MATT DAMON.
“In five day’s time, you will die. Thank you for your service.” That’s what a robot informs Matt Damon in this new, extended trailer for Elysium. His character is an ex-car thief who is irradiated in a workplace accident. Unfortunately he lives on Earth in the year 2154, which has been abandoned by the rich who live on an idyllic space station named Elysium. They also have the cure for cancer up there, so Matt Damon has five days to strap on an exoskeleton and overthrow a tyrannical social caste system to save himself and a sick kid. This movie has everything.
Elysium is the second feature film written and directed by Neill Blomkamp, who was nominated for an Adapted Screenplay Oscar for District 9. So at least this is a guy who knows how to make political commentary entertaining.
How entertaining? Could we interest you in the Sweetie Man (Sharlto Copley) as a bounty hunter with a sword and mind bullets?
Movies about the 99.9% being victimized by the 0.1% are so hot right now. See Snowpiercer and The Purge for other examples. Well, maybe don’t see them, but you know what we mean.
HQ trailer available at Deadline. Elysium opens August 19th.
[Sources: CBM, First Showing, and Sony TriStar Pictures]