Elysium

[ACCA]

So this turns out to be a HUGE letdown even to some of the biggest Neill Blomkamp supporters on this site. This is not looking good. WOM could be very poor.

 

Not for me. I really liked it. One of the best of the year.

 

Elysium is exciting and it is relevant.  People can look at the story and say it has been done before but as they say, there are really only 7 stories in Hollywood, it's how you tell the story.  I feel that Neil Blomkamp has now established himself as one of the best new directors out there.  Here he has stunning visuals to go along with the story.  This takes place in Los Angeles about 150 years from now into a dystopian future.  Earth is over-populated, disease ridden and has become a waste land.  Elysium of course, is the Utopia that only the rich and privileged get to inhabit.  On this world of course is a magic machine, like in Prometheus, that cures all of your disease.  Cancer, diabetes and even facial reconstruction is all available to you at the touch of a button.  It's like living in a vampire world.  You'll never grow old, never die and never get sick.  Down on Earth, it is controlled by the corporate big wigs who are so ruthless and heartless than when a worker is sick and close to death, one of the corporate fat cats tells the foreman to make sure he does not bleed all over the sheets because he doesn't want to have to change them.  For some reason this healthcare stuff seems to be bothering a lot of the reviewers here.  I think some people look too deeply into the politics of things instead of just looking at them as being part of the dystopia to some and Utopia to others.

 

Matt Damon is really good in this.  He's good in everything imo but in this he's a little different than usual.  I feel they could have given us a bit more about his character's adult life and there was a plot point involving a young child that as cliche as it would have been, I would have liked it if she turned out to be his daughter.  But she didn't.  

 

The real scene stealer of the film however is Sharlto Copley.  He was simply awesome.  When you think that this is the guy who played the mousey little man in District 9 and then you see the raw power he displays in this film, he doesn't even look like the same man.  He really stole most scenes he was in.  

 

Politics aside, the film appealed to me because more than ever (or at least more than I can ever recall), there is a growing gap in our world between the rich and the poor.  There really isn't much blue collar, average people anymore.  You have the wealthy and you have the poor.  Elysium might take place 150 years from now but it actually looks like one possible reality that we are heading towards.  Blomkamp tackles that beautifully.  There are a few plot pieces in the film that don't have answers and that isn't necessarily a bad thing.  Maybe they can explore those in the next one, if they get there.

 

The one truly bad thing about the film is Jodie Foster.  She is miscast and her accent bounces between French, Transylvanian, Peruvian, hobo, English princess, cookie monster, the Terminator, Italian boxer married to Adrian and homeless person.  She really bounces all over the place.  

 

The film isn't perfect but it is a very good film and one of the best I've seen this year thus far.  I originally had it at 9, but will lower it slightly to a 8.5.

 

Pretty much my thoughts on the film as well. I too would rate it an 8.5/10, or on the letter grade scale a well-deserved A-.

 

Sharlto Copley as Kruger was AMAZING. Such a charismatic and engaging performance! Definitely one for the ages, and for me could be villain of the year as it stands. 

 

I may post more thoughts later, but to sum it up, for me Elysium had several surprising flaws that I didn't expect, and yet, the good parts of the film were SO GOOD they vastly overshadowed the flaws. So on paper, this should only be a B film at best, but it felt like an A- film after I watched. I definitely am going to see it again just to see how it feels on a second viewing.

 

The biggest flaw in my opinion is a very simple one; it was WAY too short. The film could have easily been at least an hour longer. If I ever had a chance to meet Blomkamp, I would ask him WHY... why did he make the film so short?

Edited September 7, 2013 by ACCA

[RobinHood26]

 

The biggest flaw in my opinion is a very simple one; it was WAY too short. The film could have easily been at least an hour longer. If I ever had a chance to meet Blomkamp, I would ask him WHY... why did he make the film so short?

 

I actually think being short is a reason I like it! 8/10 movies this year have been too long and have had pacing issues. Id rather be left wanting more then feeling like I got to much

[ACCA]

I actually think being short is a reason I like it! 8/10 movies this year have been too long and have had pacing issues. Id rather be left wanting more then feeling like I got to much

 

Hmmm well depends on the films. Most of the films I've seen this year had decent lengths, and pacing wasn't a huge issue for me this year. I found more so last year a bunch of films had big pacing issues.

 

I liked the fast pace of the film, but Blomkamp could have kept the pace high while increasing the length, by intensifying the action and putting more Kruger and emotional backstory into the film.

 

I also must emphasize how awesome the visuals were. It's a tough choice for me between Man of Steel and this in terms of what has the best visuals of the year so far, but the two are dramatically different films from a visual perspective so hard to choose.

