The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

DBS is up there with Birdemic, The Room, and Batman & Robin as my favorite good bad movies. Great pick-me-ups.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Sharknado review coming soon!

Sweet!

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest rental: Tank Girl

First thing's first: the film's opening credits montage is pretty darn cool. With the rock music and the flashing comic-book images, I was lured in with the promise of a truly punk-spirited post-apocalypse adventure.

Well, the film delivers, in the sense that it's set in a post-apocalyptic world, and there's adventure. This is also a very wacky film, with cartoony comic relief, cheesy action, and a very cheap production value. The good thing about this film is that the main character's attitude is so wild and fun that accentuates the goofy nature of the film, and delivers the punkish vibe I was expecting. Everything else, however, tends to be rather ridiculous. It makes for a weirdly mixed experience overall.

This story is pretty basic stuff, lacking in depth or emotion. The plot wanders all over the place, lacking in specific direction. Chances are that you've seen better structure and deeper meaning in other great sci-fi films that bear all the same plot elements and characters. Tank Girl squanders its storytelling potential in favor of just being kooky.

This film uses pretty standard photography and editing. Comic book images are cut in at various places. A couple of scenes are animated, and those are probably the coolest parts. Acting is extremely cheesy and over-the-top; Lori Petty uses such cheese to craft an deliciously fun and hip performance, while a very young Naomi Watts plays a perfect square, and Malcolm McDowell does his usual schtick. Writing is pretty simple-minded. This production has sets, props, and costumes that are so cheap-looking, colorful, and clean; the film almost looks like what you'd get if Pee Wee Herman's playhouse survived the apocalypse and went just slightly feral. Music is alright; the score is okay, and a number of good songs are used to give the film a little more oomph to the punk factor.

Much like the actual tank in the film, Tank Girl is a cheap-looking, colorful, gaudy, haphazard assortment of random parts and cute decor. It's definitely cheesy, but it is pretty fun that way regardless. I'd say it's perfectly fitting next to other weird, cheap, and cheesy flicks like the Super Maro Bros movie, or Howard the Duck. If those appeal to you, then Tank Girl might be up your alley. Otherwise, move along, nothing to see here.

3/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Poor | Film: Poor)

This movie is scheduled for Blu-Ray.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by jvince

DBS is up there with Birdemic, The Room, and Batman & Robin as my favorite good bad movies. Great pick-me-ups.

As you may recall, all four of those made it on my top guilty pleasures list.

I always liked DBS since high school though.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by jvince

Deep Blue Sea (1999)
dir. Renny Harlin

[Show spoiler]

The Good: Highly entertaining. Stupid fun. Never gets old (no matter how many times they show it on TV). Impressive animatronics. The opening scene. Saffron Burrows. The helicopter sequence. The kitchen scene. Sam Jackson getting eaten by a shark. The ladder scene. Saffron Burrows stripping for no reason. The climax. "You wait your whole life for a single moment and then suddenly it's tomorrow." "He's pissing into the wind! How brilliant can he be?" "Fat butt... you got a big fat butt!" "Eat me, *******." "You ate my bird." "You stupid *****!" "They got a pill for what's wrong with you?" "We're going to pull together and we're gonna find a way to get outta here! First, we're gonna seal off this..." "I spent four years at CalTech, and that's the best physics explanation I've ever heard." "We will start with the perfect omelette which is made with two eggs, not three. Amateurs often add milk for density; this is a mistake." "Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil. For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Because I carry a big stick and I'm the meanest mother****er in the valley! Two sharks down, Lord! One demon fish to go! Can I get an Amen?" "That's the smartest thing you've said all day." "Come to mama." "Bring me some sushi." "Take me back to the ghetto." "Amen." 'Deepest Bluest' by LL Cool J.

The Bad: Pretty much everything.

The Bottom Line: Sorry Sharknado, but this is still the second best shark movie ever made (although that's not exactly high praise). Deep Blue Sea is ludicrous and dumb as ****, and I love it. Hollywood doesn't make good bad movies like it used to anymore.

