ianferrell08

This was a pretty movie, but unlike still photographs, movies must have story that takes place over a period of time. The editors seemed to ignore that. The obviousness of the re-edit after BvS's critical failure is so blatant that the story is incomprehensible. We're talking day turning to night turning to day, a la Plan 9 from Outer Space. The acting is pretty good, especially from Margot Robbie. And I love the "gangster/mobster" Joker. But people, there's got to be a story. Inserting jokes to "lighten the mood" only works if the jokes are an integral part of the character, and the jokes are timed well. Plot events have to be shown, if not in actual chronological order, then at least in a way that makes sense to the audience. This movie was pieced together with old wood glue and some duct tape. Again, the music was cool (although sometimes unnecessary), Margot Robbie's great and gorgeous, and there were other positive aspects. But these are the preetty face of a poorly-executed film. Save time and money and skip this one.

I went into Chappie as a huge fan of the gritty action and social commentary of District 9. I expected that this would be more of the same. Both are still present, but surprisingly, with laughs.

This is one of the more entertaining movies from every angle that I've seen in awhile. I described it as I left as funny, sad, uplifting, dark, light, silly, and tense.

The center of the story is Chappie. He is a hero you want to shelter, even though you want him to learn. But even as you love his curiosity, you fear his naiveté. He is the most complex character, and gives a fascinating paradigm into how children must receive and process human society and contradiction. There are some inconsistencies in Chappie's character (is he already programmed to raise his voice if he's scared, or did he learn that?), but he still succeeds as a dynamic, independent being.

Yes, the humans characters are flat. They are merely roles. The Maker. The Villain. Mommy and Daddy. The friend. But as Chappie begins to learn, you see why they have to be flat. They are trying to exert influence on a (robotic) child. Therefore, they must simplify their own motivations and desires into the most basic explanations possible for Chappie to understand. This leads to hilarious imitation and thought-provoking perspectives.

Chappie's curiosity was once ours. Chappie's confusion was once ours. Watching Chappie is like watching a sped-up version of childhood social and moral development, with all of the Hollywood tension, explosions, and naughty words to keep you interested, too. There are parts to laugh at because it's funny, parts to laugh at because the costuming and set design is ridiculous, but you still end up thinking seriously the whole time.

Give it a chance. You might love it. I did.