FilmFrom the Archive
Breaking Down Neill Blomkamp's New Sci-Fi Action Film “Elysium”
The Who:
Neill Blomkamp's new sci-fi action film starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Alice Braga, Sharlto Copley, Diego Luna, and Wagner Moura.The What:
A sci-fi action thriller about a class struggle that has put the poor on a dystopian future Earth while the rich live in the affluent space station just above. Matt Damon stars as Max, a man facing death due to radiation exposure and must do anything he can to get up to Elysium and cure himself. Directed by Neil Blomkamp of District 9.The Big Deal:
It’s easier to just call Elysium a mess. It’s a movie with a lot of good ideas but doesn’t know which one to settle on so instead decides to go through all of them. As an allegorical talent class struggle, it’s 2-dimensional at best (rich people evil, poor people good) and never gets any deeper than the shallowest end of a kiddie pool. As a drama about a boy with a dream who sacrifices for a greater good, it’s eye-rollingly obvious and tired, but as an action movie, it’s a lot of fun.Grade: C
Elysium opens today in theaters everywhere.
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