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Sharknado review coming soon!

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

This is just one of many reasons why I have been enjoying TV shows more than films for the past few years.

Detention - YouTube

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

[Lepidopterous]

Passed up on a sneak preview of You're Next tonight. (not by choice)

The Hall H preview actually looked decent.

[Abdrewes]

"We're gonna need a bigger helicopter."

Sharknado is just too awesome to write about. I. am. not. worthy.

Easily the most quotable film of the year too!

[jvince]

You're Next (2011)
dir. Adam Wingard

The Good: Sharni Vinson. You'll be an instant fan after seeing this film. Survivalist camp? Well, they ****ed with the wrong girl. You don't **** with an Aussie survivalist chick armed with a meat tenderizer. You just don't. Her character, Erin, is easily up there on the badass final girls list, and dare I say, she even gives Ripley a run for her money. Relentlessly intense and menacing atmosphere. Dwight Twilley Band's 'Looking for the Magic' on repeat. Surprisingly relevant satirical commentary. Darkly humorous. A bonafide crowd-pleaser. Blender. Head. Rapturous cheers and applause.

The Bad: First half relies too much on jump scares. The first kills are pretty ingenious, but they sort of run out of clever ideas in the middle. The ending could've been better.

The Bottom Line: Slasher-wise, I guess You're Next is the closest thing to being this generation's Scream. Although it's certainly nowhere near as groundbreaking as Wes Craven's 1996 hit, it manages to turn what seemed like a tired subgenre upside down while having a blast doing so. Comparisons to The Strangers are inevitable as well, what with its concept and conclusion, but in the end, You're Next is wittier, more fun, and more satisfying than the 2008 Liv Tyler starrer. Well worth the price of admission for gorehounds jonesing for a quality slasher fix.

[Abdrewes]

As director Anthony C. Ferrante's Sharknado takes a brief respite for heartfelt character revelations before an action packed finale, a flurry of emotions blossom to the surface in a beautifully simple way. Upon sharing with Matt the traumatic recollections of a tragic shark attack, Nova Clarke fully elaborates her murderous state of mind, "they took my grandfather; that's why I hate sharks." Matt, a virtual stranger answers (with feeling), "now I hate sharks too."

Stating that the film aims for so-bad-it's-good cult status is, effectively, pointing out the elephant in the room; of course that's The Asylum's sole intention. Though my first time being exposed to the profitable studio's output, it is apparent they aim to create objects of derision. They aim to provoke unintentional laughter (intentionally unintentional humor?), and as such, it is a flying success. Sharknado earned some of the biggest laughs I have had all year, so I do not come to bury it.

The set up is fairly economical. A ship captain is in the process of dealing away a catch of sharks for $1,000,000 (queue Dr. Evil) when, suddenly, a storm hits—the first bit of laughable dialogue arrives when the Chinese buyer frantically asks, "what was that?," the captain responds, "they're called waves, they do that from time to time." Hurricane David is on a collision path with the beaches of SoCal.

We are then given an introduction to the rag-tag team in which we will invest our sympathies for the next eighty minutes—Ian Ziering as surfing supersar "Fin" (get it?) Shepherd; Jaason Simmons as his best friend and surfing partner, Baz Hogan; John Heard as George the barfly; and, chiefly, Cassie Scerbo as Nova Clarke. Though she doesn't hold a candle to Rose McGowan's gun-legged Cherry Darling from Planet Terror, I suspect Robert Rodriguez will recruit her for his next grind-house throwback project. Sure, her character moments land with a thud, but her delivery of Thunder Levin's (purposefully) horrendous dialogue is sure to win her legions of fans. When the crew traverses the flooding interstate highways en route to the home of Fin's ex-wife (Tara Reid delivering a career best performance), Scerbo jumps at the chance to deliver cracking lines—"it's like Old Faithful" or when asked to disclose how she became a nomenclature expert, she answers, "Shark Week."

