In the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Delacourt, a government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn’t stop the people of Earth from trying to get in by any means they can. When unlucky Max is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that, if successful, will not only save his life but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.
On theatrical release, Elysium was a disappointment to me: probably the biggest let down of the summer. Expectations were high for what director Neil Blomkamp would deliver. Off the back of District 9, one of the most surprising and superbly executed films of 2009 (his directorial and writing debut no less), Elysium, while stunning in its visuals and concept, just lacked cohesion and came off muddled. Home video offered me a second chance to revisit this dystopic future Blomkamp has envisioned.
Over a century from now, the world is an overpopulated and polluted slum. The poor remain on Earth, toiling away in factories and manufacturing, perpetuating the demise of a planet now policed by robots. The wealthy, who feed off what is essentially slave labor, reside off-world in a massive orbiting habitat — the titular Elysium. Jodie Foster is Delacourt, the security chief of Elysium, charged with protecting their gated community from illegal immigrants (i.e the poor left behind on Earth). Matt Damon plays Max, a plant worker who is exposed during a radiation accident. He has days to live unless he can get to Elysium, where healing pods can cure all ailments. His only hope is to join a crew for a heist, but soon finds the information he helps steal is far more valuable that they realized. Soon Delacourt and her assasin Kruger (Sharlto Copley) are in pursuit.
Like District 9, where an apartheid metaphor was employed, Elysium deals with issues of class and social structure. It is a fascinating premise and one that at times is beautifully executed. The visuals and action sequences are quite breathtaking. It is the story that falls a little flat. Its message is admirable, holding up a mirror to society to try and address the widening gap in wealth between the social classes and healthcare availability, but the delivery fails. There is little depth to what is said and the ending ties things up a little conveniently and on the nose. The splitting of society happened for a reason — resources are severely limited, and the end resolution smashes the two portions of humanity back together with no lingering way to sustain it. The promise and premise of the film are far more exciting than how it is ultimately executed. A rollercoaster of an action and chase movie leaves the fascinating dystopic society as a bit of a blur in the background, a sacrifice of something deeper is made to give a enjoyable ride instead. Damon continues to display great versatility as an actor, blending the action and more emotional parts nicely. Foster is tolerable as Delacourt, the affected accent ultimately being one distraction too far. Sharlto Copley as the deranged Kruger steals the show though. I could watch this maniac cause havoc throughout the slums of future-LA for hours. The character just doesn’t give any shits, and is hysterical and terrifying as a result.
The DVD extras are somewhat sparse but pretty interesting. In addition to the customary trailer there are two documentaries. The first, Collaboration: Crafting the performances in Elysium, is an interesting and at times funny look into the casting process, the cast working together, and other collaborative choices made behind the scenes by Blomkamp. The second and far more interesting feature is Engineering Utopias: Creating a Society in the Sky. While Blomkapp had a vision of his society in the future, he brought in noted concept artist Syd Mead to help flesh it out. Mead had notably contributed to stunning science fiction classics such as Blade Runner, Aliens and Tron. The feature shows the implementation of geometry and architectural realism, as well as how scale was conveyed in the futuristic habitat. It’s fascinating to see how they also drew from work done in the 1970s, when NASA held a competition to design a viable human habitat in space. Visually, Elysium is a joy to behold and this extra shows off the details of that nicely.
While somewhat disappointing, Elysium at least offers further evidence that Neill Blomkamp is one of the most creative and talented young directors working today. His skill at creating a world along with a mastery of CGI to create something tangible is rare. Elysium has some amazing moments, but many missteps hurt it a little too much. As a science fiction action movie it is an accomplished production, but with its pedigree I was just expecting so much more. It ends up being worth a watch, and in no way hampers my enthusiasm for what Blomkapp has in store for us next.