A “stunning debut,” we called the epic fantasy that wrangled hot-button issues of racism, subjugation and segregation, “heralding the arrival of an exciting new action-cinema voice”.

Neo-realist, gritty, innovative and boasting a gut-punch of an arc for its protagonist (Sharlto Copley), from selfish to selfless, District 9 was a promise of greatness from Blomkamp and a brave new world of smart sci-fi for heart and head.

Four years on, and here’s his hugely anticipated follow-up, Elysium … and Blomkamp has done it again. Almost exactly. The set-up’s tweaked – in 2154, Earth’s been bled dry and the rich live in a space station while the poor, disenfranchised and ill scrape an existence miles below – but Elysium shares strikingly similar visual/narrative/emotional beats with its predecessor.

It’s still exciting and thought-provoking – but less fresh and consequently, something of a disappointment.

Lens flare glints handsomely off a richly detailed decaying world (à la D9 ) as ex-con Max (Matt Damon, reliably compelling) is forced to become an unlikely freedom fighter when his own health is compromised.

On Elysium, the wealthy have medical pods which eradicate disease, injury and even sun damage. So if Max can break into the hi-tech torus he could heal himself and perhaps “change the world”…

Going up against him is Copley’s venal sleeper agent, Kruger (a surprisingly standard-issue psychobaddie with misogynist streak), who’s working for self-serving Elysium gatekeeper secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster, with distracting roving accent and propensity to flounce).

Also along for the ride: a sidelined Diego Luna; a couple of awesome action set-pieces and gross/inventive SFX moments; recurring sledgehammer sentimentality; and an emotional pay-off that echoes another futuristic tentpoler out this summer.

It’s all accomplished, engaging and goodlooking stuff. But it’s not unique (tonally evoking last year’s Total Recall remake isn’t exactly a plus) or groundbreaking – which, perhaps unfairly, is what’s expected from Blomkamp’s sophomore outing.

Maybe he’s a one-trick pony? Or maybe the edges got knocked off a more daring project by a larger budget and more studio control? ( D9 was made for $34m under the mentoring eye of Peter Jackson.)

Either way, this perfectly alright actioner will entertain newcomers, while leaving Blomkamp fans in a holding pattern until his next project.

Verdict:

Slick and stylish, Elysium shines like the space station at its core – and feels as sterile and generic, too.

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Elysium has released a new trailer, in which Matt Damon sets about trying to save humanity in a dystopian future where the poverty gap between rich and poor is wider than ever.

While the deprived underclass are forced to scrape a living on the ruined husk of planet Earth, the wealthy elite live in the lap of luxury on the Elysium space station.

Usually, there’s no crossing the divide, but when radiation poisoning begins to decimate the Earth-bound majority, Damon sets about breaking into Elysium in the hope of curing himself and the rest of his fellow sufferers.

Take a look at the new trailer, below…

The new trailer doesn’t give too much more away in terms of plot, but there are some great new sequences of footage, including Jodie Foster’s ruthless security chief dealing with would-be interlopers with extreme prejudice.

Directed by Neill Blomkamp and co-starring Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga and William Fichtner, Elysium will open in the UK on 9 August 2013.

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We’re still recovering from the amazing Elysium trailer (opens in new tab) that was released a couple of days ago.

Which is why we’re more than a little giddy at these brand new images.

While the trailer gave us a proper sneak peek at the scope of the two worlds Neill Blomkamp has created for his sci-fi actioner, the pictures focus more on the grim, gritty and muscular world that Matt Damon’s Max is forced to live in.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Elysium takes place in 2154, where the mega-rich live aboard a luxurious space station orbiting the earth. Back on terra nova, things are quite as pretty, with disease, poverty and squalor running rife.

Which is where Max comes in – arming himself with an exoskeleton that he’ll hope will let him break into Elysium, AKA the most guarded place in the universe.

Elysium opens in the UK September 20 2013.

And you can watch the awesome trailer below…

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Elysium , Neill Blomkamp’s first feature since District 9 , has been on the slate for quite some time, but up until now, the director has kept plot details very close to his chest.

All we’ve had to go on thus far is that the film is another sci-fi, with Matt Damon playing the leading role (for which he can be seen sporting a shaven head) and Jodie Foster appearing as the head of an off-world state.

However, that’s all about to change with the release of a new synopsis that gives a full and thorough outline of what we can expect from the director’s sophomore feature.

“In the year 2159 two classes of people exist,” begins the blurb. “The very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), a hard government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium.

“That doesn’t stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max (Matt Damon) is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarised worlds.”

It sounds as though Blomkamp will be exploring similar themes to those dealt with by District 9 , using a sci-fi backdrop to kick-start a socio-political discussion about the haves and have-nots of this world. That said, we’re sure there will be plenty of action in there too! Elysium will open in the UK on 1 March 2013.

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Jodie Foster has been doing the promotional rounds on The Beaver this week, which means the press have been attempting to milk her for details about new sci-fi Elysium .

The sophomore feature from District 9 director Neill Blomkamp, the project is pretty much under lock and key, with only the basic plot (humans vs. aliens) being released.

Foster did, however, confirm that her character is the head of an alien planet: “Yes. I hope I’m allowed to say that. I think I’m allowed to say that. That’s pretty vague.”

Asked if there was anything else she could reveal about the much-anticipated movie, Foster added: “Those sci-fi movies are all really hush-hush. I don’t even own a screenplay.

“They won’t even give me a screenplay. I’ve read it, but they won’t give me one to physically keep in my home ‘cause they’re so worried about everybody.”

Finally, Foster revealed that the main reason she signed on to the film was because it was a chance to work with Blomkamp.

“Yes, definitely. He did District 9 , which I think is as close to a perfect movie as you can get,” she enthuses. “It’s just an extraordinary film. And, this film has a lot of that social commentary in it, but uses sci-fi to get there. It’s great.”

The Beaver opens 17 June.

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