There really is too much awful to note. Scene after scene of riotous clunkers, inept staging, and staggeringly bad special effects render the film a laugh-out-loud treat. I could not help but adore the way it throws logic and any and all notions of continuity out the window with such heedless abandon. Take for example the set piece where Fin fends off the sharks in Tara Reid's flooding house. Firstly, the cheaply animated sharks (we're talking The Last Starfighter level of computer generated artistry, maybe less) appear to be coming from one angle and velocity, then the subsequent edit, they finish their attack from a different vector. I'm sure William Boodell (which I hope is not a pseudonym, for that is too perfect) did the best he could in the editing suite, but the coverage just cannot be saved. Luckily, Ramin Kousha's generic thriller score, and sweet one liners enliven the proceedings (as the den fills with crimson shark blood, "I guess it's that time of month").

When the sharknado threatens to destroy a retirement home and the crew decides hogkto stop it ("we cant wait for sharks to rain down on us again!") with the aid of a helicopter, several chainsaws, and propane tanks, oh my, this is a furiously entertaining movie. I wouldn't alter a frame. The crude special effects, unbelievably flat lighting, lifeless performances—sans, of course, the late barstool swinging George whom levies lines like "I told you never to make fun of my stool!" at sharks—all amounted to the perfect movie watching experience. Granted, I saw the film on the 15" screen of my beat up laptop while gorging on greasy soft pretzels at a Chicago O'Hare charging station during a four hour delay—not exactly the ideal circumstances—but my point still stands. Ounce for ounce, Sharknado is an infectious ride, a visual illustration if the daydreams of an elementary school child in science class. Don't be surprised if you find yourself quoting from the film whenever opportunity strikes.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by jvince

You're Next (2011)
dir. Adam Wingard

[Show spoiler]

The Good: Sharni Vinson. You'll be an instant fan after seeing this film. Survivalist camp? Well, they ****ed with the wrong girl. You don't **** with an Aussie survivalist chick armed with a meat tenderizer. You just don't. Her character, Erin, is easily up there on the badass final girls list, and dare I say, she even gives Ripley a run for her money. Relentlessly intense and menacing atmosphere. Dwight Twilley Band's 'Looking for the Magic' on repeat. Surprisingly relevant satirical commentary. Darkly humorous. A bonafide crowd-pleaser. Blender. Head. Rapturous cheers and applause.

The Bad: First half relies too much on jump scares. The first kills are pretty ingenious, but they sort of run out of clever ideas in the middle. The ending could've been better.

The Bottom Line: Slasher-wise, I guess You're Next is the closest thing to being this generation's Scream. Although it's certainly nowhere near as groundbreaking as Wes Craven's 1996 hit, it manages to turn what seemed like a tired subgenre upside down while having a blast doing so. Comparisons to The Strangers are inevitable as well, what with its concept and conclusion, but in the end, You're Next is wittier, more fun, and more satisfying than the 2008 Liv Tyler starrer.

Well worth the price of admission for gorehounds jonesing for a quality slasher fix.

I'll try to catch it in theaters.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

[Show spoiler]As director Anthony C. Ferrante's Sharknado takes a brief respite for heartfelt character revelations before an action packed finale, a flurry of emotions blossom to the surface in a beautifully simple way. Upon sharing with Matt the traumatic recollections of a tragic shark attack, Nova Clarke fully elaborates her murderous state of mind, "they took my grandfather; that's why I hate sharks." Matt, a virtual stranger answers (with feeling), "now I hate sharks too."

Stating that the film aims for so-bad-it's-good cult status is, effectively, pointing out the elephant in the room; of course that's The Asylum's sole intention. Though my first time being exposed to the profitable studio's output, it is apparent they aim to create objects of derision. They aim to provoke unintentional laughter (intentionally unintentional humor?), and as such, it is a flying success. Sharknado earned some of the biggest laughs I have had all year, so I do not come to bury it.

