Elysium – 7

It’s hard to know how “realistic” a movie set in 2154 is, but the scenes of LA were reminiscent, in a good way, of Johannesburg in director Neil Blomkomp’s prior, better movie, District 9. Matt Damon on Earth was more convincing than Jodie Foster up in Elysium, but what is consistent in all these adventure movies (see World War Z) is how much the fate of civilization hinges on a single individual’s personal affection – a parent for his child, a man for his wife, or a man for himself.