I tend to be curious every time a talented filmmaker gets to direct a film set in a pessimistic future/post-apocalyptic era : visually, it's the perfect setting for desolated landscapes and amazing images of urban chaos ; story-wise, it's the perfect occasion to insert social commentary and establish more or less subtle metaphors about our current way of life, our current values, and extend in a fictitious way many assumptions that we have regarding the fate of mankind and our very own planet.

In my opinion, it has to be one of science-fiction's most important sub-genres, since it leaves so much room to contemporary concerns (the environment, pollution, wars, immigration, etc.). Films like "Children of Men", "Looper", and "The Road" have greatly contributed to this sub-genre which, in reality, is not really new, but is constantly being redefined and given different treatments : "Children of Men" was an ode to life, "Looper" felt a lot like a modern-day western, "The Road" was a classic tale of a father-and-son relationship, and now, "Elysium", a thriller/action film/social commentary about disparity between the rich and the poor. Neill Blomkamp burst out of the scene in 2009 with "District 9", a very similar project in several regards, and blew audiences away with a clever mix of documentary-style filmmaking, explosive action, and the refreshing implement of an obvious social commentary.

"Elysium" starts off brilliantly, showcasing two opposite environments: the old Earth, which has turned into a huge ghetto where people live like cattle, and Elysium, a high-end space station where all the wealthy people from Earth have moved to establish their home. We are then introduced to our protagonist, Max Da Costa (Matt Damon),whose quest is quickly defined after being exposed to deadly radiation : With five days left to live, Max will ally up with a group of illegal immigrants to get to Elysium so he can get the proper medical attention he needs. But Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster),an evil government executive in charge of defending Elysium, will stand in his way, by hiring Kruger (Sharlto Copley),a psychopathic mercenary in charge of neutralizing all illegal immigrants.

The first third of "Elysium" is both fascinating and stressful : You are being introduced to the over-populated Earth, its hospitals, its industrial plants, its streets. These images are very reminiscent of the Johannesburg ghettos depicted in "District 9". And then, you get to see glimpses of the wonderful Elysium, a visual tour-de-force that ends up being shamefully underused in the film. The first moments Max is shown after being exposed to radiation, the film jumps into a nerve-racking tone, and it is very effective, as it is blended with several dramatic elements that range from innovative to pretty common.

Unfortunately, the pace slows down in the second third, where Max's story gets sidelined a bit, to the profit of a few sub-plots that involve an unpredictable, yet not so major twist in terms of impact on the story, as well as a sub-story involving the daughter of an old friend of Max. And while the twist is a welcome addition, the sub-story comes a little out of nowhere and comes off as a bit of a cliché. It seemed like Blomkamp was trying to preserve this family theme that was dear to him in "District 9", and that served the story so well in his previous film. Its unusual aspect prevented it from being too clichéd (an alien dad and his alien son),which is unfortunately not the case in "Elysium". It does not ruin the film, but it does steal its share of precious screen time in a film that feels a tad too short, and leads it towards more conventional developments.

Then the pace picks up again, with a third act that consists mostly of a bunch of pretty awesome action/fighting sequences, where the feeling of urgency from the original quest has pretty much left the building. In terms of writing, this is conventional stuff, but the technical expertise behind the visuals and the sound is a thing of beauty. Also, the dramatic elements displayed in the first third are briefly brought back to seal the deal, and do provide a satisfying feeling of closure to the story.

Overall, this is quality entertainment with impressive visuals, and a world of ideas that had infinite potential. And while "Elysium" exploited only a fraction of its potential, what it did exploit it did it successfully. Directing, photography, music, and performances are all superb. With a decent yet a bit unoriginal social commentary in the background that does get shelved in the second half to the profit of rock-solid action sequences, the strengths of "Elysium", taken individually, do feel a bit scattered, but make for an overall very competent package.

When South African director Neill Blomkamp's DISTRICT 9 came out, it blew me away. Never before had I seen an inventive and intricate storyline mixed with mind-blowingly realistic special effects work and some hard-hitting and heavyweight action scenes. It's still one of my favourite movies of all time, so I was understandably excited by the prospect of this follow-up.

And ELYSIUM doesn't disappoint. It's a straightforward action thriller in which both good guys and bad are clearly delineated; it lacks the novelty and scope of Blomkamp's previous movie but it more than makes up for that with its full-blooded action and overriding sense of energy. Once again, the sci-fi special effects are remarkable - this is CGI as it should be employed, as it's completely realistic and never lacking.

Matt Damon can handle the action stuff readily enough - anyone who's seen the Bourne trilogy can tell you that - and Blomkamp assembles a stellar supporting cast to back him up. William Fichtner is a delightfully weaselly bad guy and Jodie Foster an effective political foe, but it's Sharlto Copley who really shines as the OTT main villain, Kruger. It's a complete turnaround from his quiet, mild-mannered turn in DISTRICT 9, and both he and the viewer have a ball with it.

ELYSIUM builds up a real sense of excitement and palpable tension as the story progresses, and the script never lets you down either; once again, there's plenty of subtext to enjoy. This film could well be thought of as an advert for 'Obamacare'. The action sequences employ shaky-cam to good effect, and it's nice to see that Blomkamp hasn't toned the bloody violence down either. No, it's no DISTRICT 9, but it comes close and is one of the best sci-fi movies of recent years.

It's the year 2154. Max (Matt Damon) is an ex-con living in a dystopic police-state earth and crumbling Los Angeles. He's trying to live the straight life working in a factory. The rich and powerful are now living in the space station Elysium. Everybody wants a ticket to the utopian world where advanced med bay can cure almost anything. During an industrial accident, Max is flooded with a lethal dose of radiation. He has 5 days to live and is desperate to go up to Elysium. Defense Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) is threatened by the president and is now orchestrating a coup. Max reunites with his old criminal boss Spider to try to steal some brain data. Except the data they stole is something more valuable than some bank accounts.

The look and feel of this is reminiscent of Neill Blomkamp's other and better sci-fi 'District 9'. The story is weighted down by a few questionable setups. There are a lot of recycled sci-fi ideas in this movie and one unexpected one from 'Johnny Mnemonic'. The movie has its moments. If you could overlook some of the simplistic setups, there is a fun little action movie. However the backstory is a little too simplistic. It's fine for a small campy movie like 'Johnny Mnemonic', but this movie wants to be taken seriously. And I just can't take its message too seriously.