Review: Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Elysium,’ While Not as Poignant as ‘District 9’ Still a Post-Apocalyptic Thriller Worth the Time

Several sci-fi movies have launched recently highlighting class struggle and oppression. 2012 saw the release of Director Gary Ross’ “The Hunger Games,” with 2013 introducing “The Purge,” both of which critiqued class divides and oppression. And now we have Neill Blomkamp’s latest vehicle, “Elysium,” starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. The hype around the film has been substantial, and, with an opening day raking in $11.2M, how does the hype measure up? The answer is remarkably well. Blending action, sci-fi, and social critique, “Elysium” offers up generous entertainment that feels like an homage to ‘90s era sci-fi while being poignant in equal measure.

The setting for “Elysium” is 2154 Los Angeles, with a scope and backdrop similar to movies like “Escape from New York” or “Dredd“—only missing the aspect of law enforcement and hope. Decaying buildings, extreme poverty, and regions of little-to-no prosperity make up its countenance. Unemployment is ubiquitous, with the few people able to find work resigned to dangerous factory jobs. Max (Matt Damon) is one of these people. He wades through despair on a daily basis to his line job at a factory, making enough to make ends meet, but hoping, futilely, that he will eventually make enough to buy a ticket to Elysium. It is a place built by the super rich, a place that orbits the Earth but couldn’t be further away. Within it, poverty, suffering, sickness, and even death are remnants of a different time.

A Not-So-Subtle Class Critique 

Elysium” isn’t subtle about the fact that it’s making a statement about class struggle. While the citizens of Elysium bask in near-immortality and opulence, citizens of Earth die from a multitude of ailments all but moot on the super-rich structure. For instance, as a nurse (Alice Braga) struggles to care for her five-year-old daughter dying of Leukemia, a citizen of Elysium saunters out of a glistening pool, sits in a medical scanner, and painlessly eradicates small traces of cancer from her body.

Max is resigned to expect he won’t ever taste the glory of Elyisum and is content to manage his humdrum life; that is, until a tragic event at work puts him in harm’s way, forcing his hand. Trying to secure a ticket to Elysium to heal himself sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to alter the way of life for Earth’s struggling residents and the seemingly untouchable citizens of Elysium.

Visually speaking, “Elysium” is an engaging movie, blending images of post-apocalyptic Earth. We see tall, crumbling skyscrapers interlaced with stretches of sand and desert, the result a sense of desperation one cannot ignore. This is contrasted with the paradise of Elysium, full of luscious, shining ponds and lakes, prosperous fauna, and each block lined with mansions full of well-dressed aristocrats. The movie infuses both worlds with a futuristic look: modern, holographic-looking computers, a robot police force, and artificial intelligence acting as nurses, parole officers, and other key positions. Even with this future look, the impressions of upper and lower caste are poignant. It leaves the distinct impression the future is a desirable place to live, provided you have the money to pay for a lush lifestyle and not among the suffering lot left on Earth.

Matt Damon Leads a Good Cast 

The film’s acting is good all around, using both players we are used to seeing and others we haven’t seen in some time. As Max, the film’s lead, Damon, who has established quite the action following with films such as “The Bourne Identity” and “The Departed,” does a good job here. He garners the necessary support for his character while also hinting at the pain and emotion that line Max’s past. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t stop its breakneck action long enough to explore this to the degree it should have. Damon, whose impressive career includes such actor-driven roles as “Good Will Hunting” and “We Bought a Zoo” shows ability at emotive roles, and it would have been nice to see that explored here.

Additional players add necessary drama to the film, but, as with Damon’s Max, are unfortunately not explored to any kind of real depth. For instance, there seems to exist a real camaraderie between Max and friend “Julio” (Diego Luna) and another underground compatriot “Spider” (Wagner Moura). However, we get little of their backstory. Both characters are engaging and easily likable; but it just feels as if we were shortchanged on what is most likely an engaging history.

A Visually-Striking Blockbuster

The film’s villains also seem to be painted a bit too thin, asking us to question why they are doing what they do in the first place. Jodie Foster plays Elysium’s Secretary of Defense Delacourt, and is attentive at keeping its confines safe by keeping the citizens of Earth out. However, while her acting is sufficient, her motivations are less obvious. In this same way, Delecourt’s right hand, “Kruger” (“District 9” alum Sharlto Copley) seems to fumble through his role as little more than a hired thug. While scenes between him and Delacourt hint at possible motivatives for him being overly menacing throughout “Elysium’s” run-time, his character unfortunately comes off as one we don’t understand. It’s almost as if he was inserted out of obligation rather than necessity.

Character development criticism aside, “Elysium” does a good job at accomplishing its tasks, namely entering an entertaining and visually-striking summer blockbuster to close out the season. It’s acting is confident, it’s mood and ambience are striking, and its not-so-subtle commentary on class struggle is a welcome addition to a summer highlighted with slapstick comedies. Fans of sci-fi will certainly want to see it, and even those who don’t dabble in these types of movies will likely get something out of it. It’s nice to see that Hollywood is still able to produce thought provoking, sci fi pictures and blend them with action and intrigue. “Elysium” doesn’t bring the genre to new heights; but then again, it certainly doesn’t do it a disservice either.