Neill Blomkamp's Elysium

krudler

Can't wait for this, big budget sci-fi that doesn't look like it was all shot on bluescreens, yay. Copley looks badass rocking that beard as well.

Trippie

going to see this tonight.

Frank Bullitt

Went to this tonight and thought it was quite solid. Has a real feeling of district 9 about it but over all it is very much its own film.

I would recommend it.

Amalgam

I've avoided the trailers like the plague.. IMC Dun Laoghaire only start showing this on Friday. (23rd)

Looking forward to it.

doubledown

http://www.theeffect.net/2013/08/20/elysium-the-review/


It’s hard to believe that Elysium is only director Neill Blomkamp’s second feature film. His 2009 debut, District 9, made such an impact and put him firmly on the cinematic map as someone to watch. He showed he had a great visual style and the ability to tell a compelling story with a lot of heart…and all for a moderately low budget. This time out he has significantly more money to play with and a very impressive cast as well (Matt Damon, Jodie Foster and William Fichtner). But unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he doesn’t quite fulfill that early promise.

The film is set in the year 2159. Earth has become an overpopulated hell-hole, riddled with poverty, crime and disease. The very wealthy live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, which orbits the earth. On Elysium there is no poverty, no crime and no disease. Any ailment can be cured by state-of-the-art medical devices in a matter of seconds but this technology is inaccessible to the ordinary citizens of Earth, many of whom are willing to risk their lives in an effort to escape. Matt Damon plays Max, a Los Angeles-based ex-car thief gone straight who works on an assembly line, building robots. But when he is exposed to radiation in an industrial accident and given mere days to live, he decides that he has to get to Elysium to help himself…and, in the process, many others. However, getting there won’t be easy, especially as its defense secretary is the ruthless Delacourt (played by Jodie Foster) whose main role is to prevent any craft from reaching Elysium illegally.

So, with such a great premise, great director and great cast, why does Elysium fail to engage on so many levels? The main culprit is the weak script. All of the characters are severely underwritten and it makes it hard to sympathize or identify with them or their plight. The story is riddled with inconsistencies and too often relies on silly coincidences or just resorts to lazy cliches. The plot is so full of holes it could be packaged and sold as Swiss cheese. There’s a subplot involving his childhood friend and her sick daughter that feels tacked-on for some sort of emotional impact. And the less said about the clunky, ham-fisted flashbacks the better. But the always-reliable Damon does the best job he can with the weak material and just about manages to engage as our reluctant hero.

The film also has the distinction of giving us what is quite possibly Jodie Foster’s worst performance in living memory. I don’t know if it’s down to the script, poor direction or just laziness but she seems very unsure of how to play her role. And her character’s accent is one of the most bizarre I have heard in a film in a very long time. Seriously, what IS it supposed to be? English? French? It has to be heard to be believed. And her character is dismissed so swiftly that I wonder what purpose she served in the film at all. In fact, all characterization and drama is thrown out of the window in the final act and the film descends into very standard Hollywood action fare. And the hackneyed, sugar-coated ending actually poses more difficult questions than it answers.

However, this being a Blomkamp film, there is still quite a lot of good stuff in here too. The visuals are simply stunning. Futuristic Los Angeles looks like a giant, sprawling shanty town. And, in stark contrast, the Elysium colony itself is magnificent. Plus, like District 9, the vast majority of the action takes place in broad daylight and this makes the visual effects all the more impressive. The film is stuffed with neat gadgets and high-tech weaponry. The very cool exoskeleton that Damon gets to wear is another highlight, but you’ll need strong stomach for the scene where it is literally screwed into his nervous system. And on that note, there are a couple of very gory deaths and horrific injuries (one in particular will take your breath away, but to say who it involves would be a spoiler).

And then there is Sharlto Copley (District 9, The A-Team). He plays Kruger – a sadistic sleeper agent on Earth who works for Foster. To say he steals the show is an understatement. His performance is gloriously over the top and he gets to chew the scenery to his heart’s content. Copley looks as if he is relishing the opportunity to play the bad guy and he doesn’t hold back – at all. He is simply stunning. In fact, Elysium is worth seeing for Copley alone.