The set up is fairly economical. A ship captain is in the process of dealing away a catch of sharks for $1,000,000 (queue Dr. Evil) when, suddenly, a storm hits—the first bit of laughable dialogue arrives when the Chinese buyer frantically asks, "what was that?," the captain responds, "they're called waves, they do that from time to time." Hurricane David is on a collision path with the beaches of SoCal.

We are then given an introduction to the rag-tag team in which we will invest our sympathies for the next eighty minutes—Ian Ziering as surfing supersar "Fin" (get it?) Shepherd; Jaason Simmons as his best friend and surfing partner, Baz Hogan; John Heard as George the barfly; and, chiefly, Cassie Scerbo as Nova Clarke. Though she doesn't hold a candle to Rose McGowan's gun-legged Cherry Darling from Planet Terror, I suspect Robert Rodriguez will recruit her for his next grind-house throwback project. Sure, her character moments land with a thud, but her delivery of Thunder Levin's (purposefully) horrendous dialogue is sure to win her legions of fans. When the crew traverses the flooding interstate highways en route to the home of Fin's ex-wife (Tara Reid delivering a career best performance), Scerbo jumps at the chance to deliver cracking lines—"it's like Old Faithful" or when asked to disclose how she became a nomenclature expert, she answers, "Shark Week."

There really is too much awful to note. Scene after scene of riotous clunkers, inept staging, and staggeringly bad special effects render the film a laugh-out-loud treat. I could not help but adore the way it throws logic and any and all notions of continuity out the window with such heedless abandon. Take for example the set piece where Fin fends off the sharks in Tara Reid's flooding house. Firstly, the cheaply animated sharks (we're talking The Last Starfighter level of computer generated artistry, maybe less) appear to be coming from one angle and velocity, then the subsequent edit, they finish their attack from a different vector. I'm sure William Boodell (which I hope is not a pseudonym, for that is too perfect) did the best he could in the editing suite, but the coverage just cannot be saved. Luckily, Ramin Kousha's generic thriller score, and sweet one liners enliven the proceedings (as the den fills with crimson shark blood, "I guess it's that time of month").

When the sharknado threatens to destroy a retirement home and the crew decides hogkto stop it ("we cant wait for sharks to rain down on us again!") with the aid of a helicopter, several chainsaws, and propane tanks, oh my, this is a furiously entertaining movie. I wouldn't alter a frame. The crude special effects, unbelievably flat lighting, lifeless performances—sans, of course, the late barstool swinging George whom levies lines like "I told you never to make fun of my stool!" at sharks—all amounted to the perfect movie watching experience. Granted, I saw the film on the 15" screen of my beat up laptop while gorging on greasy soft pretzels at a Chicago O'Hare charging station during a four hour delay—not exactly the ideal circumstances—but my point still stands. Ounce for ounce, Sharknado is an infectious ride, a visual illustration if the daydreams of an elementary school child in science class. Don't be surprised if you find yourself quoting from the film whenever opportunity strikes.

I met Sharknado at Comic-Con.

[Show spoiler]Really though.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

A ship captain is in the process of dealing away a catch of sharks for $1,000,000 (queue Dr. Evil)

Ah man, if they make a Sharknado 2, it needs to be with sharks with freaking laser beams attached to their heads!

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I met Sharknado at Comic-Con.

[Show spoiler]Really though.

You lucky devil!

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Ah man, if they make a Sharknado 2, it needs to be with sharks with freaking laser beams attached to their heads!

Correct me if I'm wrong, Al. Asylum AIMS for so-bad-it's-good, right? There's definite skill there in making such a putrid movie.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Correct me if I'm wrong, Al. Asylum AIMS for so-bad-it's-good, right? There's definite skill there in making such a putrid movie.

