Class disparity is one of the oldest archetypes in sci-fi movies, dating from "Metropolis" at least, and idea-wise, "Elysium" doesn't hold its own even by recent standards of the subgenre. (Check out on Andrew Niccol's underrated "In Time," in which the haves and have-nots use the minutes they have to live as currency.) But as a vehicle for putting Matt Damon in a bionic getup on a messianic action quest, "Elysium" has enough grist to power through.
Okay, you remember how I mentioned a while back about the struggle of big budget action movies this summer? Elysium has been out for a while. Does it have what it takes to get things moving again? Or will it be another casualty?
Elysium seems to be the right sci-fi thriller out at the wrong time. It is intelligent and does get you thinking unlike most of the sci-fi movies this summer but it suffers because of the current audience weariness of sci-fi movies. I think if it was released earlier this summer or even last year, it would have had more impressive box office results.
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