Soundtrack Review: Elysium

Elysium
(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Composer: Ryan Amon
Running Time: 1 hr. 11 min.
Released: 2013
Opinon Stars: ★★★★★

I was less than impressed with Neil Blomkamp’s sophomore effort, Elysium. I had higher hopes for it than I had for any other film of the summer, and instead of delivering as promised, it lost the package en route – and heck, the driver didn’t even apologize. Disappointing? Just imagine biting into a cream-filled donut, only to discover that the cream is actually sour cream. Yeah, it was kind of like that. But… I’m not here to talk about the movie. I’m here to talk about Ryan Amon’s score. Because it’s a beaut. Next to Zimmer’s Man of Steel, I’d call it the finest soundtrack of 2013, and frankly, I think it deserves an Oscar nod (it won’t get one; the things I admire never do). Amon brings Elysium‘s science fictional world to life just as effectively as Clinton Shorter did for District 9 – meaning this is one very weird, very gritty, very detailed, and very intelligent piece of film scoring. Bottom line? This is a must-have for any serious sci-fi movie music aficionado. Buckle up. You may just get knocked out of your seat.

Standout Tracks:
– Fire Up the Shuttle
– Zero Injuries Sustained
– You Have No Idea
– The Raven
– Heading to Elysium
– Kruger Suits Up
– Elysium
– New Heaven, New Earth

Up High, Down Low

From my review of Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium:

When your first film is a major commercial and critical success like District 9, seeds of anticipation and worry are planted in the collective mind of your audience. Questions start crowding to the surface: “Is this guy for real? Is he a one-hit wonder? Can he do it again?” Needless to say: Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium had ginormous shoes to fill, serious expectations to meet, and a lot to live up to. Did it succeed? Yes… and no. Mostly no.

The year is 2154, and society is divided into two classes: the wealthy, who live on a man-made habitat called Elysium, and the not-so-wealthy, who live on a diseased and overpopulated Earth. Matt Damon plays Max, an Earth-dweller determined to reach Elysium by fair means or foul. Jodie Foster is Delacourt, Elysium’s Secretary of Defense, equally determined to keep trespassers like Max off of her precious habitat – even if it means shooting them down in cold blood. Sharlto Copley, who played the hero Wikus in District 9, makes an appearance here as Kruger, Delacourt’s lunatic henchman. Continue reading —>