The Inevitable Downfall Of Neill Blomkamp's Movies

[@rig-zag]

Say what you will about his movies, but Neil Blomkamp has one of the coolest visual styles of any director working today.

[@MaxPowers1245]

No he doesn’t

[@angelaarmie5789]

Platypus

[@ajeesh3485]

no matter what happens content creators will make a video about that. if this guy succeeded the title will be rise of Neil Blomkamp's movies. there is another video about why Ryan Reynolds can never be replaced as Deadpool, but if in the future, he gets replaced and the new actor succeed in that role this same channel going to post "how Hollywood found perfect replacement for Deadpool." this all content. they just making a living and we wasting our time watching them. Edit:- it's entertaining too🤣😂 that why I keep coming back

[@Deznaj666]

Visually, he's awesome. However the stories feel cringe. He shoyld just do a movie without the social commentary.

[@mochtestduwurst6692]

@@ajeesh3485 I bet youre fun at parties

[@roberttreacy8271]

I wish Neil Blomkamp and Peter Jackson’s Halo film came to fruition.

[@elgecko5872]

Peter Jackson doesn’t need to ruin more source material

[@thorgot911]

​@@elgecko5872It couldn't be worse than what we got from Paramount+

[@joshuakumar9984]

​@@elgecko5872Bait

[@Minnevan]

instead we got that stillborn tv show

[@FPSBuzz]

​@elgecko5872 what are you one of tbose guys that makes hating beloved things like LOTR your entire personality?

[@milkiassamuel780]

District 9 still remains as one of the best modern sci-fi films I have ever witnessed

[@sibahleziqubu4509]

And it was spot on his depiction of south africa and i live here

[@Joan1Marti]

Underrated by who?

[@justagent5844]

I'm not sure I would consider it underrated, I feel like it's highly rated; it also made a lot of money as pointed out in the video. Sharlto Copley was really great, I still think about eating catfood everytime I open one for my cats. Replay the scene in my head "You got any catfood?" in his afrikan accent

[@rookooful]

Was not a fan. It was super weird and just felt off to me.

[@jcohasset23]

@@rookooful It's a movie with a lot of interesting ideas and done pretty well but it does require turning one's brain off as it has quite a few large plot holes and the story suffers a bit from all the symbolism.

[@bloodbane93]

Loved District 9 and Chappie. The dude has great vision, but he just needs a good codirector or writer that can bring his ideas into the long form. I think he’s still got a ton of potential. Hopefully he gets another chance at big screen sci-fi.

[@jamesrichards2980]

*cough* Snyder *cough*

[@noelv1976]

Love District 9 but I absolutely hated Chappie. I left the theater pissed because I enjoyed Elysium.

[@raistaparta]

I believe Chappie will become a cult classic in the future. Casting Die Antwoord was brilliant but it might have been lost on a good chunk of the audience. That was character development enough for me!

[@horatiohuffnagel7978]

​@@noelv1976Chappie is hardcore gangsta #1.

[@vast9467]

@@raistapartait already kind of is

[@Wired4Life2]

I’m glad that _Gran Turismo_ gave Neill Blomkamp the much-needed opportunity to show he can be a journeyman director for the time being.

[@chancepaladin]

Gran Turismo is another vastly underappreciated movie, imo. It's one of the best blended 'video game movies about videogames' that exist, period.

[@frankaliberti]

Gran Turismo is terrible. LOL Proof he’s a one trick pony.

[@DJWixel]

@@frankaliberti shut up

[@frankaliberti]

@@DJWixel No. You know, now that I think of it, he’s as much a storyteller as you are a musician, big boy.

[@DJWixel]

@@frankaliberti i don't see your recognized movies then mr internet guy

[@wizzleuno]

I haven't seen anything by blomkamp that I didn't love, this is just producer's and studios trying to blacklist him, with how many films have lost 100's of millions and still get terrible sequels how is it blomkamp has tripled and quadrupled profits and is seen as a problem I ain't having it

[@sole__doubt]

Im the opposite, Elysium is the only one I actually can watch to the end.

[@ProtoMarcus]

I take it you didn't see his 2021 movie _"Demonic"_ ? That movie is outstandingly bad

[@cagneybillingsley2165]

because his films all have the exact same message where a guy from the system becomes an unwitting help to a bunch of poor people and we're supposed to root for them trying to force their way into a society that exists precisely because they have excluded entitled mediocrities. is blomkamp trying to make a confession?

