events that quickly moves away from the documentary style filmmaking into actual cinematic filmmaking. The transition was jarring at first but when it picks up momentum it picks up and doesn't let the viewer go. With a great character arc from Wikus, a thought provoking documentary style opening, and a blockbuster rated R action extravaganza final: District 9 became one of the best original (if you ignore the fact it was adapted from a short Blomkamp previously did) sci-fi story in years. A genuine sci-fi story that reflects on who we are instead of just having cool special effects and action to tell a story. It became a mega hit and would solidify Blomkamp as a director to put on watch for his next film. And when it finally arrives, will it deliver the same amount of awe as his first round in the rodeo? No.
Elysium is a failure on so many levels
Trailers are meant to promote a film. They can also be heavily misleading. A trailer for James Gunn's Super makes it seem like a quirky comedy about an average guy who wants to become a superhero. What it really is about is a dark comedy about a religious man who becomes a superhero because god chose him to save the woman who left him for a drug dealer with the help of a borderline sadistic psychopathic comic book fan girl. A trailer for Bong Joon-Ho's film The Host promotes itself as a standard exercise of a Korean horror film. What it is really about is a dysfunctional family who is dealing with a crisis while at the same time a horrifying situation (such as a giant fish monster and a villainous American Government) brings them together to try and resolve their issues. Kind of like J.J. Abrams' Super 8 (a movie I love) only a little bit more executed and the adults are the stars. the same goes for Blomkamp's Elysium. What sets itself up as an examination on social class status as well as class warfare immediately becomes a cliche science fiction film about destiny and blowing shit up.
Maybe its because Blomkamp establishes himself as someone who can do hard hitting sci-fi stories that can entertain people that I view this movie as a failure, because this movie could've been made by anybody else and would've been better. And by better I mean you take a different director, same exact story, maybe a different leading man but I'll get to that later, and you would have an acceptable sci-fi action film. The problem is, because Blomkamp's name is on it, you're expecting something hard hitting in terms of commentary or subtext. It promotes itself as being on par with the hard hitting sci-fi that was District 9 with its constant displays of the rich live in space and everyone else lives on Earth. Class warfare! But that is only barely touched upon. What we got instead is a selfish guy who gets brutally harassed for the sake of letting the audience know this guy's life sucks who finds himself contracting radiation poisoning and needs to get to Elysium to heal himself. Yeah, that's the story. Want to know what the subplots are? The Secretary of Defense, Jessica Delacourt (played by Jodie Foster) wants to overthrow the president of Elysium and decides to stage a coup. Frey Santiago (Alice Braga) the childhood friend and crush of Matt Damon's character has a daughter who is dying of leukemia. Those two stories are connected with Damon's storyline but in really disjointed or unnecessary ways.
Like District 9 the film starts as one thing then transitions to another. The thing with Elysium is that it transitions to way too many films in one movie. It starts out as a movie talking about destiny to children (something that is better suited for soft sci-fi and fantasy) then goes to a story about abuse of the lower class then turns into a heist movie then turns into a man on the run movie then turns into a space action movie then finishes as a save the world movie. While most movies are structured that way the abruptness and the escalation of events was just way too much going on. There was literally one portion of the movie that in my opinion would've served better for the plot. That is the first time the film shows undocumented ships trying to enter Elysium illegally with some of them being shot down with one making it. In that surviving ship was a mother with her paraplegic child that she puts into one of the Elysium medical pods and heals her daughter. Seriously, that entire segment was more emotional and more powerful than the entire movie. That one segment could've been the entire movie. I mean, Blomkamp already has set up another mother with a child who is sick and that mother is the leading lady of this picture. Frey Santiago's story could've easily been swapped with that of the woman with a paraplegic daughter and it would make more sense. In fact, I don't think the Elysium coup storyline or the Matt Damon storyline were necessary. And those two story lines were pretty much the story of the movie. Meaning I didn't care about any of them. I didn't even care about Alice Braga's storyline because she doesn't make an attempt to bring her daughter to Elysium but is rather conveniently kidnapped by the film's villain and winds up on Elysium.
Seriously, there is nothing likable about these characters. You don't feel for them. Any of them. Their motivations are pretty not well thought out. Their actions are just standard. None of their characters full developed. The villains are pretty much cartoon characters who are evil for the sake of being evil. Although Jodie Foster's character has some semblance of being more than a cartoon villain she still winds up being a cliche villain. But District 9's Sharlto Copley's character Kruger is the epitome of cartoon villain. He is both the best part and the worst part of the movie. Worst part being that he really is a standard cartoon villain with the best part being Copley clearly doesn't give a shit and plays him as the over the top cartoon villain that was given to him, meaning he played it flawlessly. His lines were so generic and his actions were completely random. It could even be argued that he is the one with the most random character change from being an obedient psychopath to becoming a world dominating psychopath. That's some weird abrupt character development. Now as for the heroes, they're standard but with no added characterization.
If there is one thing that might have made the movie a little bit better, and by a little I mean I would've respected the casting choice if it was done, I would've preferred a hispanic actor in Matt Damon's role. I'm suppose to believe that Matt Damon's character grew up knowing spanish since he was a kid yet in his adult years it sounds like he just learned spanish three days before shooting. The cast on Earth was dominantly hispanic and the hero of this story was a white guy who barely speaks spanish. Now some can make the argument of Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness being played by a white british actor instead of a latin one like the original so why can't Matt Damon have this role? Well for starters, both the new and original casting for Khan is wrong in having two ethnicities try to pass as Arab. And yes, Matt Damon gives a good performance, but think of how many hispanic actors could've played that role. Especially since the film was made in Mexico. I would say something about the immigration commentary that was merely just a small subtext in this film, but I've typed too much already and this film didn't bother to delve into immigration too much either.
Verdict: A good action film if Neil Blomkamp's name wasn't attached to it
Critical Score: 5.5/10 - This movie would've been better if Neil Blomkamp or Matt Damon were anywhere near this movie and just promoted as a dumb action movie.
Who should watch "Elysium"
This is a good action movie. And that's what it is. A good dumb action movie with sci-fi elements. If it had been promoted as such instead of a film that portrays itself as having some form of substance as a true Hard Sci-Fi film then fans of those elements of District 9 should stay away from this movie. However if you are a fan of the explosive action in District 9 then this film is for you because that's all its about. I will say that people should support this movie due to it being an original idea in Hollywood instead of the usual schtick. I'll support it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
