Elysium

Directed by Neill Blomkamp, Elysium follows Matt Damon’s Max, a futuristic blue-collar type, as he attempts to make his way to an opulent space station that’s inhabited solely by the affluent. Though it boasts many similarities to Blomkamp’s entertaining but uneven debut, 2009’s District 9, Elysium comes off as a far more successful sci-fi outing that’s been hard-wired with unexpectedly hypnotic sequences – as the movie contains a larger-than-life and downright epic feel that does, by and large, prove impossible to resist. Writer/director Blomkamp offers up a progressively absorbing storyline that’s heightened by a host of compelling characters, with Damon’s expectedly solid turn as the film’s sympathetic protagonist matched by a strong supporting cast that includes Jodie Foster, William Fichtner, and Sharlto Copley. (The latter’s scene-stealing turn is all-the-more impressive given that most of his dialogue is obscured by an unreasonably thick accent.) Elysium‘s only real misstep lies in Blomkamp’s handling of the action sequences, as the filmmaker’s use of shaky camerawork and lightning-quick editing diminishes the excitement inherent within such moments (and, worse still, renders them largely incoherent). This is, thankfully, a minor issue that remains easy enough to overlook, with the eye-popping special effects and perpetual motion of the narrative carrying the proceedings through to its engrossing climax. The end result is a contemporary blockbuster that only grows more and more compelling as it progresses, as the film’s innovative sci-fi landscape instantly earns it a place among bona fide classics of the genre.

***1/2 out of ****