Elysium (2013), Neill Blomkamp
2/5
This is pretty standard action movie fare. Performances are generally good, but the film lacks depth and good character development. While the intention seems to have been to tie the characters motivation together this falls rather flat of building complexity and instead reads more like unnecessary plot devices and additional motivations. The set design and effects are generally good, although aren't anything special as much appears similar to previous films like Terminator or Aliens in the dystopian industrialised future. The film lacked depth and exploration of the themes of immigration and class differences. No attempt was made to explain the ridiculous technological advances and any issues of availability of resources. Rather the thematic elements that were the strength of District 9 instead acted as a simplistic jumping off point for a pretty traditional hero action film surrounding themes of self sacrifice, fatalism and the protection of family (man, woman and child). Overall a rather expected disappointment and while cinematography was fine, some elements felt like video game footage, but the music was actually rather good.
