Elysium
Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Alice Braga, Sharlto Copley
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Rating: 4/5
Elysium is one of the most anticipated films of the year as it sees Neil Blomkamp return to the director's chair.
Blomkamp made his directorial debut back in 2009 and sci-fi fans have been waiting to see what he did next.
It may have been a four-year wait for his new project, but it was well worth it as Elysium is an action-packed ride.
In the year 2159, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth.
The only man with the chance bring equality to these worlds is Max (Damon), an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium.
With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission - one that pits him against Elysium's Secretary Delacourt (Foster) and her hard-line forces - but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well.
Blomkamp really is one of the most exciting up-and-coming filmmakers as he has delivered another movie that is so visually striking that you won't be able to take your eyes off it.
This is another dystopian sci-fi flick that shows the world and unbalanced and unfair; the rich can live in luxury while the poor are left to suffer and struggle on what little they have.
Blomkamp is a director who is not afraid to tackle there bigger questions, and there is a real moral heart at the central of this action film.
He seamlessly mixes spectacle with intelligence that he really is becoming the master of this genre.
And while the shots of Elysium so look fantastic, it is the way that Blomkamp has depicted Earth that is the real knockout blow.
Because of the hand-held camera style that he has chosen to shoot this movie with you really capture the grit and the grime of the slums.
Matt Damon is terrific as Max, the everyman who finds that he can bring about change for those who are suffering on earth.
But the standout performance comes courtesy of Sharlto Copely, who is truly chilling as mercenary Kruger.
From start to finish Elysium is a brutal and fast paced movie that mixes fantastic special effects, violent action with a strong moral message.
While Elysium doesn't quite recapture the wonder of District 9, it does come close. This is, without a doubt, the best sci-fi film that we have seen so far this year.
Elysium is out now.
