With Matt Damon and Jodie Foster in the cast, I was already intrigued by the premise of the movie, though anything that looks action/sci fi already has a general bias in my book.
The overall premise being a contrast between the separation of society with the privileged wealthy elite living a life of Utopian tranquility on an orbiting habitat, possessing superior medical technology to cure any disease at the molecular level, and defending the right to maintain that lifestyle - through violent means, if necessary.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Earth's population suffer and struggle in an over-populated, polluted and degraded Earth. Max, a parolee and repeat offender, is struggling to eke out a life when by a fluke, he is caught in a desperate struggle for survival when an industrial accident leaves him fighting for his life. A ticket to Elysium is expensive, however, and undertaking a dangerous mission to earn passage to Elysium and the hope of getting into a med bay is his only hope of survival. By working a deal with "Spider", the illegal shuttle launch mastermind, Max submits himself to a questionable medical team to have a robotically-enhanced exoskeleton bolted on. With this super-skeleton, he is part of a crew created in order to run a data heist for Spider, thereby earning his passage. For Max, the job gets personal, and he targets the head management exec of the factory where he was hurt. Their intent is noble, in order to obtain the codes to reset the space station, thereby changing the Earthbound's access to Elysium.
Far from the straightforward shot for a chance to survive his own health crisis, when a childhood friend and her critically ill daughter enter into the mix, Max's loyalty and moral conscience are called to the fore.
Having the same moral undertone and general aesthetic as to this movie as District 9, including the director Neill Blomkamp, and the South African actor Sharlto Copley, who instead of protagonist in this movie plays the antagonist secret agent, Kruger, the "larger picture" theme carries through both movies, not only having a sci-fi element, but also a moral undertone and social critique woven throughout the movie as well.
Elysium, the word itself being the Greek ideal of the afterlife, is an interesting take on the Utopia ideal. Though quite limited in scope as the entire world apparently condenses to the greater LA area and Elysium, with no outside world news, events, or clear explanation for the schism between the exceedingly wealthy and the remaining "everyone else." Additionally, there seems to be a racist element as the majority of the "remaining" population leans heavily toward being Hispanic.
The movie was absolutely glorious in the CG rendering, completely absorbing me into the story without picking apart which scenes were filmed live and which were CG. The storyline was entertaining enough that the hour and forty-nine minute run time speed by but not so drawn-out that you anticipate the ending.
My review: Two thumbs WAY up and buy on BluRay. The seamless CG, the good fight choreography and the reworked Utopia/Dystopia contrast is entertaining. And Jodi Foster makes you just love to loathe her, which is always fun.
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