Stars Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura and William Fichtner Directed by Neill Blomkamp If there's ever an example of the dichotomy between science fiction and sci-fi, this movie might just be it. The primary set-up and world building makes this a movie for the Occupy Wall Street movement, showcasing the separation between the haves and have-nots. A reflection of our world, taken to an extreme. Not only that, we also bad and negligent corporative behaviour on display, exploiting the lower caste working class. Disposing of them callously when they outlive their usefulness. If anything, these bits alone puts this movie in the science fiction camp. The second half, with all it's action utilising futuristic looking equipment and machinery, grounds this as a typical sci-fi film. For me, simply, science fiction is thought provoking; sci-fi is pure entertainment. Few movies actually balance the two, even if they simply use futuristic tech of have some futuristic setting. The titular Elysium is a super high-end gated community, built as a space station and floating in geo-synchronous orbit over Los Angeles (I think). They even have their own governmental hierarchy, and the best of everything. That includes the ultimate in health-care, the Medusa chamber, that scans your body and eliminates anything that's wrong with you. It effectively resets your body to perfect health. The residents of Elysium have such a chamber in their homes. Back on a very overpopulated Earth, the hospitals have to contend with overcrowding. Simple health care appears to be handled by automation (as is policing). So, when ex-con, Max (Matt Damon) suffers a life-threatening accident at work, he is summarily dismissed with a pack of pills and told he has five days left to live. His only hope of survival is to get to a Medusa chamber on on Elysium. Standing in his way is the Secretary of Defense on Elysium (Jodie Foster) who will do absolutely anything to preserve the way of life on Elysium. That include utilising a loose cannon psychotic maniac, Kruger (Sharlto Copley), to take out a transport full of sick and infirm passengers making an attempt to reach Elysium. Writer and Director, Neill Blomkamp, who did so well with District 9, delivers a similar world as before. The effects blend in seamlessly with the environment and the action, with some truly jaw-dropping gore effects. There's no denying the world building that Blomkomp puts on screen, even utilising renown futurist designer Syd Mead to create the look of Elysium. At least, from afar. It's the story that stumbles a bit, falling into conventions and some cliches. Not a lot, just some. If you're in it for the action, you'll get your fill. Damon delivers, although it doesn't seem to stretch him as an actor. The every-man aspect of the character seems lost unlike Sharlto Copley's office worker in District 9. Copley continues to shine here. After his remarkable turn in The A-Team (practically stealing that show from the other stars), it's a wonder he hasn't done more acting. Foster is more glacial, although she does seem to be flouting several accents. Her character also appears to give in to histrionics, so there are some odd choices in her performance. In all, this might cater more to the action fan than a science fiction fan, although the designs on display, from the tech and the ships to Elysium itself really is something to behold. There is a subtlety to the designs, a genuine attempt to ingrain them in real-world aesthetics as best as possible, without making things look too outrageous. Blomkamp, in a sense, delivers on the promise of his debut feature, but leans too heavily into one direction and forsaking the other.
