TheRetroCritic

From Neill Blomkamp, the director of District 9 , comes Elysium . Expect lots of dirt, a poor-vs-rich plot and Sharlto Copley acting nuts. I wasn't expecting much from this Matt Damon-starring, generic-looking sci-fi action flick. The trailers promised nothing too new or particularly fascinating and it just seemed like District 9 all over again. The film itself was much better than I expected. Elysium really does stand up on its own and, in fact, surpasses District 9 in many ways. For one thing, its metaphor is a little more subtle than it was in that other movie and also you've got some characters to actually care about this time! Matt Damon turns out to be the perfect choice for the role of a normal guy given a death sentence who becomes desperate to make his way to Elysium, a space station packed full of high-end medical equipment for the super rich that live there worry-free. Damon makes a likeable and convincing everyman while still pulling off the action sequences