[@v8matey]

Hollywood hates artists and straight white males.

[@JuanVisser33]

People would've rated Elysium much higher if it came out before District 9. The expectation was too high and too specific let's be honest.

[@andrelockridge9109]

Elysium was a dub!!

[@supremelordoftheuniverse5449]

Nah it’s bad

[@franohmsford7548]

No. Elysium was just crap! Forget District 9, compare it to Children of Men or V For Vendetta which it is much closer to storywise! Both of which came out before District 9! CHAPPIE is the Blomkamp film that should have been rated higher but people were already down on Blomkamp after Elysium and outright slated CHAPPIE without reason!

[@sole__doubt]

I would MUCH rather watch Elysium over D9.

[@JoshuaTootell]

I liked both

[@adamsvette]

District 9, chappie, and elysium are some of the best sci-fi movies of our time. And the best part was they were original movies. Not remakes of some movie from 30 years ago that was already done well.

[@SchmergDergen]

You're right about 1/3 of those at least.

[@carlossixtos]

exactly 👉🏽

[@laatrommi]

way too many remakes these days. only a few have the guts to make something original! i'd always rather see a flawed attempt at something new and interesting than marvel 36 or starwars 17.

[@marcdaniels9079]

@@SchmergDergen IYHO

[@SchmergDergen]

@@marcdaniels9079 Elysium is mid and Chappie is borderline dogshit. It's a pretty common opinion. District 9 is leagues above the others.

[@fn9six]

All three movies cemented Sharlto Copley as one of my favourite actors

[@JeremysPointOfView]

Let me say this. They keep giving Zach Snyder boat loads of money to make his absolute slop 💩 films. And yet blompkamp is treated like a one hit wonder has been. Even Chappie and Elysium are better than anything Snyder has done. I like watchmen, but god Snyder ego is off the charts. Also his scripts and plot hole filmed movies are just… painful at best. Blompkamp is the man and deserves more opportunities at making bigger budget films

[@DeeeLicious]

Exactly!

[@alexanderball6326]

I've had the same thought after every over hyped zack snyder movie i've ever seen: slow motion is NOT visionary

[@brucewillis542]

Aye, good point. I'm a very fussy viewer, big fan of the classics and directors such as Tarkovsky, Welles, Creepo Polanski and I reckon Elysium was a great action film, though not without its flaws.

[@hafirenggayuda]

Yeah, even when Neill's movie story bad, it still have better (and consistent) VFX, way better presentation than Snyder's

[@markportuondo2483]

Damn right man, Blomkamp and also Duncan Jones another underrated sci-fi director should get more opportunities, the worst things they have made aren't even a quarter as bad as the hot garbage Snyder craps out.

[@MaxIronsThird]

Dude just needs a really good screenwriter to flesh out his characters and help with developing the concepts. He's very similar to Gareth Edwards.

[@franohmsford7548]

He's a lot better than Edwards. The Creator and Elysium are very similar but at least Blomkamp can point to District 9 and Chappie whereas Rogue One was clearly saved by Tony Gilroy {Andor is a Masterpiece, The Creator is awful!}.

[@MaxIronsThird]

@@franohmsford7548 true

[@MontegomeryLoL]

Huh, first time I've ever heard of flash in the pan being a term for "repeating with no result". To me it's always been a close cousin to "One hit wonder", referring to something that briefly seemed to shine very brightly only to vanish just as quickly. Edit: Yeah, the "repeats" definition doesn't show up in Merriam-Webster or other big dictionaries. I wonder if it's a local colloquialism, because I'm struggling to find anything online that matches it.

[@sucraloseUncle]

I've never heard of that definition either. Sounds like something he made up to make the script work.

[@Rmb2489]

I've only ever heard it used to mean one-hit wonder, though I do remember reading that it used to mean something expected to be good that didn't deliver. The term coming from old flintlock firearms where gunpowder could be ignited in the pan but the charge inside the barrel wouldn't be lit. Thus you'd get a "flash in a pan" but with no bullet firing out the end. I've never heard it used to mean something repeating with no result.

[@sucraloseUncle]

@@Rmb2489 Exactly, the pan refers flintlocks. Even if the gun goes off... You really don't get a second shot. Imagine writing and editing a whole video without checking to see if the main punchline works.