District 9 was always going to be a very hard act to follow and Blomkamp does his very best here, but ultimately the film is a disappointment. Maybe the comparisons between the two films are unfair and Elysium should be judged solely on its own merits but it’s just too similar to its predecessor in far too many ways. The story. The tone. The look. Blomkamp needs to try something very different next time out to prove he’s not just a one-trick pony. Having said that, details of his next project, entitled Chappie, emerged recently and it looks like he’s sticking to what he knows best. It will be based on his own 2004 short film, Tetra Vaal and Copley has already been cast in the lead role, which is great news at least.

As a standard action movie it’s pretty solid but with Blomkamp at the helm my expectations were for something with a little more substance. Overall, Elysium is certainly not terrible but could have (and really should have) been so much better.

jonnyfingers

Saw this last night and pretty much agree with the above review. The visuals are stunning and I think the story idea is good, if it's execution does leave something to be desired. Yes the script could be better, and the characters better developed, but it's still one of the more enjoyable films I've seen this summer.

thegreengoblin

Saw it at the IMAX last night. I'd agree with most of what was said in the review. I loved District 9 and I went in with great expectations but overall it let me down.

Visually it's amazing. Interesting that they got Syd Mead of Blade Runner, Tron and Aliens fame on board to help design it. The aerial shots of Los Angeles are incredible, as is Elysium itself. Ten out of ten for the effects work.

The story is decent enough and Damon does a great job with what he's given. Sharlto Copley is just too eccentric for my taste. That 'bleddy iccent' just grates after a while and when you consider his performance is far more 'out there' than in District 9, it's just too much to take.

I'm not a Jodie Foster fan at the best of times but I just found her performance completely out of sync with the film. I didn't mind her strange accent too much as over time our society develops different accents and that just happens to be hers.

Her death came so out of the blue it's like she suddenly realised she had to be somewhere else and they just bumped her off.

The sick child sub-plot did nothing for me but it wasn't really distracting me too much. However, the film just degenerated into a sugar-coated mess by the end.

I'd sum up by saying it was truly amazing to look at but once you open the lid and look inside there's not much to see. As an action movie it's great fun, I was just hoping for a bit more substance to it. 7 out of 10.

I was hoping to see this earlier but it was sold out in Mahon point. Will try and get in to see it again tomorrow. I loved district 9, and the trailers for this looked really interesting.

Memnoch

Doubledown's review is fairly spot on.

I think the idea behind the film is good and had a lot of potential but in the end the script was far too weak. The storytelling was clunky and the subtle, emotional depth of District 9 is replaced by cliched catchphrases.

This is why you need writers and clearly Blompkamp isn't one. He had an excellent writer collaborating on the script with him for his first film and her absence is sorely missed here.

I enjoyed the film for what it was but even the action sequences were nothing special, especially the mayhem at the end. It all felt too small scale to me. And while it worked in D9 it doesn't here.

Kruger was excellent almost Loki like in stealing the show and the best part about the film. Hopefully his next film has a bit more punch. We need good, real sci-fi films that also do well at the box office.

krudler

Saw this earlier, overall I liked it, some astounding visuals, the CGI is brilliant throughout, some breathtaking shots of Earth and Elysium itself and the technology is very similar to District 9, all futuristic but battered looking and cobbled together with some mental weaponry.

Damon is good, Copley is brilliantly off the wall, Foster is the weak link though. It's an innovative setup but the message is somewhat muddled and it could have been something much more than it was, some niggling plot holes as well.
Blomkamp shows real confidence in his vision which is crazy good for a 2nd film, one fantastic shot where the camera is fixed on Damon in a 3rd person-esque viewpoint is a brilliant visual trick I wanted to last just a bit longer than the brief moment it's used during a hectic gunfight in the film's standout setpiece.

johnny_ultimate

A thematically provocative set-up. Two distinctive, allegorically rich settings. And what does Blompkamp opt to do with them? More-or-less ignore them, and make the most derivative action sci-fi film he can.

There was real potential for something interesting here, but said potential is squandered at every opportunity by mere bog-standardness. Interesting story concepts are basically ignored (magic exoskeleton and medicine aside, future radiation poisoning is a strangely narcoleptic beast). A pantomime villain is not befitting of Copley's abilities and charisma. Elysium itself was woefully underused, visually and narratively (we spend more time on a walkway than we do anywhere else in this lush, horrible utopia). Like District 9 before it, Blomkamp's ability to craft credible sci-fi worlds is let down by his inability to resist another gunfight.

As a dumb action film, it's serviceable if unremarkable - a solid pace throughout and some nifty SFX at least ensure the film is more than a mere bore.

