TREKS IN SCI-FI FORUM

Main Decks => Movies => Topic started by: ChrisMC on April 09, 2013, 04:33:13 PM

Title: Elysium
Post by: ChrisMC on April 09, 2013, 04:33:13 PM
New Matt Damon Sc-Fi flick from the guy who made District 9, Neil Blomkamp. Looks really interesting, visually very cool. Every time I see stuff he does, I wish his Halo movie had gotten made.

http://movies.yahoo.com/video/elysium-trailer-200248321.html (http://movies.yahoo.com/video/elysium-trailer-200248321.html)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FzilnRyMWE8# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FzilnRyMWE8#)!

Link is to Yahoo! movies and the Youtube is the Spanish version.
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Rico on April 09, 2013, 04:58:58 PM
Looks great!  I've been seeing little bits and pieces from this.  Trailer is cool!
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Praxis on April 10, 2013, 05:05:32 AM
WOW. This looks SO friggin' awesome.
I thought District 9 was fantastic; I'll watch anything this guy does now. And Damon and Foster?! Rejoice.
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Rico on July 09, 2013, 07:16:20 PM
http://www.welcometoelysium.com/ (http://www.welcometoelysium.com/)

Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bromptonboy on July 10, 2013, 05:16:12 AM
Should be good.
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bromptonboy on August 09, 2013, 03:23:08 PM
Saw this today in a matinee.  Cool special effects.  I saw a regular 2D version.

I enjoyed it but..
[spoiler]I found it to be too preachy - and to be an allegory for the whole 'occupy wall street' thing, and immigration bill. I'll be interested to see what others think.  Still glad I saw it.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bryancd on August 09, 2013, 03:29:53 PM
Quote from: Bromptonboy on August 09, 2013, 03:23:08 PM
Saw this today in a matinee.  Cool special effects.  I saw a regular 2D version.

I enjoyed it but..
[spoiler]I found it to be too preachy - and to be an allegory for the whole 'occupy wall street' thing, and immigration bill. I'll be interested to see what others think.  Still glad I saw it.[/spoiler]

I'm looking forward to seeing it on Monday...
[spoiler]But that is his style, I mean District 9 was just as preachy and heavy handed in its allegories.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Rico on August 11, 2013, 01:53:28 PM
Enjoyable movie.  Amazing visuals - really incredible!  I saw it on a really big screen and that made the views of Elysium amazing.  As far as the story goes,....

[spoiler]I just found it a bit predictable and one-note.  Also, I kind of have trouble with the amazing tech shown on Elysium not being able to be used in some way to help Earth in general - it kind of doesn't add up.  Matt Damon was good, but again the story was pretty basic.  I'm still glad I saw it just for the amazing visual effects alone.  But not a lot new to say in this movie.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bromptonboy on August 11, 2013, 04:34:40 PM
I was thinking the same thing Rico:

[spoiler]Why would they have all those automated ambulances ready to go to Earth yet not use them.  YOu are spot on about the visual effects.  I saw it on a smaller screen, so it must have been better on a large one.  As you say, it was predictable - yet fun to watch.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bryancd on August 12, 2013, 02:05:56 PM
Huh...

[spoiler]Well, what should have been a unique and interesting movie was remarkably dumbed down and one note. The story was one note, the characters were one note, the action sets were one note. And it wasn't a very good note. This is yet another film this summer that looks great, like Oblivion and Pacific Rim, but fails to deliver. Going with the absurdly heavy handed story telling of the 1% vs. the 99%, at the end of the film, they are all just douchebags. Every character was a simple archetype, the worst offenders being Kruger and Jodi Foster. Both make HUGE efforts to chew up scenery but come off looking like absurd. The only one to escape this is Damon, who is pretty solid and clearly giving it his best. The action was so rote, the slow mo old and tired, and what's with the technology?! Late 21st Century and they can do stuff that is out of control and yet, as Rico mentioned, can't square away shit on Earth? WTF?[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Rico on August 12, 2013, 02:12:33 PM
What did you think of the visuals of Elysium Bryan?  What type of theater did you see it in?
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bryancd on August 12, 2013, 02:22:46 PM
Quote from: Rico on August 12, 2013, 02:12:33 PM
What did you think of the visuals of Elysium Bryan?  What type of theater did you see it in?

Visuals were terrific. Like I mentioned, between Pacific Rim, Oblivion, and Into Darkness films this summer look amazing. I saw it at a DLP theater.