Really, the only Asylum movie I've seen (and proudly own) is Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies. A pretty blatant rip-off of Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter, but unlike that one, vs Zombies does have such a purposeful so-bad-it's-good vibe going for it. I think that must be Asylum's goal in life, in addition to ripping off popular stuff: to make the best bad movie ever. As far as the Abe Lincoln movies go, I think Asylum delivered what Bekmambetov failed to: a film so ridiculous it became self-consciously silly, whereas the other one takes itself more seriously, and creates absurdity only in the action scenes.

I need to see if I can stream Sharknado somehow. At the very least, it's coming to Netflix next month, and I can see it then.

EDIT:
I recently happened across a weird little film called Manborg. It's definitely one of the best "so-bad-it's-good" films I've seen, and if you guys are looking for more, check it out! The company that made it is called Astron-6, and they seem to be devoted to making good bad movies as well.

Manborg had a fake trailer at the end for Bio Cop, and it was freaking hilarious. I was saddened to see that Bio Cop was not a real movie.

[Al_The_Strange]

In preparation for Elysium, I popped in District 9. Modified my old review as follows:

We’ve all seen sci-fi films and stories before, where aliens come to Earth and lay down their dominance through superior technology and intellect. But in the case of District 9, we have something else entirely; it’s a rough and brutal film, where aliens are not as the sleek, powerful, awe-inspiring beings from heaven. Instead, these aliens are wretched, and humans treat them like dirt. Therein lies the strength and power of the film; it serves to showcase modern issues concerning refugee camps, shanty-towns, and social corruption, while simultaneously demonizing humanity. With themes like these, District 9 proves to be a truly unique, sobering, and thought-provoking experience.

The film's first half is purely rough documentary-style, with interviews and news footage cut in throughout. Then the second half resembles an actual film with lots of action (and some very gnarly violence). The movie runs at an even pace, and it is consistently entertaining throughout. It does a great job of using the mock interviews and footage to introduce the concepts and all the background information, before progressing into an intense and explosive climax. In spite of this, the plot is well-structured.

Within this framework, the story is quite decent. It starts off a little random, but the film sharpens its focus as it goes on, building a solid narrative from its characters. The characters aren't particularly likable, but they serve to reinforce the stark themes concerning corruption. It gets very interesting to see

[Show spoiler] the main character mutate into one of the "Prawns," practically forcing him to feel the aliens' plight

. In this manner, the audience also comes to feel the plight of District 9. These themes and allegories aren't particularly subtle, but they are noble.

Photography is solid half of the time and pretty shaky at other times; it’s good all around, and there are plenty of invoking images. Acting and writing are not bad. Production design features some great sets, props, costumes, creature effects, vehicles, and weapons. Music is decent too.

District 9 is one of the most uncompromising sci-fi pictures to date; it's an ugly film that forces us to behold the ugliness of the slums, and the inhumanity of just sweeping it all under the rug for a profit. The gnarly settings, bloody violence, and rough footage may not sit well with many viewers, but if you can handle it, it's a must-see.

5/5 (Experience: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good) Increased from 4/5

Recommendation: It's the greatest thing since cat food. Watch it.

On Blu-Ray, it looks and sounds as good as it can be.

PQ: 5/5, AQ: 5/5

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by jvince

You're Next (2011)
dir. Adam Wingard

[Show spoiler]

The Good: Sharni Vinson. You'll be an instant fan after seeing this film. Survivalist camp? Well, they ****ed with the wrong girl. You don't **** with an Aussie survivalist chick armed with a meat tenderizer. You just don't. Her character, Erin, is easily up there on the badass final girls list, and dare I say, she even gives Ripley a run for her money. Relentlessly intense and menacing atmosphere. Dwight Twilley Band's 'Looking for the Magic' on repeat. Surprisingly relevant satirical commentary. Darkly humorous. A bonafide crowd-pleaser. Blender. Head. Rapturous cheers and applause.

The Bad: First half relies too much on jump scares. The first kills are pretty ingenious, but they sort of run out of clever ideas in the middle. The ending could've been better.

