Everyone in life serves a purpose; some greater than others, but nonetheless, there’s always a task that we as individuals have to contribute to the world. 151 years into the future, the world has changed; the Earth is diseased, decayed, corrupted, malnourished, and impoverished. There’s little to no hope for any form of sustainable life, and Heaven all of a sudden has a new name – Elysium. In Greek mythology, Elysium is defined as the perfect depiction of the Afterlife where only Gods would be sent to. It’s unscathed and free of any harm – perfect bliss.

If you find yourself alone, riding in the green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium, and you’re already dead! – Maximus (Gladiator)

This is the type of lifestyle that the very wealthy have. The division between rich & poor has been an issue that has been going on for quite some time, and the extreme contrast between the two was shown in this movie, but in order to bring two worlds together, the fate came from one person.

It’s funny, when I saw the trailer for this movie, I wasn’t aware that it was the same director of District 9 that had been behind this movie. I drew a comparison of the aforementioned District 9 and Enemy of the State, because you have an ordinary citizen of Earth who was just trying to get by on day after day while dealing with personal struggles (as all ordinary citizens do). Imagine if you only had a certain amount of time to live and you had to do something major to save yourself? That was the issue that Max (Matt Damon) faced, and it’s what set off what is likely one of the most thrill-seeking movies of the year.

Matt Damon didn’t give us another Bourne movie, so what better way to take a hiatus than to resurrect his action role, but with a more sci-fi edge around him with more action than ever? On one hand you had a power hungry Defense Secretary (played by Jodie Foster), a robotics armory developer (played by William Fichtner), and even a rouge Federal agent out to take control of power (played by Sharlto Copley, who was also the leading role in District 9). The movie moved at a fast pace, but at the same time, the primary focus was Max because what started off as just a personal venture to heal himself, turned out to be a mission that could unite 2 worlds as one – and it’s sad that it takes a Hollywood movie to emphasize that all people, no matter which social class, should be entitled to the same benefits. The movie was entertaining from start to finish, because Matt Damon has the natural charisma to charm his way and get your heart racing at the same time. What I liked about it was the undertone of it all, because the separation between rich and poor is so massive and it’s a current issue that was rectified by the Occupy Movement. The poor and desperate will do anything to get a break, while the rich will do everything in their power to maintain their precious supplies. In a perfect world, all it takes is really one person to unify the people and not have to judge between who’s who by the amount of dollars in your bank account.

In his first movie, Neill Blomkamp depicted Aliens as refugees on Earth while having a journalist step on the other side to help them leave Earth and escape the Jaws of Life being pressed on by the Government. In his 2^nd movie, he depicts the gap between rich and poor while having an unlikely hero be the catalyst between joining them together as one people. You could say that his movies are very socially & politically charged, but nonetheless, he’s 2 for 2 on his movies. There’s a bittersweet feel to the movie, but it keeps you on your toes as you wonder what’s going to happen next. Having it being a big budget Hollywood movie, some things are over-emphasized for dramatic purposes, but it didn’t go too far overboard to the point where it was cheesy. It was a simple concept that had the story follow it up and deliver a great film. Definitely check it out in a theatre – the visual quality demands it, and most importantly – enjoy the film. But for now, this is my opinion; this is my review

That’s My Word & It STiXX