ok, so in sci fi films its a common thing to have other media references.....but does Elysium spoil it by doing it too much? Some references I like.......like the pigs (see district 9) in a way making an unessecary reference to D9 to excuse the obvious similarity between the slummish living conditions and the fabulous (legacy from abandoned halo project) weaponary, from that film.

But although it makes an attempt to deliberately reference Gladiator (the 'etherial gently keening woman soundtrack from gladiator, but played much more subliminally in Elysium......with the pun cos the elysium fields that maximus walks through brushing his hands against the corn in gladiator, are of course just another name for Elysium) and the fact matt damons character is called Max. It fails to just be cultish referencing when it uses similar storey arc.....because that just becomes lazy film making.....i.e. hero is mortally wounded as he fights his last fight against his (technically superior in fighting ability theoretically) utterly amoral opponant who he overcomes through his sheer spunk. They also both die simultaneously a) their (unrequieted) love's child. and b) 'the people'

fanboy cult film making, degenerated into lazyness.

Having said that ....brilliant weaponary again.