[@dipperdandy]

Same. No idea where they got that from.

[@mkyfinn73]

Yeah, both his definitions are wrong, he means one hit wonder. A flash in the pan is a failure.

[@hubey]

Story and the people portrayed, is what drove District 9. Visuals were the icing on the cake. Elysium and Chappie weren't as good because they didn't portray people; they portrayed caricatures and archetypes. And they didn't tell a story, they showed a plot to justify visuals. Story is people. Plot is just events. That's what he needs to remember. Without the substance of cake, icing alone isn't palatable.

[@StevenBenjaminAuthor]

great comment!

[@hubey]

@@StevenBenjaminAuthor Thank you, Glad it resonated with you ☺

[@Seb_Falkor]

He's got ambitious original ideas. The exact opposite of what Hollywood wants. If it isn't a reboot, sequel, or something braindead then nobody will take a chance on it.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

He's not that original given Chappie is pretty much 'Robocop meets Short Circuit' and Elysium is a pretty standard 'dystopian future' story.

[@madmaxchannel4489]

Elysium and Chappie were criticized specifically because they were not original at all and fell bland. Personally I like chappie a lot but what you say is just false

[@RCC1553]

​@@jamesatkinsonja That's call taking inspirations from previous stories and applying it to a completely original one. Not taking an already existing franchise and rebooting it or making sequel number 7

[@Devil-Made]

“Something that repeats over and over with no results?” What the hell? Where did you dig up that definition of flash in the pan? It doesn’t even make sense!

[@dw300]

Yes this is nonsense 😂 Just made up to crowbar an analogy into the intro.

[@greg3366]

The definition of insanity more like

[@madmaxchannel4489]

his first big three movies were objectively sharing themes, ahestethics and even locations. With Rakka you can make it 4

[@jekw23]

That sound like the exact opposite of a flash in the pan.

[@JG-ly2ij]

It makes sense if your using AI, and are as clueless as AI. Flash in the pan means to indicate something is going to happen, but never eventuates. Obv not the case here.

[@Brownaut1993]

I really wish he stuck to his original District 9 film and made a sequel.

[@TraaaaaasshBooooaaaatttt]

Same

[@madcat4563]

There was talks of a District 10 in the works.

[@KlaSiKo4]

​@@madcat4563I just want the sequel man

[@nicenameyougotthere.5021]

​@@madcat4563 Yeah, for like 15 years.

[@veryrarevibes]

I never got the Elysium hate, the movie is action packed with a cool ass plot what’s more to love

[@darrenXparker]

Yeah, I don’t get it either.

[@brucewillis542]

Yeap. Great characters, great actors, well paced, interesting, intense. It did have its flaws, but it's a great movie. I think there's just too many people out there who follow the trend and will see what they are told to see.

[@Supercohboy]

It had a terrible ending and the rich-people-in-space-poor-people-on-Earth concept was way overly-simplified in design and implementation. I haven't seen the movie in years but I remember giving the movie a solid 7. It reminds me a lot of "In Time" in retrospect, where the script felt very normal/typical Hollywood while the setting laid the foundation for an interesting story that the viewer doesn't ever get to see. Elysium's effects were incredible for the time though, and it was still worth watching, I just wouldn't watch it twice or recommend it highly is all.

[@hafirenggayuda]

​@@Supercohboyyea, the theme (poor vs rich) and ending felt very forced. I bet if he direct Cyberpunk themed story, like Edgerunner, it would receive great reception from everyone

[@TapirMask]

Suffered from it's own expectations. As a fairly standard sci-fi action movie it's one of the best.

[@russallen2011]

Chappie made me cry, i don't know what you're talking about

[@GEMINIEARTHWALKER]

Right, his South Africa SciFi trilogy is a great trilogy.

[@amalka_ari]

Same

[@dominiquepowell3158]

Yeah I enjoy the film 🎥

[@soraceant]

District 9 is the only one worth watching.

[@Craxin01]

It's better than 9/10ths of what Hollywood wants us to watch.