The facial reconfiguration

was wonderful, although like every nice shot in the film let down by rapidfire editing that didn't give us the chance to just soak in the hardly uninteresting sights. Indeed, throughout the film, we get these tantalising glimpses of a curious future loaded with parallels to current society - a world of inequality, fascism, suffering, ignorance. Such a shame they never amount to anything other than teases.

krudler wrote:

one fantastic shot where the camera is fixed on Damon in a 3rd person-esque viewpoint is a brilliant visual trick I wanted to last just a bit longer than the brief moment it's used during a hectic gunfight in the film's standout setpiece.

Thought that came across as shoddy myself - some sort of ugly digital motion blur.

Frank Bullitt

Thats another thing I will say actually about this, for a second film, its an amazing effort.

johnny_ultimate

I don't know, I think this is a real step back from his first - I wasn't even particularly fond of District 9, but it showed a lot of imagination. Technically, sure Elysium has some nice bits and pieces, but this reaffirms that Blomkamp perhaps has something interesting to say but hasn't a clue how to realise it articulately yet.

Check out Upstream Colour next week for a genuinely masterly sophomoric sci-fi effort, and on a fraction of the budget.

Banjaxed82

Blomkamp certainly has a stunning vision, but the film was badly in need of a co-writer whose interest lies not in spectacle.

flynnlives

just seen this tonight and i thought it was poor

am i correct in thinking this director was lined up for the failed Halo movie?

because to me this film was a poor district 9 with the Halo space station tacked on

the visuals were brilliant but the whole film lacked any kinda atmosphere or soul.
Alot of things where simply not utilised or glimpses where shown but that was it.

And as for Jodie Foster! she offered nothing.


I got the distinct impression that the fee the hollywood stars demanded, Matt Damon, Jodie Foster ate up alot of this films budget.

TerrorFirmer

An enjoyable film. But a poor one given the inevitable expectations following District 9. Visually, it's arresting, but there's no depth beneath the veneer at all. Elysium is supposed to be a powerful symbol of the gulf within futuristic society....but they never delve into Elysium as a living, breathing world; rather, it's more like a floating show house in space, which I think is absolutely unforgivable, and the whole movie is just never really credible as a result. There's a disconnect beneath the breathtaking visual of Elysium, and the cramped, limited sets utilized within the film representative of it.

Copely is absolutely brilliant and steals the screen, Damon does as good a job as you could expect as the protagonist with such a cliched, by the numbers script, but Jodie Foster really let the movie down.

I wanted to love Elysium, and I really thought that I would, but it's an empty vessel that relies far too heavily on visual effects at the expense of virtually everything else crucial for impressionable science fiction.

I would consider it a 5/10 movie, and believe me I'm so disappointed to say that.

Burky126

A disappointing closer to this year's summer movies. I had some hope that at least if the rest of this summer's offerings where terrible,I could at least count on Elysium but man was I wrong.

Jodie Foster shouldn't of been paid at all for that performance. Worst antagonist I've seen in a film in recent memory.

The whole setup is great but divebombs into an absolute mess at the end.
Visuals weren't enough to save it despite how impressive they looked.

krudler

I definitely agree Elysium itself was underused, it's there to look pretty and the film briefly delves into the inner workings of it but the political side isn't really explored past a conversation between two characters.

krudler

on a side note who thought the netflix advert for Breaking Bad being show before it was a good idea? giganto spoilers throughout it! it's short so most people probably wont recall it but jesus, it ends with a massive plot spoiler.

constitutionus

well just back from this myself.

i thought it was great craic. certainly one of the best looking films of the year. in many places it almost looked too real. i was particularly impressed with the shuttles going to and coming from space. it had a very real quality about it. at times i found myself wondering what this lad could do with the transformers franchise as he blended the fantastic tech and the god awfull real world squalor of his earth so well.

its also one of the most enjoyable SCI/FI films ive seen in ages. i get this feeling this is how people that didnt see every other scifi flim of the last 15yrs felt on coming out of oblivion.

on the accent issue the bloody kid is the only one i had a hard time understanding and i didnt have a problem with jodies at all.

yes sharltos was tough, but i dont mind as it actually felt real and not put on . im sure lads in the states have the same problem trying to understand kerry lads with steep accents.

the story is very basic but ya know what ? i didnt go into this expecting some deep sociological piece. i went in expecting a smart action film and thats what i got. a much smaller story essentially between two characters who are cogs in a bigger machine.

