Elysium ---- Movie Review

I went to see the movie last night at the IMAX on the west side of Houston.

The theater was about half full and there was a smattering of applause at the end.  Some people seemed to like it.

As for me, it seemed to be entertaining, with plenty of action and things that go boom.  If you accept the premises of the movie, you can enjoy it.  If you don't, the movie looks rather flawed.

The main premise is that there can be such a place as this space station called "Elysium", at the same time that the Earth is really bad shape.  For to construct such a place would require a technical competence far beyond anything that we have now.  If such competence existed, why could it not be used to solve Earth's problems?  It is that premise, that such competence would NOT be used for the greater benefit of humanity, that is the major premise of the movie.  If you accept that, you can like this movie.  If you don't, there's no doggone way that you can like this movie.

It has been said that the movie reflects our present more than it predicts the future.  I would agree.  It is basically a rather ignoble view of humanity that is offensive here.  That there is something righteous and good about being poor, and something evil about being rich.  That, by being rich, you can only take from others, or withhold from others, and not contribute something of worth for your prosperity.  The movie doesn't even demonstrate that, it just presumes that people are that way.  Again, I would agree that there are some people like that, but I would hope that it doesn't define humanity.  For if it does, nothing like the technological marvel that is Elysium could ever be possible anyway.  Why?  Why invent something if you can steal it?

So, my verdict is this:  If you want to be entertained, go see it.  If you want to be informed, there are better ways to spend your time.