[@Account1746]

He said couple years ago he was working on district 9 sequel, but he’s been hush since then so who knows

[@nicocancilla8386]

🤢

[@greenrobot5]

it's too late now, only die-hard fans would be interested in a sequel

[@raistaparta]

Kind of reminds me of José Padilha who broke through with Elite Squad and then came crashing down with the terrible Robocop in 2014, only to sweep the ground off of our feet with Narcos. I’m sure Blomkamp will return back to form with some masterpiece sooner or later. Even if he doesn’t, District 9 alone is worth it.

[@spinlok3943]

He clearly just needs better scripts. His later movies seem much more interested in social commentary than telling a solid story.

[@kayskreed]

To be fair, sci-fi has always been about social commentary.

[@spinlok3943]

@@kayskreed Yeah but the commentary on his films is pretty on the nose and not subtle. And seems more interested in the commentary than story.

[@josef.ramoss.8457]

​@@spinlok3943 many classic scifi writers like Philip K Dick too.

[@dillonwalker3359]

​@@kayskreedthis excuse is always thrown around to defend bad works and the snobbery and condescension that the present day art and film industry has for its audience. Im not asserting thats why you're using it but there is an entire caliber of difference between the "classically political" works of sci fi art and the half baked stuff being pumped out now. I think there is a middle ground between "why is stuff all political now, everything has changed" and "media was always political, nothing has changed". Media is always political, but something has for sure changed. Clearly the quality is diminishing, irrespective of the total collapse of dialogue and context.

[@jcohasset23]

@@spinlok3943 The commentary/symbolism is where I feel District 9 falters. It makes a number of plotholes and contrivances that hurts the story.

[@Tarufox]

So what you're saying is this "inevitable downfall" isn't a downfall at all and just a shitty clickbait title to rile people up. Neat. Unsubbed.

[@Exar_Kun]

💯

[@JBrotsis1]

I’d love to see a directorial collaboration between Neil Blomkamp and Gareth Edwards. Both guys make really good films within the same realm of fantasy and know how to film visuals.

[@franohmsford7548]

You're ignoring that Rogue One was saved by Tony Gilroy {that is inescapable after seeing Andor} and The Creator is every bit as devoid of a good story and characters as Elysium was! Yes they both know how to film visuals BUT Edwards is NOT the guy to pair with Blomkamp - If anything they're too similar! He's gone off the boil a bit with The King's Man and Argylle but I'd like to see what Blomkamp and Matthew Vaughn could do together.

[@JBrotsis1]

@@franohmsford7548 Nah I stand by my statement: Blomkamp and Edward’s. And I disagree, I enjoyed The Creators story. Blomkamp and Vaughn could be good too but Argylle and Kings man was some of his worst recent films so I’d be cautious for that pairing. All to say that Edwards IS the guy to pair with Blomkamp because it’s MY opinion and your opinion IS NOT fact (so stop trying to sound like it is).

[@franohmsford7548]

@@JBrotsis1 Wow! Did you really just invoke opinions aren't facts whilst treating your own opinion as fact? In this case my opinion is just as valid as yours and frankly moreso because you haven't given a reason other than they make similar films WHY Blomkamp and Edwards would be a good mix? My point is that they are TOO similar, they wouldn't compliment each other. - Yes Kings Man and Argylle were bad, I already stated that. Vaughan needs a collaborator who can reign his excesses in, and a film to make that is emphatically NOT in The Kingsman Universe! Because he's poised on the cliff-edge at the moment and needs pulling back. But likewise Vaughan has made some great films prior to those last two and for a collaboration you want complimentary skills yes but you also want some differences otherwise what's the point of the collaboration? Spielberg+Lucas, Spielberg+Dante - You know what each guy is bringing to the table. What is Edwards bringing to the table that Blomkamp doesn't already bring? Because I simply don't see it.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@franohmsford7548 Gilroy was quite open at the time about coming into Rouge One saying that the film was in 'serious trouble' before he jumped in and he got millions to save it. In fairness to Edwards he's not the only director to have a tough time on Disney-Star Wars so it'll be interesting how his Jurassic Park film goes.

[@kayskreed]

District 9 was his best film out if the big three imho. The others felt too derivative, somewhat repetitive and forgettable also, though I did appreciate the fact these were original stories and not simple Hollywood remakes. Sci-fi is an underappreciated genre, it's also expensive to make as a live action versus animation.

[@petehobson1054]

I love Bloomkamp's visual style and social commentary. Didn’t know that he was attached to the Robocop remake. I thought the opening of that film was very much like his films.