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Stars Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Mary-Louise Parker, Kevin Bacon, Stephanie Szostak with Robert Knepper, Marisa Miller and James Hong Directed by Robert Schwentke While RED 2 is still playing in the cinemas, the director of RED, Robert Schwentke, delivers another comic book action flick in RIPD (which stands for Rest In Peace Department). Based on the Dark Horse comic by Peter Lenkov, the titular department is peopled by select cops who have died in the line of duty over the years (decades? centuries?) whose job is to track down wayward souls who simply refuse to stay in the realm of the dead. It's not unlike in concept to Men In Black actually, just replace aliens with deados. We've even got the newcomer paired up with the seasoned veteran of the force. The newcomer to the force being Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds) and the veteran is Roicephus "Roy" Pulispher (Jeff Bridges) who are thrown together by the Proctor (Mary Louise Parker, who's also in RED 2). While on a routine 'contain and capture', they stumble onto a plot that would have world devastating effect. The plot is streamlined and the movie delivers on the action with light-hearted moments. If you've seen the trailer, you'd automatically notice a lot of stuff that was there that isn't in the movie. Maybe there was stuff shot for the trailer only, but the fairly blistering pace of the movie might suggest a rather straight-forward approach to the plot and story rather than simply padding things out. The end result? It's a romp (again) that does it all in just over 90 minutes. Not too shabby. Like with RED 2, this one is here to entertain, albeit with a supernatural bent gift wrapped in a typical cop thriller. The creature effects by Rhythm and Hues are actually quite impressive. The design of the RIPD's filing room (we see it first as Nick is heading into the department proper) is remindful of the one in Brazil (the Terry Gilliam film, not the country). And, of course, there's the chaos of the potential armageddon tearing up buildings around the city of Boston. Collateral damage count, anyone? Betcha it wouldn't meet the number planted by Man of Steel. The double act of Bridges and Reynolds works well enough that it doesn't annoy, although it would be more fun to have the double act of their earthly avatars on screen more. Nick is seen as an old Chinese dude played by the ever-welcomed James Hong (who's been lending vocal support to Kung-Fu Panda), while Roy's avatar is a drop dead gorgeous model played by Marisa Miller. It is a very odd pairing that draws the laughs, and I would have loved to see more of that chemistry on screen instead of the occasional line or bit to remind us what other characters are supposed to see. If there's a complaint, it's simply that given the concept, the movie isn't really quirky enough. Not in the way the first Men In Black movie did it with the hidden world of the aliens hiding in plain sight, or the array of odd tech going around. There's also the attempt not to show how the RIPD fits in with the 'higher forces', almost as if the producers or film-makers don't want to ruffle any religious feathers. It's a weird overly sensitive, happy to sue or complain, world we're living in now. Wonder if Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey were to be made today, what would audiences think about Death and Heaven that appear in the movie. In any case, massive death by collateral damage seems to be okay with most audiences, given how much that has appeared in movies lately. Hmm… topic for discussion. Otherwise, it's a decent and entertaining time waster if you just want to give your brain a little rest by sitting back in a cool darkened theater. Stars Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Byung Hun Lee, Catherine Zeta Jones, Neal McDonough with David Thewlis and Brian Cox Directed by Dean Parisot At times, this does seem like a pointless sequel to a neat little movie about a bunch of retired spies. At other times, this fun little romp does seem better than the first movie in terms of action and comedy. Playing into recent events of leaked classified materials, a black ops report turns up on the internet which peripherally involved Frank Moses (Bruce Willis). Of course, the nature of that particular operation ends up with agents from America (represented by Neal McDonough), England (represented by Helen Mirren's Victoria) and Russia (represented by Catherine Zeta Jones) all hounding Frank, who just wants a nice quiet life with girlfriend, Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) who actually wants none of that. Much of the movie's running gag is the relationship between Frank and Sarah while helping the others uncover the MacGuffin at the core of the rather ludicrous plot (would there any other kind given the nature of the movie?) that has our character hopping across the globe. Also, most of them seem hellbent on advising Frank on how to handle (encouragingly) matters with Sarah. And to make matters trickier, Frank and gang are pursued by master assassin Han (Byung Hun Lee). Director Dean Parisot (of Galaxy Quest) handles the comedy fairly well and manages to keep the action quotient up, even replicating a key stunt from the first movie. Or at least, the reverse of it. The pace moves along at a decent clip, which is actually much better than the first movie which took its time to set up the premise and introduce the characters. The stars do seem to take things easy and cruise through their performances, but there is also the sense of fun that is prevalent. Mirren is obviously enjoying herself, even having a moment to send up the Queen, and pulling off a high-kick. Anthony Hopkins also appears to be having a ball playing a character who's a little off centre and Catherine Zeta Jones gets to smoulder as the dusky femme fatale. Willis and Malkovich have their parts down pat while Parker, depending on your mood, may entertain or grate your nerves. In all, the movie delivers on what it intends, which is simply to entertain. There are no oscar-caliber performances here even from the previous oscar winners, and why would there be? As mentioned at the beginning, this is a romp of an adventure. The action kicks off fairly early and the energy barely wanes. At the very least, it is a decent sequel, carried along with a silly hunt for a MacGuffin. So, passable entertainment and nothing more to ask for. |
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