It may be a stretch to say that the protagonist of Elysium "becomes more machine than man," but it's a fitting description for his story. Writer and director Neill Blomkamp delivered an exhilarating sci-fi action film mixed with thoughtful social commentary in his debut feature, District 9. His follow-up feature, Elysium, promises more of the same, and fully delivers on that promise for the first 35-40 minutes. But then everything that was special about the picture and unique in Blomkamp's voice is drowned out in loud, clashing action scenes that are occasionally entertaining but beset with eye-rolling plot shortcuts, the loss of character development, and Jodie Foster's inability to pick an accent and run with it. Elysium's message about economic inequality is couched in a finely-drawn sci-fi world, but the power of that message becomes diminished when we cease to care about the messenger. In 2154, the Earth has become ruined due to pollution and general social strife. The wealthy have fled to an orbiting space station called "Elysium" where they enjoy their carefree lives and have access to "med-pods" that can cure any ailment. Back on Earth, reformed criminal Max (Matt Damon) is trying to stick to the straight life in Los Angeles, but he's barely clinging on to his shitty job at a factory run by the sneering John Carlyle (William Fichtner). When an accident at the factory pelts Max with radiation and gives him only five days to live, he makes a deal with gang boss Spider (Wagner ...
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