Edited September 7, 2013 by ACCA

[A Marvel Fanboy]

The movie is not as bad as some are saying. Some detail settings are flawed though.

 

I can give it 8/10.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

This movie was boring and slow. The movie has huge plot holes in that wreck the whole film. The whole ending does not work at all. Like others have said in this thread. With all that healing pods I am guessing Elysium would be over populated.  I like how there is no force field for Elysium. I also like how Earth technology has not changed at all in 140 years.  

Jodie Foster was terrible in the film and her character was cheesy written. She came across as a cartoon villain. 

Only thing I like film was Copley ans the visual effects. Everything was a let down. 

 

D+

 

P.S. this needs to be linked to the archives. 

Edited September 18, 2013 by Dexter of Suburbia

[A Marvel Fanboy]

There are setting holes but plot holes ? I dont think so.

[The Stingray]

Hmmm well depends on the films. Most of the films I've seen this year had decent lengths, and pacing wasn't a huge issue for me this year. I found more so last year a bunch of films had big pacing issues.

 

I liked the fast pace of the film, but Blomkamp could have kept the pace high while increasing the length, by intensifying the action and putting more Kruger and emotional backstory into the film.

 

I also must emphasize how awesome the visuals were. It's a tough choice for me between Man of Steel and this in terms of what has the best visuals of the year so far, but the two are dramatically different films from a visual perspective so hard to choose.

 

The movie was way too short, imo. Like Prometheus and the Total Recall remake, it was impatient, and rushed from set-piece to set-piece. Blomkamp created two amazing looking worlds, but he only scratched the surface. More atmosphere and drama was needed, imo.

[Goffe]

terribad, easily the worst blockbuster of 2013. F (15)

[Goffe]

two reviews that totally reflect my opinion about the movie

 

"If I were to stereotype today's leftist liberal thinking, I couldn't do better than this movie: Wealthy whites (bad; wealthy whites are always bad, except when they vote for Obama) deserted earth (white flight; isn't that what bad rich whites always do?) to live on a space station called Elysium (white suburb or gated community), and the hispanics (except for white hero Matt Damon), get to live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes, an evil white lady (why must the evil ones always be white?), will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve, protect and defend the white people of Elysium. That doesn't stop the hispanic (code for good but exploited) people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max (the token non-evil white person on earth) takes on the task ( like good white man Tarzan) of saving the good (non-white) people of earth. _________________________ It's a testament to the stupidity of the average moviegoer that so many have bought this simplistic BS. Here on the real earth, I wonder when Matt Damon is going to move his whole family out of his Elysium and into Detroit."

 

 

 

"WOW! This movie is just awful. They call it Science Fiction but there is no science in it...only really bad fiction.

Have you ever noticed in these kind of futuristic society stories they never really explain how society got to the current state it is in at the start of the movie? There is a reason why. There is no possible way that such a stupid societal construct could ever come to be! So ...like a Paul Krugman economic theory...the answer is that the construct exists because the premise starts out saying "Let's assume that all logic and common sense goes out the door."(!)

 

Evidently in the future only future Los Angeles and Elysium exist. Supposedly the world is ravaged by population and disease but there are no Asians or EEU or South American or African members...or even Washington, DC, involved with Elysium! EVERY POLITICALLY SYSTEM GLOBALL JUST SOMEHOW UP AND VANISHED! DOH! So...Elysium is built and lived on evidently by only Hollywood types who rule the planet! The internet as we know it has also completely vanished. So has e-mail and cell phone technology...but you can still get a good deal on GMC vehicles that look like leftover Road Warrior vehicles! 

 

Matt Damon (say it Team America-like) works in a factory where he...I guess...builds robots (?). That's a little unclear. But...he is stupidly badgered into some sort of elevator style "heat-treatment" booth by his superior. Since their is no OSHA anymore his character gets trapped in the room where they...get this!...dose the robots WITH HUMAN KILLING RADIATION! Now...there's like no big signs up anywhere in this factory that say WARNING: RADIATION AT WORK! It is never explained why robots need radiation treatment but that is what they do. AND...get this!...when the treatment is done the radiation "magically" disappears! People just walk in and out of the room! Like...WTF!??!!!??? How does radiation magically dissipate or get moved out of a room? IT DOESN'T! Unless all science goes out the window! 