The Bottom Line: Slasher-wise, I guess You're Next is the closest thing to being this generation's Scream. Although it's certainly nowhere near as groundbreaking as Wes Craven's 1996 hit, it manages to turn what seemed like a tired subgenre upside down while having a blast doing so. Comparisons to The Strangers are inevitable as well, what with its concept and conclusion, but in the end, You're Next is wittier, more fun, and more satisfying than the 2008 Liv Tyler starrer. Well worth the price of admission for gorehounds jonesing for a quality slasher fix.

Nice. I don't watch that much in the theater, but I may have to give this a shot when it comes out on Blu-ray then. The commercials haven't done a whole lot for me, but a comparison to Scream has me intrigued.

[jvince]

Mud (2012)
dir. Jeff Nichols

The Good: Solid cast headlined by an incredible, award-worthy performance by Matthew McConaughey. Fleshed-out, sympathetic characters. Thoroughly engaging story. Gorgeous cinematography by Nichols' regular collaborator Adam Stone.

The Bad: Weak third act. The shootout feels like it belongs on another film and the happy Hollywood ending ends up diluting the overall story.

The Bottom Line: It's Take Shelter all over again. Director Nichols has once again suckered me into thinking I was watching an exceptional film only to top it off with yet another jarringly unexceptional conclusion. Here's hoping he sticks the landing next time. Recommended.

[Al_The_Strange]

Elysium

This film represents a natural evolution of the rough, intense, deeply sociopolitical textures that Niell Bloomkamp previously worked with in District 9.Many comparisons can be made between D9 and Elysium; they're both particularly ugly films that face certain ugly truths through the thin veil of sci-fi, and they're both set in some of the trashiest slums ever filmed. At the same time, Elysium borrows a lot from the anime Battle Angel; both are stories in which the rich and poor are separated between the Earth and some high-flying city, and the characters fight their way to the top with some help from cybernetics. There are also individual scenes that reminded me of other things: one scene reminded me of Total Recall, the main henchman was like an evil version of Metal Gear's Solid Snake, I couldn't help but to think of the Ghost in the Shell saga and the works of William Gibson with all the high-tech surveillance ops and brain-hacking.

Despite being somewhat unoriginal, Elysium is every bit as awesome and awe-inspiring as I expected. The action hits hard and rough, with frequent fights and shoot-outs, all made even more explosive and incredible with a plethora of futuristic gear. The film can get pretty gruesome, for there are a few exploding bodies and painful-looking injuries, but it's still nowhere near as gnarly as District 9. Some incredible slow-motion shots and gorgeous special effects make the excitement stand out even more. In between the action scenes, the film maintains even pacing with strong conflicts and quality visuals.

As noted above, the story covers pretty standard sci-fi ground. It does employ some interesting concepts though: the actual Elysium space station is a magnificent utopic space habitat (a Stanford Torus design), the likes of which is often envisioned by futurists and sci-fi authors, but has never actually been produced on the big screen for some odd reason. The world of Elysium is visually fantastic and really cool.

The actual plot is solidly-built, with its foundations firmly set in conflict and action. It takes some really interesting twists and turns; the climax is a little predictable, but everything leading up to it is a real roller-coaster ride. Characters aren't particularly deep; the villains are especially one-dimensional. However, the film does its best to humanize the heroes and the poor people they fight for, to best emphasize its key themes. The themes are not all that subtle, and the political stance is not something I personally agree with, but I appreciate the effort and nobility of the film, as it underscores such hot topics as immigration, healthcare, and class warfare.

This film uses pretty rough and gritty photography and editing. The camera does shake around a bit during some scenes, but it didn't agitate me nearly as much as I thought it would: I could see the action perfectly well, and I thought a lot of the camera angles and compositions were cool. Acting is alright: Matt Damon is a pretty generic action hero here, Sharlto Copley (hey, the dude from District 9) is flipping crazy, and Alice Braga offers the most touching performance of the lot. Surprisingly, Jodie Foster is the weakest link, thanks to her butchery of the French accent. Writing is not bad. This picture has really cool and real-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Music is pretty good too.

