Elysium

Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.

I was disappointed with Elysium. Still a good movie but didn't achieve the brilliance of DISTRICT 9 which was done by the same directors etc. The special effects are good, the "future" technologies are interesting, the world of Elysium - a space station providing a perfect life for earth's elite - was impressive, and the social "commentary" is as expected. However, the story is pretty simple and unoriginal - at times a bit contrived. Jodie Foster, who is made to speak in some South African-derived accent, comes across as inauthentic and forced as if she's acting for the first time and trying too hard. Matt Damon isn't bad and the flashbacks to his childhood are possibly the most interesting aspect of the story. The characters were not emotionally engaging so, while the movie is entertaining enough, there is just not enough dramatic tension to make us care too much about what happens. Worth seeing on the big screen to appreciate the special effects but the whole thing turns out to be somewhat average.