Rating: 6/10
The problem I had when watching South African director Neill Blomkamp's latest Hollywood blockbuster, Elysium, was that I found myself laughing - but for all the wrong reasons. In a film that should have served as social commentary of the rich/poor divide, or as a metaphor for the social class disconnect, I was instead left to amuse myself with a train of choice South Africanisms, rather than having to follow this uninspired plot.
The film is the latest big action outing for Matt Damon who, in fairness, delivers a reasonable performance as Max DeCosta, a futuristic factory worker who has long held ambitions of getting to Elysium - a giant wheel-shaped habitat located just outside Earth's atmosphere, and home to the world's elite and most wealthy residents - in order to escape the densely overpopulated wasteland dystopia that Earth has become. Oddly enough, Los Angeles in 2154 looks scarcely different to Los Angeles in 2013.
In terms of the plot, in an unfortunate if not entirely predictable radiation accident at the factory where he works, Damon's protagonist is dosed with enough gamma rays to make The Hulk jealous. It appears now his only hope is to manipulate a nervy hacker, who runs an illegal shuttle service to Elysium, to get him to there to use one of the futuristic MediBays - a sort of MRI scanner that can apparently mend any human medical ailment. All he has to do is steal some critical data that would reboot Elysium, and hey presto, he's in If only it were that simple.
Fitted with a grotesque metal exoskeleton, DeCosta's motivation to get to Elysium is multiplied by his lifelong love interest's daughter being in the final stages of leukaemia, and equally in need of a Medibay. Sadly, this relationship adds little to the film's plot and, in fact, the acting from the rest of the cast is largely sub-standard, especially from Jodie Foster playing Elysium's Secretary of Defence, whose accent appears to vary from Canadian to British and back again.
However, the standout performance (and the source of most of my laughter) comes from fellow South African Sharlto Copley, in a brilliant turn as sadistic Agent Kruger - an Afrikaner who works on Earth at the bequest of Foster's defence team, carrying out all manner of ruthless malevolence. It's clear that Blomkamp knows just how to direct his old pal Copley (just as he did in the superb District 9), as he shines in just about every one of his scenes - especially when throwing in some tasty Saffa vernacular (expect a bit of Ja, Lekker and other Kak , among other SA phrases).
There are several nods to The Old Country , including the Saffa mercenary hit squad led by Agent Kruger and a helicopter adorned with the South African flag (which you'll be interested to learn is still the same in 2154). It was refreshing to see that the South African accent has been accepted by Hollywood, and even more refreshing to not see it delivered by a British or American actor (think Lethal Weapon II).
This film could have been something special. The futuristic concept was good, and perhaps the fatal flaw lay in the fact that too much of the film was shot on Earth rather than on the titled habitat - we see no more than a handful of idyllic scenes featuring manicured gardens and swimming pools, whereas most of the film is dark, dusty and desolate. As a commercial vehicle for Damon, this will still do well at the box office, especially with those craving some sci-fi and a bit of skop, skiet en donder
Review by Justin Cohen
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Rating: 6/10