8/10

tempted to give it 9 for being so fresh , so consider it a high 8. came out of this hoping it does well as it deserves it.

Outkast_IRE

Most enjoyable sci-fi film I seen this year along with star trek into darkness.

Acting was good. Story Good. Visuals Excellent. Action scenes very good.

I went in expecting a decent sci-fi film, and I came out thinking I had just watched a very good sci-fi action film.

Would be happy to watch it again.

Only downside for me was the storyline with the kid did nothing for me, honestly didn't give a ****e about what happened there.

Would give it 8/10. Well worth the trip to the cinema.

Amalgam

Visually fun, but a tad simple, story wise. You could have knocked a half hour from the running time and no one would have thought worse of it.

Oh well. Glad I avoided the trailers..

Outkast_IRE

Amalgam wrote: »

Visually fun, but a tad simple, story wise. You could have knocked a half hour from the running time and no one would have thought worse of it.

Oh well. Glad I avoided the trailers..

I think if you lost the story with the kid you would have a film thats a bit tighter in terms of pace.

krudler

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

I think if you lost the story with the kid you would have a film thats a bit tighter in terms of pace.

Agree, they could have dropped that and delved more into the workings of Elsyium itself, it's the only film this summer I wish was a bit longer tbh, 10-15 mins extra would have added to it depth wise. Nice soundtrack too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRBlewBSoWM

Outkast_IRE

krudler wrote: »

Agree, they could have dropped that and delved more into the workings of Elsyium itself, it's the only film this summer I wish was a bit longer tbh, 10-15 mins extra would have added to it depth wise. Nice soundtrack too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRBlewBSoWM

I agree , I felt it had the right amount of action for a film, as I said if the kid storyline was dropped and replaced with more backstory or early buildup story I would be a little happier.

Or there could of been a nice little story with how long people actually live in terms of age on Elysium, I think

Jodie Fosters character Delacourt saying "enough" just before she died was telling, and made me wonder just how long she had been up there playing these political games with other politicians etc

krudler

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

I agree , I felt it had the right amount of action for a film, as I said if the kid storyline was dropped and replaced with more backstory or early buildup story I would be a little happier.

Or there could of been a nice little story with how long people actually live in terms of age on Elysium, I think

Jodie Fosters character Delacourt saying "enough" just before she died was telling, and made me wonder just how long she had been up there playing these political games with other politicians etc

Yeah and she mentioned something about 200 years of power to Fichtner's character earlier on

nix

It looked amazing, incredibly life like in alot of sfx scenes.

But it didnt involve the world much in the story, a missed opportunity, so much good in it but not enough to make it memorable, i had the same response with Daybreakers, great world and potential for a great story but just didnt hit the notes i expected.

I missed a few minutes of the start i think, i came in at the part when Matt Damon was gettin hassle off the robo police and thrown on the ground, was there much before this part?

Skerries

no, just him getting ready for work, robbing kids of their money and then joining that line

btw does anybody on Elysium actually use their houses as they all seemed to be empty?

allybhoy

Seen this last night without knowing too much about it or seeing a trailer beforehand so my expectations were low and I was pleasantly surprised. The special effects were simply awesome, thought the blend of post apocalyptic LA and then the prestine Elysium were beautifully shot, the spacecrafts, weaponry and robotics were all sublime as were the action sequences.

Damon was very solid but Copely stole the show, every scene he was in was pure cinematic brilliance, truely one of the best villians I have seen in a long time.

What let it down for me like others have said:-

The plotline and script were weak enough, there could have been a lot more backstory on the creation of elysium, how it came to be, how entry was gained how many inhabitants etc.

Jodie Foster was truly awful. She tried to portray a Thatcher type character but it just didnt work for me and her accent was all over the place.

The editing was also a little bit sloppy, was almost as if a few scenes were missing and left out completely and there was needless filler in there aswell.

The ending didnt really make sense to me either as it seemed that they were just going to let everyone who was sick on earth into elysium but obviously there would be capacity issues? Also, was a bit ridiculous that there were no droids trying to stop the 3 south african lads when they were killing all the staff in elysium and they only showed up near the end to arrest the president

a solid 8 \10 for me

krudler

Best CGI effect of the year so far too imo in

Copley's facial reconstruction