[@TheVidgamejunkie]

I feel like he would have been a good fit for Battle Angel, but also the class separation of the rich in the sky and the poor on the ground was also a concept he used in Elysium, though the Battle Angel Alita mangas did it first.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

He was attached to a project in the late 2010's which would be a direct sequel to the original Robocop, ignoring the sequels and remake but the project collapsed.

[@petehobson1054]

@@jamesatkinsonja Really? Wow. I didn't know that was the route they were originally going with it. That could have been fantastic.

[@SPcamert]

I absolutely adored the direction and camerawork in Gran Turismo. It was thrilling and grounded and felt so real and true. I really enjoyed it and I hope that it works to give him another chance because District 9 is easily one of my favorite sci-fi films.

[@malvoliosf]

The narrator clearly does not understand what the phrase “flash in the pan” means. Flintlock muskets, an early firearm introduced at the beginning of 17th century, had a small pan that held a small amount of gunpowder. When the trigger was pulled, a piece of flint struck steel, creating a spark. This spark ignited the gunpowder in the pan, which in turn was supposed to ignite the main charge of gunpowder in the barrel, firing the bullet. Sometimes, the powder in the pan would ignite, creating a flash, but the main charge would fail to ignite. This resulted in a “flash in the pan”: a bright flash without the desired outcome of firing the musket. The term began to be used metaphorically to describe something that initially shows promise but fails to deliver lasting results or success. It refers to an event, person, or project that creates a lot of interest or excitement for a short time but ultimately does not fulfill expectations. Sadly, given his undeniable talent, Blomkamp looks like he will never be more than a flash in the pan, like Michael Cimino, Sofia Coppola, and Renny Harlin.

[@JG-ly2ij]

Well you got the context of the quote, and misapplied it. He made shorts that showed promise, and then delivered a knock out film, District 9. Delivered again and again with Elysium and Chappie. A couple of years trying his own thing and then another (Yes another) profit turning filim called Gran Turismo. Thats not a one go, never gots started dude.

[@malvoliosf]

@@JG-ly2ij Blomkamp had a stellar debut but his subsequent films received at best middling responses. Ask the average filmgoer what he thought of “Chappie” or “Gran Turismo” and he’ll tell you, “I didn’t see it because the reviews weren’t good.”

[@TheNazradin]

Wish he eould expand on his Oats studios shorts . So many good ideas.

[@stevenscott2136]

I think a good short, whether film or written story, stands on its own. Making them feature-length or novel-length tends to involve a lot of "padding" which adds nothing to the story.

[@Pre_Boom_bescent]

0:54 As a South African of colour, you got it completely wrong bro. He is a white south african. The political climate of the 70-80's was geared towards making his life easy, whereas I remember in the 80's still having to be forced into overcrowded trains, different beaches and having to use sub par facilities. that being said. i enjoy his movies.

[@JoseJimenez-il5vs]

The problem with Chappie is that Ninja and Yolandi are insuferable.

[@IsThisHandleTaken]

1000%

[@sonikboom007]

If they hadn't been involved it would have been a serviceable film for sure

[@toxicchatman8975]

Yolandi insufferable? Pretty much as soon as Chappie activates the soft side of her comes out for the rest of the movie. She refuses to let Ninja and Amerika hurt Deon, she helps Deon teach Chappie, she actually raises Chappie the right way while Ninja just teaches him how to do bad things. Ninja is still an important character. His bad parenting shows a message about how kids are brought up and taught the wrong way

[@sole__doubt]

The same can be said about the characters that Copley plays.

[@toxicchatman8975]

@@sole__doubt no it absolutely cannot

[@danmarshall5895]

This is kind of the M. Night Shyamalan career arc. One great movie, then several more where the Director's weaknesses (for both lack of character development and relying on a hook - twist endings for Night and blending kind of similar looking aliens/robots for Neil) become far more apparent.

