Elysium

TVNZ 2, 8.35pm Starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster.

South African writer-director Neill Blomkamp’s low-budget District 9 was one of the best sci-fi films of the noughties, proving yet again that substance triumphs over style. It was always going to be a hard act to follow and Elysium doesn’t quite match it, despite having a few more millions to play with. It isn’t a bad film, however – far from it in fact. It’s just that District 9 set the bar so high and comparisons were inevitable. ★★★★