 

Poor Matt. Now he has 4 days to live because of Radiation poisoning and he is very ill and can barely walk or stay awake or keep from puking...for about 5 minutes! The rest of the movie he is hooked up to a biometric-ally controlled exoskeleton and Matt never shows any effects of radiation poisoning and he fights his way all over LA and Elysium! So...in a complete Johnny Mnemonic rip off (they should sue)...Matt Damon has the magic data in his skull and people want his head. How this all comes about is so incredibly ridiculously stupid and unbelievable I wanted to throw things at the screen.

 

Matt then shows up with a grenade with the pin pulled out and his hand holding the grenade from exploding and he demands a ride to Elysium or he will blow his head off. So...not strapped in...and with no refueling of any sort at all...the ship just flies off on a 12 minute flight to Elysium! So...they are breaking through Earth's atmosphere with the super rocket powered ship...he is not strapped in and is holding a grenade...AND THERE IS NO BLEEPING G FORCE CAUSING ANY ISSUES! 

 

The final "evil guygood guy" fight is just awful. The "evil guy" basically runs around saying "I could kill you but I will continue to spout stupid statements to drag this out until you...and this will be SUCH A SURPRISE...manage to overcome and defeat me because I kept just spouting off at the mouth rather than just killing you!" 

 

This is after Matt goes to the armory and rescues the girly and Leukemia ridden daughter(tug my bleeding heartstrings). Now...dig this...3 bad guys are taking over Elysium...there is a big armory with plenty of weapons...AND NO ONE IS COMING TO GRAB THE WEAPONS AND TO STOP THE 3 MAN COUP OF ELYSIUM! DOH!!

 

To call this a craptacular is an insult to crap. This is just big money lazy story writing pushing a phony agenda. And it is just awful"

Edited October 3, 2013 by Goffe

[Gopher]

Yeah, this was one of the biggest disappointments of the year. What a disposable movie. 

[A Marvel Fanboy]

One of the most overhyped ones. Fanboys couldnt bear any negative news about it before release, but now even they hate this movie. Stupid and hilarious.

Edited October 3, 2013 by firedeep

[Jessie]

This movie was boring and slow. The movie has huge plot holes in that wreck the whole film. The whole ending does not work at all. Like others have said in this thread. With all that healing pods I am guessing Elysium would be over populated.  I like how there is no force field for Elysium. I also like how Earth technology has not changed at all in 140 years.  

Jodie Foster was terrible in the film and her character was cheesy written. She came across as a cartoon villain. 

Only thing I like film was Copley ans the visual effects. Everything was a let down. 

 

D+

 

P.S. this needs to be linked to the archives. 

 

Someone clearly doesn't know what a plot hole is lol. Its obvious Elysium hadn't been there that long so it won't be over-populated yet. Of course eventually it will be over-populated but how does that ruin the movie?? if anything it just shows that Elsyium as a place was always a bad idea, and the government do stupid shit all the time so. It was also clear that these people living on Elysium really didn't care about anybody else but themselves so I really don't think they cared about Elysium eventually being over-crowded in the next 500 years or so.

 

Its like people here a movie has had bad reviews so they decide to jump on the bandwagon and use any piece of shit reasons to put the movie down. Something as simple as that wouldn't make me automatically dislike a movie.

 

Also Earths technology had changed, that was quite apparent. And yeah, no force field, because the creators really though that maybe some space marshans would jump the fence?? Besides they don't need to waste all that electricity on a force field when they have rockets to shoot ships out of the sky.

[Goffe]

a movie has had bad reviews

which movie are you talking about? Elysium had 67% on RT I think

[Jessie]

which movie are you talking about? Elysium had 67% on RT I think

Yeah but people consider this bad considering the expectations.

[Goffe]

the real ending lolololhttps://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4kGTyYzRtf7RGdQdzhIZ0s0T2c/

Edited February 19, 2014 by Goffe Rises

[Lordmandeep]

The concept is interesting but the execution was poorly done.

 

 

I watched the start but the middle dragged and the climax was not really good.

 

Also anyone with a right mind knows the only plausible way for things to work out in the future is to have Elysium work with Earth and not go all French Revolution.

 

C+ 

 

 

District 9/Avatar had hard hitting political messages as well but they were lets say it was done better. 

 

 

Also the political message I got from this message is the US needs to stop illegal immigration or LA will actually look like that in 2154... 

[Omario]

very dissapointed. just a bore

[4815162342]

Sharlto Copley was crazy wacky fun.The rest of the film has TONS of problems.

[Killimano3]

Kruger was an awesome villain and there were a few emotional scenes but mostly it wasn't that great.

 

Also I couldn't help but think about how horrible it would to have that metal exoskeleton attached to your body for like the entire movie

[Hiccup]

Watched it again at still love it. It isn't for everybody.

 

8.5/10