Elysium Review

[SteyrAUG]

Heinlein's book was about so much more. The movie; not so much.

Of course. I'm not suggesting the movie was ground breaking or anything. But it was still more than most people recognized. I suspect the average viewer had never read Heinlein's book and just saw a "giant bugs and laser guns" movie.

[Moose-Knuckle]

This is quite a different take on the intent of the film.

Elysium: Neill Blomkamp Fools the Critics Again
http://takimag.com/article/elysium_n...e_sailer/print

So far the wife and I have watched his films (District 9 and Elysium) together and walk away saying the same thing. This blog is in line with how we view his work, I'm surprised that he has not been black listed in Hollyweird for being Right Wing. I enjoy his work and will continue to watch his films in the future, especially if they keep having Afrikaner mercs!

[TriviaMonster]

I did not enjoy District 9 or Elysium. D9 was the (clearly) better of the two, but neither hit the dumb-fun meter too hard, just the dumb one. The "Sci" part of the Sci-Fi for Elysium was so broken and poorly thought out that its clearly been labeled wrong. It did have a few redeeming parts (all of which had Kruger in them), but fell short. I'd put it in the same category as Star Trek: ID. Not what it could've been, with major, illogical plot holes of epic proportions.

I mean "normal pills" that last 5 days? Why not give him more? Drugs are big money, but not in the future? Curing ailments at the push of a button generates no dependence.

And they can cure people with an MRI type thingamajigger but can't develop a missile that can hit a slow commercial ship flying in a straight line? Ugh.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[WillBrink]

It's Science Fiction just like McDonalds is food. Preferring 5 Guys hardly makes one a food snob.

Comparing it to something like Ender's Game is like comparing a DPMS sportical to a Noveske or a BCM. They are all AR-15's but they aren't all equal.

As far as elitism goes, the plot is garbage, you can't polish a turd.


A more apropriate title would be Science Fictony. It has some elements of Science Fiction, a large effects budget but it isn't good Science Fiction by any objective measure. Very few movies and series Hollywood offers up as Science Fiction really are. Star Wars isn't, a lot of Trek isn't. Something like Pacific Rim, as much as I enjoyed it as a live-action Cartoon isn't. Starship Troopers damn sure isn't.

2001 is, Babylon 5 is, I would even include Firefly as being worthy of the title but most of what Hollywood trys to sell as Sci-Fi is watered down and dumbed-down in the extreme. Mass-produced dreck for the masses with a big CGI budget. A polished turd.

Due to the mention of Enders Game, I rented it. I was disappointed to put it mildly. I'd give it a C- at best. Giving over the entire military to a bunch of goofy teens (which was explained away in about 3 seconds that they process information faster, or what have you), left me flat, and it was downhill from there. Far more the teen fantasy video game genre than anything approaching adult sci fi. Two great actors phoning it in, utterly formula dialogue, cheesy CGI, etc, etc.

About the only thing I actually did like was the lead kid does a decent job of it.

[WillBrink]

Heinlein's book was about so much more. The movie; not so much.

Other than the name, they essentially had nothing to wit each other. Like Blade Runner. The short story (Dick's "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep") had essentially nothing in common with the movie.

[montanadave]

Good example. Starship Troopers is about much more than shooting giant insects with space guns, although most people who saw it have no idea and thought it was a stupid movie about shooting giant insects with space guns.

I guess the difference is Starship Troopers seems to require a certain IQ to be recognized where any idiot can cheer along with the soclialist, pro illegal immigrant and specially protected minority themes of the other films you mentioned. I disagree with you that ST was "blatant" about anything, even with the obvious uniforms most people I know never even caught on.

Starship Troopers had boobies!!!

[skullworks]

Starship Troopers had boobies!!!

Hence all is forgiven.

[wild_wild_wes]

Starship Troopers had boobies!!!

Bread and Circuses for the masses.

*****

The film was a deliberate attack on the philosophy behind the book. The director admits that. A Leftist doing a hatchet job on a book about personal and moral responsibility, who would believe such a thing. But it had boobs, so all is forgiven.