Also..
[spoiler]Also, did anyone get the impression that Jodi Foster somehow knew Max? There was that scene where she see's him qausing mayhem on the video feed and he is identified and she has a reaction shot....that went no where. Maybe a dropped storyline to explain why Max is such a bad ass beyond being a car thief?/spoiler]
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bromptonboy on August 12, 2013, 06:05:51 PM
[spoiler]I think you must be right since I recall the factory owner - programmer guy taking note of Matt's character as well.  There must have been something on the cutting room floor that would explain.  I wanted to like this film but was groaning from the lack of subtlety.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bromptonboy on August 13, 2013, 05:05:16 AM
I can't help but notice that our membership doesn't seem to be rushing to see this one..
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bryancd on August 13, 2013, 06:31:07 AM
$30M opening weekend would seem to indicate no one is rushing out to see this...
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Rico on August 13, 2013, 12:45:58 PM
I enjoyed The Lone Ranger a lot more!
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bromptonboy on August 13, 2013, 03:25:54 PM
That is saying something!  :)
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bryancd on August 13, 2013, 03:29:42 PM
Quote from: Bromptonboy on August 13, 2013, 03:25:54 PM
That is saying something!  :)

The very definition of faint praise!
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Rico on August 13, 2013, 03:45:08 PM
You guys didn't see "The Lone Ranger" yet, so hold those thoughts for now until you do see it.  But in my view, it was a very fun movie and much more interesting than "Elysium."
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bromptonboy on August 13, 2013, 04:22:39 PM
Yes that is true, I didn't see LR yet.  Not a big Johnny Depp fan here, but I will still see it on Pay For View when it is available.
I remember being skeptical about John Carter, and I ended up liking it.
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bryancd on August 13, 2013, 04:30:55 PM
Spot on:

http://io9.com/heres-what-elysium-did-wrong-and-what-it-did-right-1125073263 (http://io9.com/heres-what-elysium-did-wrong-and-what-it-did-right-1125073263)
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: jedijeff on August 18, 2013, 08:51:48 PM
I am a week behind on my movies, but I went and saw this today, and I liked it. I agree, a bit predictable in parts, and pretty much the ending was as cookie cutter as it gets. I did not mind the heavy handed moral story in this, but to be honest, I have never minded those types of stories about 1% vs 99%. I liked the ships, as that sort of stuff always grabs my attention. Liked Matt Damon, but leaves me wishing he would do another Bourne movie.

[spoiler]I do agree, that characters motivations seemed to sway a bit off course. Especially Kruger, I bought him as some sort crazy mercenary, who took pleasure in what he did which was killing. At the end for him to want the power of running the government seemed a bit out of range for me. I would have been satisfied that they just left him as wanting to get the job done in finishing off Max.[/spoiler]

I seem to be a bit on the opposite end of movies from the rest lately. I liked this movie, and I liked Pacific Rim, but to be honest, I was not really wowed with The Wolverine as I found it just ok. But I guess that is how it goes sometime :) . Looking forward to catching up next weekend with Kick Ass 2, and then Riddick coming up.
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Rico on August 19, 2013, 03:33:28 AM
Glad you enjoyed Jeff. It was just a story I have seen done before...even back in the third season of the original Star Trek.
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bromptonboy on August 19, 2013, 05:35:08 AM
That is right Rico - they did take some elements from that show.  Is that the one where the one planet was selling 'medicine' to the other planet?
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bryancd on August 19, 2013, 05:39:26 AM
Quote from: Bromptonboy on August 19, 2013, 05:35:08 AM
That is right Rico - they did take some elements from that show.  Is that the one where the one planet was selling 'medicine' to the other planet?

No, it's the episode "The Cloud Minders", where you have a bunch of privileged intellectuals living in a beautiful city in the clouds and a working class stuck digging in the mines.
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Rico on August 19, 2013, 06:26:40 AM
Yep. I mention that episode on the podcast this week when talking about Elysium.
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: jedijeff on August 19, 2013, 06:39:53 AM
The Cloud Minders ran across my mind quite a bit well watching this as well, interesting to see how some themes never really change much over the years.
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Bromptonboy on August 19, 2013, 06:47:39 AM
Quote from: Bryancd on August 19, 2013, 05:39:26 AM
Quote from: Bromptonboy on August 19, 2013, 05:35:08 AM
That is right Rico - they did take some elements from that show.  Is that the one where the one planet was selling 'medicine' to the other planet?

No, it's the episode "The Cloud Minders", where you have a bunch of privileged intellectuals living in a beautiful city in the clouds and a working class stuck digging in the mines.
Right!  I remember that one now.
Title: Re: Elysium
Post by: Praxis on August 24, 2013, 10:39:38 PM
Man, I haven't seen it but I had such high hopes for this movie, looks like you all thought it was "meh". Still hope to see it soon.