Let go back to 2009. Late in the summer, a little movie called District 9 arrived in theaters. This unique looking sci-fi film captured the respect of moviegoers everywhere.
So here we are in August 2013 and director Neill Blomkamp has a new sci-fi film called Elysium.
This time, Matt Damon takes center stage as he finds himself a post apocalyptic world. With one hit under his belt, let see if lightning can strike twice for Neill Blomkamp…
Matt Damon plays Max, a man trying to make a living on a desolate Earth.
When he is exposed to radiation, his only chance of a cure is on Elysium, a station that houses the most prestigious of mankind.
The only problem is that the people of Elysium don’t like to share; oh, and Max finds himself in a conspiracy, which never helps anything.
The story in Elysium is engaging, there is no denying that.
However there is one slight problem. If you sitting there thinking about it as movie goes on, then you begin to see similarities to that of District 9‘s plot.
Sure it is not an exact copy, but the comparisons are too broad to be a coincidental.
Either the writer thought it would be better to play is safe or Neill Blomkamp wanted the story to be just like his 2009 success. Either way, the plot is alright… but only alright.
When you have Matt Damon and Jodie Foster headlining your film, you should expect great things, right?
Well in the case of Elysium’s cast, all the performances were solid.
There is just one problem…again. The characters were too much like the cast in District 9.
Matt Damon’s performance might have been good, but he plays a reluctant hero much like Sharlto Copley’s character in District 9.
Speaking of Cotpley, he played the over the top villain: Kruger. Though it appeared that he was having fun, over the top villains are no strangers to the world of Blomkamp. So as much as the film had a good cast, there is still that District 9 similarity hovering around.
As we reach technical side of things, it will just be easier to say that the cinematography is just like the 2009 film. Though that is not bad thing. District 9 did have a look that stood out, and Elysium only personified on that element.
Though the camerawork and editing is questionable. Neither are bad, but they aren’t perfect either.
Neill Blomkamp has certainly made another stylish sci-fi film; but perhaps it’s too much like his previous hit.
A director’s style can always be prominent in a film, but this is just overkill. In the likes of story, characters and cinematography, Elysium might as well be called District 9 2.
If you can get pass all these comparisons, then you might enjoy Elysium. It is a solid sci-fi film. Not the greatest one out there, but still solid enough for a pass.
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