Chappie Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

A modern Pinocchio reboot with more circuits than soul. Chappie dreams of being real, but the film never quite comes alive

Genre: Action / Drama / Sci-Fi

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Cast: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Ninja, Yolandi Visser, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Brandon Auret, Anderson Cooper & Sigourney Weaver.

Run Time: 120 min.

US Release: 06 March 2015

UK Release: 06 March 2015

German Release: 05 March 2015

Finally! I managed to write my first extended review on a movie I was really torn up about. It took me a little longer than expected, but it’s up on the net now! I was quite surprised when I walked out of the theatre, as I was expecting a different premise after having seen the trailer. So please read, enjoy, and if you wish, comment on my review.

Chappie is an R-rated science fiction blockbuster and was released on the 5th of March in Germany. The movie was written and directed by South African director Neill Blomkamp, also known for his sci-fi movies District 9 as well as Elysium. Comparing it with both of Blomkamp’s earlier films, though, I found this to be the weakest. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy watching it, but I couldn’t help notice that there were structural weaknesses that built the story.

While both Elysium, just like District 9, have strong critical messages about society, Chappie took a different approach and talks about something far more personal, questioning what makes a human “human”, and focuses on aspects of family values in a re-imagining of the fairy tale “Pinocchio”. I welcomed this new approach of Blomkamp, and am a great fan of this director, who simply knows how to blend science fiction with important social & political topics.

Summarising up the plot without giving anything away, the film plays in a futuristic Johannesburg where Robots are used to make up most of the police force, as the government tries to control the increasing number of crimes. This causes a public “robophobia”, where the semi-intelligent robots are treated with fear and distrust. When Deon, a software developer, reprogrammes a robot to be able to learn and feel, his creation causes an unpredictable ripple of effects.

The camera, as well as the lighting in this film, is good; however, the use of slow motion is sometimes misplaced and unnecessary. An example of this takes place shortly after the beginning, following a highway chase, an argument ensues between wannabe gangster Ninja and crime lord Hippo, in which a trivial scene is shown at snail’s pace. The computer-generated images are fantastic, as with all of Blomkamp's sci-fi flicks. The Moose, a huge robotic entity in development, actually reminded me of Metal Gear Rex, from the Metal Gear Solid games series or the ED-209 from the RocoCop franchise.

The main problem I have with Chappie is the script. The basic idea is intreaguing, but I was somehow left disappointed at the way the story is handled. Though it starts off strong, a short while into its runtime, it starts to sway in so many different directions, it is simply impossible to follow at times. It is as if Blomkamp wasn’t sure which path he should take the story to, so he decided to use all branches.

The dialogue in the movie is mostly fine, especially the lines between Chappie and the other three main protagonists, Deon, Yolandi and Ninja. While the first two are trying to teach the robot about morals and virtue, Ninja is abusing his “paternal” duties, teaching the A.I. violence and using Chappie for selfish reasons. These sometimes develop into some well-planned humorous scenes. But it was another Pinocchio scenario that serves as one of the film's subplots, as the robot is constantly lied to and finally asks why humans always turn to that tendency.

What annoyed me most were the characters in this movie. It is full of different types of people, most of whom are unlikeable, while Chappie is simply rude. It is also so packed, unable to give all of them enough screen time for development. Best examples are the characters of Sigourney Weaver and Brando Auret. First, if you have Weaver in a movie, you'd better use her for the talent she is, not as an extra. Second, Auret had barely any screen time, something I did not understand, as Hippo is supposed to be the story’s secondary antagonist.

The first big character disappointment, however, was Ninja, a despicable and appalling character, undermining others throughout the plot. And yet we are supposed to root for him? Sorry, but I did not buy it, nor did I feel any sympathy for that guy. I was somehow enraged at Blomkamp for trying to make us side with him. Vincent Moore (Hugh Jackman) is the second disappointment of this movie. He has no real in-depth development, and it was blatantly clear that Jackman struggled to understand what drives the character, making him a very one-dimensional villain.

The only three characters I could sympathise with are: Deon (David Patel), the maker and inventor of Chappie, who builds a fatherly bond towards his creation, being the equivalent of Geppetto. Yolandi, who we figure out has a motherly heart, explains to the robot what a soul is and therefore serves as the fairy godmother. The third character is Chappie (voiced by Sharlto Copley) himself, who is the emotional and comedic anchor of this blockbuster! 

I was simply saddened by the fact that they could have made so much more out of Jackman’s character, but they didn’t go those extra steps to give him some depth. And while Yolandi Visser (from the South African rap group Die Antwoord) did a fair job at acting, her counterpart, Ninja, was a bad casting choice, with little talent.

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Verdict: Even though this movie has a lot of room for improvement, it does have its enjoyable science-fiction moments. The flick has a message about humanity and impresses with beautiful CGI effects. Therefore, it shocked me even more when I read the crushing reviews by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, obtaining an overall rating of 30 per cent. Myself, I’ll give this movie a 5.0 out of 10.

So what were you’re thoughts on Chappie? Do you agree or disagree with what I said?