Rating of
1.5/4
Politics Plus Plot-holes
Ian - wrote on 09/24/15
Blatant political pandering disguised as a Sci-Fi film. The ruins of LA are home to a mass of under class citizens who lack basic technology to ensure their well-being. All rich and powerful have long since fled Earth for a relative utopia in orbit called "Elysium." The clear allusion to the US-Mexican relationship with regards to immigration is quite clear despite any thin attempt to conceal it. The film plays out similar to other Cyber-Punk era sci-fi such as Johnny Mnemonic, or Total Recall. Once the dialogue the villains use become apparent, the movie begins to deteriorate. There are also many, many plot holes. Why don't the residents of Elysium just send down their technology? Why can't the citizens of Earth create their own paradise? How does wiping the computer automatically give all Earth citizen access to Elysium? The pumped up villain/bounty hunter was very similar to those faced by heroes in the movies I previously mentioned. This is a clear example of a movie designed to send a political message, rather than tell a unique and enthralling story of its own. The movie "Machete" also has a similar problem, and has similar "suspension of disbelief" moments.