I felt this was a perfectly satisfying and awesome sci-fi adventure, despite a few quibbles. District 9 remains a fresher, more original, and more deeper experience; I think it's because it offered something nobody had really seen before. Elysium, on the other hand, offers something we've all seen before, so it hasn't struck as hard with audiences. Personally, I think I prefer Elysium over D9, for having a more complex plot, more incredible action, and more far-out ideas. Both would make a great double-feature, and I do hope director Niell Bloomkamp continues to pump out similarly raw and uncompromising pictures. If you're a big sci-fi fan like me, Elysium is definitely worth seeing; I'd recommend it as a rental to casual viewers.

5/5 (Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

Recommendation: As a rental.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Elysium

At the same time, Elysium borrows a lot from the anime Battle Angel; both are stories in which the rich and poor are separated between the Earth and some high-flying city, and the characters fight their way to the top with some help from cybernetics. There are also individual scenes that reminded me of other things: one scene reminded me of Total Recall, the main henchman was like an evil version of Metal Gear's Solid Snake, I couldn't help but to think of the Ghost in the Shell saga and the works of William Gibson with all the high-tech surveillance ops and brain-hacking.

[Show spoiler]Despite being somewhat unoriginal, Elysium is every bit as awesome and awe-inspiring as I expected. The action hits hard and rough, with frequent fights and shoot-outs, all made even more explosive and incredible with a plethora of futuristic gear. The film can get pretty gruesome, for there are a few exploding bodies and painful-looking injuries, but it's still nowhere near as gnarly as District 9. Some incredible slow-motion shots and gorgeous special effects make the excitement stand out even more. In between the action scenes, the film maintains even pacing with strong conflicts and quality visuals.

As noted above, the story covers pretty standard sci-fi ground. It does employ some interesting concepts though: the actual Elysium space station is a magnificent utopic space habitat (a Stanford Torus design), the likes of which is often envisioned by futurists and sci-fi authors, but has never actually been produced on the big screen for some odd reason. The world of Elysium is visually fantastic and really cool.

The actual plot is solidly-built, with its foundations firmly set in conflict and action. It takes some really interesting twists and turns; the climax is a little predictable, but everything leading up to it is a real roller-coaster ride. Characters aren't particularly deep; the villains are especially one-dimensional. However, the film does its best to humanize the heroes and the poor people they fight for, to best emphasize its key themes. The themes are not all that subtle, and the political stance is not something I personally agree with, but I appreciate the effort and nobility of the film, as it underscores such hot topics as immigration, healthcare, and class warfare.

This film uses pretty rough and gritty photography and editing. The camera does shake around a bit during some scenes, but it didn't agitate me nearly as much as I thought it would: I could see the action perfectly well, and I thought a lot of the camera angles and compositions were cool. Acting is alright: Matt Damon is a pretty generic action hero here, Sharlto Copley (hey, the dude from District 9) is flipping crazy, and Alice Braga offers the most touching performance of the lot. Surprisingly, Jodie Foster is the weakest link, thanks to her butchery of the French accent. Writing is not bad. This picture has really cool and real-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Music is pretty good too.

I felt this was a perfectly satisfying and awesome sci-fi adventure, despite a few quibbles. District 9 remains a fresher, more original, and more deeper experience; I think it's because it offered something nobody had really seen before. Elysium, on the other hand, offers something we've all seen before, so it hasn't struck as hard with audiences. Personally, I think I prefer Elysium over D9, for having a more complex plot, more incredible action, and more far-out ideas. Both would make a great double-feature, and I do hope director Niell Bloomkamp continues to pump out similarly raw and uncompromising pictures. If you're a big sci-fi fan like me, Elysium is definitely worth seeing; I'd recommend it as a rental to casual viewers.

5/5 (Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

Recommendation: As a rental.

Interest peaked.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Interest peaked.

I actually hope I'm not hyping it up too much for you or anyone else. Reviews seem to be pretty mixed; lots of viewers found it disappointing.