Elysium
Elysium: BEAUTIFUL.
..as in – the actual place, Elysium – its bloody beautiful.
So here we are, its the year 2154. The distant future, where you’d think everyone would be living peacefully – they’re not.
2154 introduces ‘another Earth’ in the form of space-station ‘Elysium‘. It sits high in the sky, above a ruined Earth and houses the more wealthier residents of Earth who could afford to escape. And its everything you ever wanted – a leafy, gleaming paradise, overseen by icy blonde Jessica Delacourt (Foster). Earth however, has turned to shite…
We are quickly introduced to Max Da Costa (Damon), who lives within the ruins of Los Angeles and works as an engineer in the factory that produces the androids who police the Earth (they seem to kick the residents arses pretty harshly for no reason too) – after a radiation accident ensures he will die in just 5 days, Max is on a mission: To get to Elysium and reverse his fate, by using a ‘Med-Pod’
But he’s going to have to get past Elysium’s power-hungry Delacourt first..
Elysium moves along nicely – no sooner are the main characters and their plans introduced, than we’re off into space. The plot is very simple, easy to follow – but a bit too ‘I Am Legend’ – our hero gets involved with a single woman and her child “but WHO should come first?” kind of thing.
The graphics are to be applauded; the concept of Elysium as a place is just superb – its a proper shiny, sleek ‘Stepford Wives’ kind of layout, generously littered with immaculate greenery, plants and lake-sized swimming pools in the residents’ gardens (lets just say, if it was a real place, I’d be gagging for it)
Med-Pod
What a toy. Each Elysian mansion has one – its basically a bed they lay on, to rid themselves of whatever they have (I.E. Lay on it and your cancer has vanished) – incredible.
I’m going to warn you all about 1 unfortunate part of the movie. In just 2 words:
‘South African’
Vile. Just vile. Honestly, the main enemy of Max had the most irritating voice; I was cringing every time the character opened his mouth, and if I’m totally honest, it was bordering on silly every time he was on screen (as if he was supposed to be part of a ‘South African piss-take’ sketch.
All in all, ‘Elysium’ is watchable – but doesn’t knock you out; even if it is much better than all that other ‘After Earth’ & ‘Oblivion’ crap we’ve been fed recently.
That place up there in the sky, though – it sits above Earth like the moon, and its residents are bloody lucky to live there. It literally resembles Paradise, and at one point I found myself silently craving Elysium, thinking “just bloody beam me up. Please”
Hats off to the director for portraying space travel between Earth and Elysium like popping back & forth to your best friends house for a cuppa. (“the fuel’s about a tenner a pop then eh!”)
This is worth paying to see – mainly for the special effects.
7/10
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