Chappie

I thoroughly enjoyed Chappie. I usually don't write reviews, but after seeing the brutal rating this movie is getting I felt compelled to write this review.

Chappie is a funny, entertaining, and surprisingly sentimental movie about a sentient robot being raised by gangsters in Johannesburg. Most of the criticisms I've seen about one- dimensional characters and illogical character choices are valid, but Chappie's character, the CGI, the humor, and the overall aesthetic of the movie more than make up for these shortcomings.

Please go see this movie and make up your own mind. I almost didn't go last night because of the negative reviews, but I'm so happy I did. I'm very excited to see this movie again. You leave this movie feeling like you've become friends with Chappie, and I hope the bad reviews don't prevent the sequels from being made.

If you like Neill Blomkamp's directing and style you will love this movie.

I really liked this one. There's some obvious '80s influences here, from the criminals looking like something out of a Mad Max movie to the Short Circuit and Robocop elements. There's even a bit of a He-Man cartoon shown at one point. It's an intriguing and certainly entertaining movie, if not an overly original one. I think some critics are unhappy with the lack of pretentiousness that was present in Neill Blomkamp's previous work. Here the "messages" are more universal and less political. Some people only like their sci-fi if it carries with it an obvious metaphor for a topical social injustice. You can even find such metaphors here if you try but subtlety is not a zealot's cup of tea. Overall, I thought the script was good and I really liked the upbeat ending. Another nitpick I have about the modern critic is that they think the only good sci-fi story is one with a downer ending. The special effects are pretty amazing. The acting is solid all around. Dev Patel, Yo-Landi Vissir, Ninja, Jose Pablo Cantillo, and Sharlto Copley (voice & motion capture for Chappie) are all great. Hugh Jackman has a rare turn as the villain here and does a terrific job, even if I do hate the obligatory clichés his character is saddled with. That haircut, though...

Maybe it's not for everybody. I have friends that haven't seen it yet that I'm fairly certain will bitch about it and pick it apart, like I see from many reviews on here. But that's their loss. I'm happy that Blomkamp tried to make a movie that's not dumb by any stretch but also isn't just aimed at the elitist film snob crowd or soapbox bloggers.

Another user made a point that this movie is essentially a blend of "RoboCop" and "Short Circuit". Of course, that is a great combination of movies, but Chappie manages to add it's own charm to the mix. I think the South African characters that have divided many viewers' opinions actually adds to the uniqueness and charm of the movie. The movie raises questions about morality, and about the value of a life, even if that life isn't human. Perhaps the science behind this movie might be unrealistic, but if you suspend your disbelief and focus on the main themes of this movie, it's a really heart-warming movie.

While this movie isn't necessarily one for the history books of cinematography, it's certainly a good film and definitely worth a watch, in my opinion.

In Johannesburg, the police department reduced the high rating of criminality using robots from the Tetravaal Company, designed by the engineer Deon Wilson (Dev Patel). The former military Vincent Moore (Hugh Jackman) is envious of Deon, since he has developed another project called Moose, but neither Tetravaal nor the police department is interested. Deon has just developed an Artificial Intelligence but the Tetravaal's CEO Michelle Bradley (Sigourney Weaver) asks him to abort the project. Deon decides to bring the damaged Robot 22 that was sent to be crushed to test his A.I. However he is kidnapped by the criminals Ninja (Ninja), Yo-Landi (¥o-Landi Vi$$er) and Amerika (Jose Pablo Cantillo) that want him to stop the robot cops. When they see the damaged robot in the van, they force Deon to program it to heist banks with them and they call it Chappie. However, Chappie acts like a child and need to be trained to learn and grow. Meanwhile Vincent follows Deon and plots an evil scheme to activate his robot.

"Chappie" is a flawed but entertaining film with "robocops" fighting against crime. However, Tetravaal is totally unbelievable as a security company with the easy access of employees to the facility and software. Considering that all Johannesburg is dependable of the robots, it is ridiculous the lack of protection of the company and how easy Deon Wilson and Vincent Moore go there during the night and access the systems using only a key. The concern of Chappie with mortality and the discussion with his creator is taken from "Blade Runner". The corny decision of Deon, running after Chappie instead of activating the robots in the chaotic city is also silly. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Chappie"

If there was ever a movie that needed a sequel more than another, it's Chappie.

It's literally probably the best movie I've ever seen, still (and it's 2021 as of this update/writing).