'Chappie' Review

[@thecomplexindividual]

Loved the film, what I enjoyed about it was die antwoord. It was basically a film about them raising a robot, I felt this was made quite obvious from cardboard advertisements in my local cinema and also from the trailer. The stuff with the gangsters in my opinion were well thought out and leaving chappie to fend for himself in front of a gang of kids is something that happens in real life. The climatic scene was intense in my opinion, was everything I wanted it to be and a little bit more. I didn't want smart sci-fi to make me think, I wanted two hours of pure entertainment, I wanted to escape reality and I got that in abundance with chappie... "I am your butterfly, I need your protection and your samurai"

[@TheArtrobi]

i agree on everything you said.

[@forfluf]

You want to root for Chappie except you can't because this movie.

[@BoxyTheSpaceDog]

OMG,did you just claim how director of this film didn't understand films that Chappie might get inspiration from?That he might not have understood District 9 neither?His own film?WTF are you talking about?Also "he wants to manipulate your emotions"really?Wasn't Chappie supposed to be a child at the beginning?What's emotionally manipulative in robot acting like a child if it's supposed to?Also "lazy writing"?Just because it's a film about technology,robotics,near future it doesn't need Oscar nominated script and dialogue.Chappie is surrounded by ordinary people,some with lower intelligence,hence the free dialogue,to make it more approachable and realistic.Also "voicing inner thought outloud",was that so annoying that it was worth a mention?It's meant to make for more exciting scene.Imagine opposite where Hugh is just controlling his robot in silence,it would suck,right?!And every film rips off from everything nowdays,it's how a director puts those things together that matters!Avatar as example stole entire story from few books:My Name Is Joe,Tihana From Eger,World At Noon,etc...but claimed how it was original,bull shit! I think you disliked the film at very beginning and never give it a chance,thus it's biased review.

[@John-Ary]

***** Blomkamp borrowed heavily from much better sci-fi films including including his own. Without spoiling too much, the ending to "Chappie" in many regards mirrors "District 9". I would contend D9's ending had a much stronger emotional impact than "Chappie", mostly because it used the themes of the film as a metaphor for Wilkus' change, whereas Deon's metamorphosis was simply meant to shock, similar to one of M. Night Shyamalan's lesser films. Also, Chappie's first moments of sentience had no narrative basis. Why could all of Deon's other much less sophisticated robot's talk and not Chappie? Why would a robot automatically be afraid after getting switched on? Why even attempt to load the new AI program on the Chappie robot? Why would Deon not test it first through a simulation or a less cost prohibitive robot? And while we're asking "WHY", how about a closer look at the motivations of some of the characters? Why would ninja have let Deon live after stealing a priceless robot? Why would Sigourney Weaver only try to sell Hugh Jackman's creation to police departments when its clearly best suited for military uses? Why does Chappie understand how to make copies of people's consciousness, yet can't understand death? Why can no one at a security company track a missing robot or take any actions when the "master key" goes missing? Why does Hugh Jackman have no supervision or support while taking the security company's most valuable prototype into battle for the first time? "Chappie" asks us to suspend our scrutiny and disbelief a too many times. To me, that's one of the biggest red flags when it comes to screenwriting.

[@BoxyTheSpaceDog]

John at the Movies So what if he borrowed?Is that a crime?Should film automatically be graded less for it?There are no more original films,no more original music,video games etc...All we have are copies of someone elses imagination and inspiration.But what matters is how those things are delivered and how they work within the plot and around characters. 1)Chappie doesn't automatically talk because he's like a baby,his AI is everlearning and evolving but needs to be thought!=(same as us),it's said in the film too+Deon's robots react not only on program but on sensors too-every same situation they react and talk the same words,nothing like Chappie. 2)Robot is again like a little child,it's afraid of unknown and feels overwhelmed by 3-4 other beings that are around him.Same as grown human would be if he slept and was suddenly awaken surrounded by unknown,it's defensive response. 3)Deon had no other choice,he tried legally through the company but it didn't work.His only solution was that wrecked scout or trying it at home.Company has strict restrictions and regulations.He had nowhere to try out the simulation nor did he have robot of such capacity.And simulation was unnecessary when it was 100% successful program,so it had no faults!You forget that Deon is only person who knows everything about the scouts,how they function and if his new AI would work or not+he had scientific drive to continue his experiment no matter what(something like Frankenstein). 4)Why would Ninja kill Deon?Just because gang members kill each other it doesn't mean they see general public as targets too,targets they can wash their hands from.Brings too much heat and Ninja did try to kill Deon,you remember he was stopped,gun went off?+Deon was needed to teach Chappie,to repair him.Would you kill installer of your PC?If you knew nothing about PC's?NO!You would need his help. 5)Company has to show all of it's products.Purpose was to display to Hugh that his creation was not wanted.Guy just simply didn't let up until he was faced with the reality that his scout was just to military orientated for urban civilian policing.Also there are police units that do need military vehicles but for now dealing with armed gangs they are not needed. 6)It's helmet that copies consciousness not Chappie.He understood how much his mommy told him,that all metal is outer shell but soul is inside.Chappie does not understand what neither is death or consciousness but decides that one part of us can be saved and recorded,he knows death means like when his battery depletes,no power-no life. 7)No one in the company uses the master key accept few.And events that unfolded lasted few days(one week exactly)master key is needed for new scouts that have just been ordered to be made by police,not gonna need the key for few months until new robots are made. 7)Who said Hugh had no support?Didn't you see him ordering the workers into their stations when they got all clear to activate his program,his scout after Deon's scouts failed?It's also his creation,he knows most about it+you put the helmet on it's all you,nobody else can interfere. TBH,you just don't understand the film,you see them too literally instead of opening your mind and watch with greater comprehension.This film is much more than what you saw,there are few lessons to learn from such film but you learned none.My advice,don't review films anymore,you just don't get them as form of art.

[@John-Ary]

***** I get the feeling that we will ever agree on this film, so let me just say this: I would much rather watch the movies that Blomkamp liberally borrows from than be subjected to "Chappy" again.