Elysium is one serious and surprisingly solid science
fiction story placed against a backdrop that is just a few degrees
shy of breathtaking. Neill Blomkamp and Matt Damon have together created a film
that is destined to entertain audiences for years to come.
Blomkamp dipped liberally into his gritty District 9-style
dystopia to create 2154 Los Angeles, a devastated remnant that is representative
of the great cities that remain on Terra firma. What was once a dazzling
metropolis is now a labyrinth of overpopulation, poverty, and desperation.
On the orbiting satellite Elysium, however, the wealthy enjoy
a much different existence, one filled with beauty, luxury and, most
importantly, health. This pampered sliver of mankind enjoys instant access to state-of-the-art
medical technology that can cure virtually any ailment while also extending life
by two and three times the average of the unfortunates crawling around on the dying
planet below.
Max Da Costa (Damon), an ex-con, is supposed to feel fortunate
to have one of the few jobs in Los Angeles, and the truth is he does his job
building surveillance robots as best he can. But after being trapped in a room flooded
with fatal radiation, he is fired and forced to sign a liability waiver in
return for medication that will ease his pain during his last five expected
days of life.
Doomed unless he can access the amazing technology in the
sky, Max seeks out a criminal mastermind from his past. He makes a deal for portage
to Elysium that involves being outfitted with cybernetic implants that will
allow him to steal technology from the company that literally stole his life.
Without going into a description filled with spoilers, let’s
say that Max is in for a hell of a lot more than he planned. The visuals are spectacular and the logic holds up better than
we’ve come to expect from Hollywood.
The acting from everyone including Jodie Foster is solid, and the ending will
leave you with a lot to think about. Elysium gets 9 out of 10 stars from me.
You can learn more about Elysium and see the movie trailer right
here: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/elysium-2013/trailers/elysium-trailer-200248321.html
cant wait to see it now, loved district 9, it is a sci-fi classic...thx for the review!
ReplyDeleteI think you'll find it's well worth the ticket price, Andy. Great to have you pop in :-)
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