Movie Review: Elysium
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – If you're a sci-fi fan, then you're really going enjoy the new movie "Elysium."
But let's be honest, if you're expecting something as good as "District 9" then you might be disappointed.
One thing is certain: director Neil Blomkamp has proven he is the new go-to guy when it comes to science fiction filmmaking.
To compare "Elysium" to a few other movies you may have seen, think Iron Man meets RoboCop with a touch of Robin Hood.
"Elysium" takes place in the year 2154 where two very distinct classes of people exist, the very wealthy who live on the man-made space station and the rest who live on a polluted and diseased Earth.
Matt Damon stars as Max, who is trying to whatever it takes to survive after learning he has just five days to live. He needs to get to the magical "Elysium" where there's a "med bay" in every home, which look like an average tanning bed. These aren't your ordinary tanning beds though; these can heal and cure sicknesses or diseases in an instant.
So what's standing in his way? Secretary Delacourt played by Jodie Foster; the pantsuit wearing, Secretary of Defense who monitors Elysium's borders and tries to keep it safe from illegal immigration.
Remember at last year's Golden Globes award when Foster announced she was retiring, but not really retiring from acting? Well if this is her final role, it would be very disappointing to say the least.
Foster has won multiple Oscars, even received the Cecil B. Demille Lifetime Achievement Award, but her role in "Elysium" was awkward and at times laughable. And what is up with her accent? It's some sort of French concoction, which was very distracting.
In fact, there are quite a few accents and languages in this movie; you'll notice a mishmash of Spanish, French, British and English.
The ending of the film is anticlimactic, after tons of action scenes, it leaves you expecting more.
This movie is rated R for a reason and it's definitely not for children. There are many gory and graphic scenes, so if you're a little squeamish prepare to cover your eyes.
Overall I give "Elysium" a B-.
The special effects are visually stimulating and the scenery is excellent. But, the lack of character development and poor acting from Jodie Foster's character left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
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