[@LDFrost117]

The cancellation of Blomkamp's Alien film still stings so bad to this day for me, especially when the concept art was released... it was clear for this film specifically, he had a very clear vision for the story and I wish we could have seen it

[@jackbedient]

Yeah, for those that haven’t seen the concept art, it’s kickass! I’ve got all of them in hi-res in a folder. That would have been the true Alien3 rather than all the BS sequels, including Romulus, which I haven’t even given a chance…

[@LDFrost117]

@@jackbedient Romulus was actually a pretty good Alien film, feels like a strong spin off and I don't mean that as an insult, it feels like a needed back to basics after... whatever Covenant was, it almost feels like a movie version of Isolation at times which is nice... however I definitely would still find Blomkamp's pitch to be more exciting overall and what I'd consider the real follow up to the first two

[@JonathanTacoman]

Nah son I like Bompkamp

[@-pROvAK]

Blumpkin*

[@ethicsandcomplianceoffice]

The fact that D9 was made on 30 mill 15 years ago and looks better and more unique than most cgi heavy movies today … hope he will have his comeback. He is a visionary.

[@madhukarg8052]

A24 is what he needs and him and Alex Garland should work together

[@madmaxchannel4489]

very true, he needs a studio that can manage the budget and a good scriptwriter like Garland

[@blacklight4720]

I don't think think that Blomkamp failed. He has his style, which is different to hollywood. Holywood largely working on profit(excluding few famous directors), Blompkamp chooses to produce artistic expression.

[@adrianacev7579]

Elysium is incredible, the social commentary that has the ability to get people to think about the world they're living in

[@narabdela]

"Downfall"? What Downfall? This video is nonsensical. Clickbait garbage.

[@madmaxchannel4489]

his journey into Hollywood was OBJECTIVELY a descent! started his with district 9 and ended up making his own independent studio because Hollywood kept rejecting his projects after the very mid reception of his previous movies

[@MegaMerdeux]

​@@madmaxchannel4489Being rejected by Hollywood and doing your own thing it's not a downfall... That's like being rejected by Nazis because you refused to dance to their tune 😂

[@gimmeyourrights8292]

He's a better director than any of the big dogs in Hollywood right now.

[@rapalbumdepot7648]

I agree. Wtf is a Deadpool v wolverine !?!!?

[@gimmeyourrights8292]

@@rapalbumdepot7648 Not everything can be high art. Sometimes, you just want something simple. I wish that there was an appeal for both, I like a good burger as much as I like a Filot Mignon

[@rapalbumdepot7648]

@@gimmeyourrights8292 With all the censorship these days it's more difficult than ever to judge what exactly defines a successful filmmaker. Personally I like Blomkamp films because they have heart and are always fun. And that's rare these days.

[@gimmeyourrights8292]

@@rapalbumdepot7648 That's true, however just like in the food industry, people only want burgers if you catch my analogy.

[@rapalbumdepot7648]

@@gimmeyourrights8292 the issue is that the people who like burgers aren't foodies and thus are naive to industry influence

[@Edward-gi7yp]

I’ve always thought Blomkamp a great director. He’s a fantastic visual storyteller. His films and shorts all have great concepts. However, I slowly found that he’s not a good writer. With Elysium, then Chappie, and the bad reception I heard from Demonic. I think he comes up with interesting ideas and premises, but he never seems to know what to do with them. They all felt surface-level. He made an incredible debut and has never matched that success with the four films he’s done after. I think District 9 was accidentally a great script. But I also think with the right writer, this man can truly make some amazing films.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Apparently they did a lot of improvisation on District 9 which fits with the writing issues.

[@lyonspell]

If District 10 truly happens, I hope he can achieve what he did with District 9.

[@orangewarm1]

this is bull. Elysium and Chappie were better than the average movie and better than 80% of Avenger movies. Hes' working on stuff now. Try making ONE hit movie.

[@runner9528]

0:50 "This harsh childhood" bro I don't think you understand how apartheid worked

[@arthurmcdermott3312]

Maybe he's talking about post apartheid times where whites are less than people.

[@midnightgreen8319]

Oh yeah, it was CLEARLY a cakewalk for the white folks living there....🙄

[@pineapple999100]

Uh oh we got a woke loser here boys 👆

[@ProtoMarcus]

His script feels mostly AI-written to be honest Many suspicious claims or inaccurate info - especially that first definition of "flash in a pan" which is both inaccurate and non-sensical

[@troysweeney8432]

It worked great, during apartheid South Africa was a global power with a huge economy. Now it can't even keep the power on.

[@TheAlphaDingo]

District 9, Chappie, Elysium and Gran Turismo are all fantastic films IMO. Enjoyed all of them and have rewatched them each a couple of times.

