Actors: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna
Directors: Neill Blomkamp
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: December 17, 2013
Run Time: 109 minutes
Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars
“Elysium” is the latest film from writer-director Neill Blomkamp, who brought us “District 9”. This film has a similar feel to it and even reunites the director with Sharlto Copley but doesn’t have the same magic. The film has quite the political back drop and I felt that it took over a little too much in the story and hurt “Elysium” quite a bit. The film is still visually impressive and Damon kicks some ass and really commits to this role. Worth checking out for sci-fi junkies but nothing special.
Official Premise: 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. Secretary Rhodes, a government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn’t stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.
When I think of this film I do not think about watching it on DVD, I think about a nice high-def crisp Blu-ray to fully take advantage of the very visual aspect of the film. So I was let down there for sure. If you are looking for special features, the back of the DVD box says get the Blu-ray. There are only two extra includes on this DVD. The first is called “Engineering Utopia: Creating a Society in the Sky”, which focuses on the visual effects. The next (and last) is called Collaboration: Crafting the Performances in Elysium” take a look into the cast from the film.
