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 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.

Concerns over the use of drones to kill people and the use of military equipment by police make Neill Blomkamp's "Chappie" more relevant. The use of an all-robot police force recalls "RoboCop", while the concept of a droid who has human qualities brings to mind "Short Circuit" and "AI: Artificial Intelligence"*. Although some scenes in the movie come across as silly, I interpreted it as a warning about over-reliance on technology for law enforcement. The South African setting makes sense: four decades of institutionalized racism gave way to one of the highest crime rates in the developed world.

In the end, I recommend the movie. It's understood that Chappie simply wants to be able to live like everyone else. The plot holes don't drag the movie down at all. Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel (of "Slumdog Millionaire"), Sigourney Weaver and Hugh Jackman put on fine performances.

*Another movie focusing on a robot with human qualities is "Robot & Frank", starring Frank Langella and Susan Sarandon.

Upon seeing so much hype of Neill Blomkamp's latest project, Chappie, I had to see what his follow-up from past hits like District 9 and Elysium can do. When I did, the movie itself further left me puzzled, but kept me engaged in the action scenes. The idea of a robot who was originally programmed for serious community work with no sentient purposes seems to follow the trail left behind by past robot-based films like 'Wall-E,' 'I, Robot,' and notably 80s comedy 'Short Circuit.' Blomkamp film regular, Sharlto Copley certainly delivered such an amazing motion-capture performance as the innocent, yet gifted robot Chappie.

Comparing Chappie to Johnny 5 in terms of witty humor is something that has been done before, but the action sequences began to remind me of the intense, anarchic moments shown in Blomkamp's District 9, which is kind of the recurring themes in his previous projects. 'Slumdog Millionaire' star Dev Patel plays inventor Deon who reprograms one of the decommissioned robots (along with the assistance of two individuals of South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord) leading to Chappie seeing them as his parental figures as well as him focusing on the concepts of compassion, existentialism, and even nonconformity. It now proves that Chappie can be much more than just an obedient robot, but can actually express himself in ways the average human cannot comprehend.

The villain (played by Hugh Jackman) considers this sentient being a threat and plans to eradicate it in anyway possible, thus bringing Chappie and his human comrades to a full-scale rebellion against the oppressive tyrant and his forces.

I found the film to be enjoyable and sometimes laughable because it reminded me of the themes in not just the humor of 'Short Circuit,' but a near-similar scenario shown in 'I, Robot' as well in terms of consciousness being tested. The movie does indeed demote Jackman's hero reputation from past movies as the villain Vincent Moore since the archetypes of his character here feel too cliché. Sigourney Weaver's role as CEO Michelle Bradley feels unclear on what side does she really condone, but I felt her character development could've stretched more than what is shown on screen. Since the movie's setting takes place once again in the derelict, yet prosperous areas of Johannesburg, South Africa, I can already tell that it comes from the same vein as District 9. Since Blomkamp admitted that he would helm the next 'Alien' film, only time will tell of what he really thinks about the critical outcome of Chappie's success.

To conclude, whether they are misdeeds or not, Chappie is a likable robot who can pull off extraordinary things as any human (albeit even outlandish), maybe something better. The entire movie is nowhere near the equivalent of District 9 story-wise, but as Chappie quotes, "I am consciousness. I am alive." This further emphasizes that he is capable of thinking on his own and upon his understanding, it's human nature.

Why all the hate for this movie? I understand not liking something, but everyone seems to just TRASH it. Did I see the same movie? I saw an emotional film about innocence and loss. I REALLY don't understand. Sure, maybe the film didn't have the best dialogue or the best acting in the world, but it hit home for me. The VFX were phenomenal, Chappie is the best CGI motion capture I have seen in a long time, the 100% electronic musical score by Hans Zimmer was really unique and fresh, and it has a really great ending. I DON'T UNDERSTAND. If you like Blomkamp's previous films or are remotely interested, please watch it yourself. I think the critics are wrong on this one. I have been thinking for a while about why the reviews are so out there. First off, the trailers are AWFUL. The first to come out was this philosophical "What does it mean to be human?" kinda movie. The TV trailers were "GUNS, EXPLOSIONS, ROBOTS!!!" and it is neither. Think "Little Miss Sunshine" with a robot, that is a more accurate representation. Blomkamp's most underrated film.