Eleanor Reviews

*** In the not too distant future, Earth is a barren wasteland, overrun with sickness and poverty. The rich no longer live on Earth, but a huge spaceship floating in space called Elysium. On Elysium, there is no sickness, thanks to a pod-like vessels that heal every broken bone and cell mutation. Down in the desert-like remains of Los Angeles, we meet Max, ex-petty criminal, who succumbs to a severe dosage of radiation poisoning. He has days to live, and vows to make it up to Elysium.   Visually, the film is excellent. Elysium has obviously been well-planned and looks great from pretty much all angles. The interiors are well realised and juxtaposes the squalor of Earth well - the shack in which Max (Matt Damon) resides is wholly unpleasant and believably so. The political undertones also come through well, without the audience being knocked over the head with the overall 'message'. All the performances are solid, with Damon in control as the anti-hero and Jodie Foster

** DVD release After being convicted for the murder of her husband, Libby is sentenced to prison where she begins to suspect that she has been set up. Whilst in prison she is informed that she cannot be convicted of the same crime twice, meaning that she could actually kill her husband upon release if she wanted to and not be penalised for it. Yeah, you can see where this is going. After being released, she begins a relentless search to track down her estranged son, stopping at nothing to uncover the truth. This film is really stupid. Libby’s character (Ashley Judd) is really annoying and wracks up so much in the way of criminal damages whilst driving around America in the search for her son that she should really go back to prison. She seems to be able to escape anything, be it being handcuffed to a car or locked in a coffin, which is itself inside a big stone crypt. Having not travelled to America I can’t say much for their domestic flight system, but I’m pretty sure y

  *** Before Mike and Sulley were the top Scarers, they attended Monsters University to learn the fine art of Scaring and all that it entails. Sulley comes from a long line of Scarers – he can scare easily, but fails academically, whereas Mike is top of the class with regards to theory but lacks the scariness of a ‘true monster’. After being kicked off their course, they must compete in a series of team games to win back their place and the respect of fearsome Scarer, Dean Hardscrabble. Pixar cannot be faulted for their inventiveness and attention to detail, which makes the film a visual treat. The range of monsters on display is vast, and the university campus is enviable. Indeed, the initial arrival at university is very true to real life, something that younger viewers may not understand but will amuse the older members of the audience. The games in which the teams must compete are also an excuse for the writers to come up with some exciting touches, and there is humou