I had a lot of hopes for this after the director's prior film District 9. In the end they were probably the unrealistic kind that could never really be fulfilled, but they still ended up being dashed a little as things unfolded. The earlier project had an erratic and energetic style, with faux docu-drama footage that lent it all a kind of ad libbed charm. It also had a twisted sense of humour that was a big surprise at the time. The whole thing felt like a smaller project full of quirky details suddenly being given a proper budget. Unfortunately the follow up doesn't really have any of those raw indie vibes, and perhaps it was a case of lighting in a bottle. Instead this relies on clichés that should really have been avoided. Perhaps they were unavoidable with a more mainstream cast involved.
That's not to say there isn't quite a lot of enjoyable stuff here. But it's frustrating that amongst the all the entertaining sequences and incredible CGI creations there's so much other stuff cluttering the story. All the individual pieces are interesting, but they've been put together in a way that feels clumsy instead of refined. Which is odd when this is the second attempt to tell this kind of story with these kind of visual effects. In a way this feels like the earlier script, although the robotics and weapons are more advanced looking. Like it's predecessor the design and art direction is pretty incredible and there's more of that dirty, worn out sci-fi aesthetic. This time they've mixed shanty town slums with robotic police and space vehicles, which is familiar in style but fresh in many ways. Everything on screen pops in a very detailed, eye pleasing way.
It would have been nice to spent more time exploring the dystopian world that's been created, but it pushes on far too quickly with the storyline and soon drops all the quieter moments from the first act. Things like a chat with a dead faced computerised parole officer is one of the best moments, lending it some relatability. Instead there are a series of simple plot forwarding scenes and a bunch of story points that have all been before. After an accident in factory which builds the very robots that have been harassing him, Max (Matt Damon) finds himself dying from radiation poisoning. The only cure is aboard a orbital space colony where Earth's wealthiest elite live in seclusion free from injury and disease. But while planning to to save his own skin he has to help some of his old criminal friends along the way - and possibly even the people of the desolated Earth while doing it.
It's really odd how quickly so many trite elements take over from the more interesting stuff. The whole 'ex-con with a heart of gold' element is such a shallow attempt at characterisation. If it's not obvious the social commentary is even more heavy handed than the already blunt District 9. The rich people are evil and the ones living in shanty towns are not. Even when some of them are back street butchers and hackers. The fact the Elysium is the one place they keep magical health regenerating machines is a really weak plot device, and the implications of having these or using them for every person on the globe is never explored. As a hero Max just isn't very memorable and this is a real problem when he's meant to be an understandable underdog.
Being wired up to a crazy cyborg exoskeleton that allows him to walk in his rapidly deteriorating condition is horrific and compelling. But as a person and not a piece of hardware the character is pretty two-dimensional. The other cast members vary in effectiveness, and yet again I have to recall District 9 when Agent Kruger (Sharlto Copley) shows up to steal the show. Here he's twisted version the protagonist, complete with a more advanced cybernetic rig and a series of increasingly outlandish weapons. His scenery chewing seems a little forced at times, but at least it's entertaining. A sequence showing the effects of an explosive on his face before he's forced to regenerate the tissue on Elysium is also a standout moment of gruesome creativity. Purely as an exaggerated action story there's a lot of these gnarly moments to enjoy.
The real villain of the story, Defence Secretary Delacourt, (Jodie Foster) is very bland and doesn't get anything memorable to do beyond ordering Kruger around. Her strange accent doesn't help, and neither does the weird dubbing. It seems to have been done in post to give her character a more elitist vibe but it's just really distracting. With American, Spanish and Afrikaans being heard it doesn't make that much sense either. The result is an entertaining ride even if it's often bumpy. Despite some good moments and some great effects much of the plot is too convenient or just incredibly trite. It's never dull, but it's often far too simplistic. The action is fun despite some strange shaky cam effects towards the end, but the pacing keeps everything going forward. It's often fun, but it's often impossible not to raise a few eyebrows as things progress.
3/5
BONUS REVIEW
OBLIVION (2013)
This has all the hallmarks of something that should come together nicely. So it's hard to describe exactly why it doesn't work. The electronic music group M83 is on board to do a score, sci-fi artist Andree Wallin is involved to create some neat concepts and designs, and the director is fresh from Tron Legacy. It wasn't great but this was a chance to improve on his work. On paper it sounds like a fantastic plan. But the resulting movie is something I have a near total lack of enthusiasm for. Joseph Kosinkis's last project had a lot going for it, but landed in a weird middle ground between classy popcorn thrill ride and slick but hollow spectacle. This on the other hand is somehow even more less involving than CLU's crazy disco world, which at least had more overall entertainment value.
There's a lot of going on that should be easy to like. The slick visual presentation, the eerie threat of unknown creatures, the isolated people stuck on a wasted planet Earth. But these elements all fall flat for one reason or another, it's strangely devoid of any kind of dramatic hook. The plot itself is not really original at all, but the setup still has plenty of potential. Desolated in a war with alien creatures the entire planet has been evacuated, despite the apparent victory of humankind. Now small clean-up crews maintain equipment as they transport the last of the planet's energy resources to a new colony in outer space. But some of the invaders are still hiding out in the shadows sabotaging the effort.
Meanwhile our protagonist Jack (Tom Cruise) has dreams about people he has never met. Or has he? What's really going on and what is the connection to the state of the world? And who cares? Something is missing here and it's not just the character's memory. Maybe it's because the director wanted to use material he wrote himself when he should have just stuck to the design work, or perhaps it's just the robotic performances from everyone involved. It's all lacking in passion and energy despite looking really nice. It's all far too sterile. It doesn't help that the story is told in such a dull way, and once again it proves that monotone narration should be banned as an expository device.
The result is a weird experience because this is all so relevant to my own interests, and usually I think that cold and bleak 1970s sci-fi homages should be encouraged. But the way it plays out just drains my enthusiasm away. Considering that they have a desolate abandoned Earth to work with makes it the lack of suspense kind of mystifying. The landscapes drip with atmosphere, creepy under dwellers lurk in the shadows, and sinister drones threaten to shoot on sight. There should have been a way to use this material far more effectively. There are a handful of moments where things starts to get interesting but they're too few and far between. The lasting effect of any action spectacle sequences is pretty low when the characters themselves are as grey as the wasteland.
2/5
