Elysium

A story comparable with the picture book about the hippo that Damon quotes from in the movie, but the way they did it! A flawless rendition of the future that meets my demands. Perfect atmosphere and awesome action which sometimes stops short of the proverbial icing on the cake (which is a shame). The exosuit fight at the end is one of the best action sci-fi (hand-to-hand) fights I’ve ever seen. Blomkamp has gone a bit soft since last time and even though most of the characters behave like swines, they don’t mean it badly, which is a drawback compared to D9. The main powerhouse of the picture is the fantastic Sharlto Copley as Kruger, a fanatical psychopath (and my favorite character) whose alternative would probably have made for the best ending. Max, where are you?! (2013-09-06)

The shaky (like really!) camera and crazy (like really!) editing hand in hand kills all action in this movie; and the stupidly and superficially forced social conscience would also have killed the action... If there were any. Simply awful. And if that wasn’t enough, it seems that half of the movie is missing. And of course it’s the half where Neill “I like to make ‘too many cooks’-style movies" Blomkamp devoted to the story, characters, elementary inner logic and the links between the (unlinked) scenes. (2013-08-28)

Once I got through District 9, I had hoped it was just an unfortunate accident. However, Elysium confirmed to me that I don't understand Neill Blomkamp and it would be best if we went our separate ways. Never mind that this skeleton of an unstoppable machine suits Matt Damon perfectly with its camera shaking and flying around in the action scenes, while the story stumbles into plotholes despite its simple premise. Not to mention that practically all of the supporting characters are played strangely, to say the least. Jodie Foster, who doesn't fit her role, is an unpleasant surprise, William Fichtner disappoints in a way that is merely dull, but Sharlto Copley is actually annoying. His unintelligible hissing and desperately overplayed slickness are truly maddening. But I could forgive all of that if the screenplay had met me halfway and tried to play a different note in the finale than a humane and nostalgically romantic one. The social appeal was already starting to annoy me in the middle of District 9, so that was just predictable, while the sentimental storyline annoyed me because Max's relationship with Frey is nothing more than a distant memory that would never stand a chance in this vision of the future. And when emotions, characters, and actions don't work on the path to freedom, it makes for a rather sad ending. Elysium ultimately ends up being a giant nothing that tries so hard to aim high, but from the beginning, has no way up. (2013-08-28)

The classic writer's evergreen about how a promising debutant from a remote corner of our planet came to Hollywood only to be scrapped by the very next film makes me want to sing along this time. But this is Blomkamp’s own fault. I would have also tolerated the leftist agitprop about an individual rebelling against a ruthless system this time if I hadn't had to ask so many questions during the screening, especially regarding elementary logic - How does Elysium work? Why does his defense work in such a stupid way? Why is the Minister being punished for defending him? And many others. It functions mostly because action-wise it's probably the best in years, and Blomkamp delivers the shots and moments in that central cut with such certainty that other directors would sell their mothers and their souls for it. Go back to the slums, Neill. And take those metamorphosis ideas with you. One day you will be a worthy successor to James Cameron. (2014-03-06)

I considered District 9 a revelation in the field of dying sci-fi, and Blomkamp as a herald of a better future for the genre. Not that I didn't find any weaknesses in that movie, but it falls into the category of likable where you tend to overlook the flaws. Elysium was supposed to confirm Blomkamp's position as a promising talent and genre specialist. But alas. Elysium is a dull B-movie in terms of content, where the attempts at an intellectual superstructure come across as untrustworthy. The characters are flat, the story shallow, and the world Blomkamp created is naive and dysfunctional. I felt sorry for the actors, especially Jodie Foster. She belongs in A productions, but in movies of this kind, it feels inappropriate. For people who follow these types of productions, the film may be average, but I really expected more. A lot more. And I was warned about it by a number of negative comments. Overall impression: 25%. (2018-10-27)