[@RayMcElroy50]

He should've tried to explore other genres from the get-go instead of making "spiritual successors" to District 9 That's why Demonic didn't work, because by the time Chappie came out, he wasn't able to have much else left to offer That's why making a sequel to Alien or Robocop would never work

[@dieselelkins]

I think flash in the pan originates from 17th century England It was originally in reference to flintlock weapons whose gunpowder struck but failed to send the shot. It’s borrowed use to then mean something loudly announced but failing to deliver. I’ve heard Americans suggest it comes from gold panning, and that usage does indeed make literal and figurative sense. However it was in long use before prospecting and makes sense that people would simply use that established phrase to suggest a flash of gold that turned out not to be. Latterly, yes we have all used it to refer to something that announced great promise but fizzled out. This is not far from its original meaning.

[@stephengrigg5988]

It's too bad the Robocop movie he was supposed to direct got scrapped. His style would fit with that series perfectly. The criminal types from Elysium seem pulled right out of that universe.

[@Rosseboi]

Spot on!

[@LAWallis]

I watched the OATS studios on NETFLIX a while back and loved them. I had no idea it was him who created them.

[@jneilson7568]

Gran Turismo was surprisingly great fun, sometimes you just want a decent underdog story.

[@houlinfan4140]

Elysium" is one of my favorite films. While it may not reach the iconic status of classics like "Star Wars" or "Dune," it truly shines in its own near-future sci-fi narrative. btw the production design in all of Neill Blomkamp's films is consistently top-notch

[@bobbymain5291]

The carjacker that gave his life for equality had no ark ? Elysium was an epic movie

[@MiltonKitano]

I love Elysium! Great social parable, and a better homage to Alita than the Alita remake was. And Chappie is fun :P

[@RPRsChannel]

---> *_You REALLY should say that "Alien 5" was all in Neil's mind, just fan fiction. He got one of his employees that works with storyboarding and another artist to make the images we have seen._* *_This has morphed into "they cancelled Blomkamp's Alien 5"-it was never on the table._* *_Blomkamp just posted his fan art online. There NEVER was an Alien 5 by Blomkamp._*

[@shoujahatsumetsu]

There never was an Alien 3 by William Gibson either.

[@RPRsChannel]

@@shoujahatsumetsu *_Except a script with several drafts._*

[@shrine.project]

"it was never on the table" That's not true, Alien 5 was a real thing, but Ridley Scott personally vetoed it down. Probably because Alien 5 was going to be a sequel for Aliens, and Scott hates Cameron's Aliens.

[@RPRsChannel]

@@shrine.project *_I'm not sure if this is Hive-Mind Wishful Wishing, or what to call this, the plan for future Alien movies was laid by Scott and FOX(the owners of said franchise), then Neil made this "Alien 5" up. There wasn't even meetings. Then Neil was a child and dumped on the net all the artwork he had his employee made, because he KNEW we'd all love it, which we did. The average joblo has seen this and "knows this will be Alien 5" because they don't really pay attention to such movie post-production news; this damaged the franchise. Several times over the years, "leaks had been made" of other movies and it had lead to a movie being greenlit; this was a last effort strategy. It was to add pressure to a project that didn't exist._* _*Almost ALL the ideas Neil had for "Alien 5" can be seen in his short movie "Rakka". Since Neil made Rakka; he could never make his "Alien 5." *_Looking at what Neil has made past 5, 10 years, it's really a hit or miss. It was for the best his time-altering Alien movie never saw fruition._*

[@shrine.project]

@@RPRsChannel I'm not sure if this is selective information processing, or what to call your long post, but the end of it makes it clear that you simply hate Blomkamp's idea. Fair enough, different people like different things, however it's a bit difficult to me to imagine his movie not being a million times better compared to the disappointment that Alien Romulus was.

[@andykww]

Blomkamp has cool ideas and a unique visual style. But his major weakness is creating and understanding compelling characters. A lot of them are tropey and caricature-ish. It shows that Blomkamp is more interested in ideas than people.

[@graefx]

His Halo and Alien 5 could have been something special

[@Zombiesnyder13]

Halo? Maybe But Alien 5? I don't think so

[@Njbear7453]

Coulda woulda shoulda

[@studiosandrock]

Neil Blomkamp's movies are more original than 99% of what hollywood puts out these days. I love his films. This video dissing him is unecessary.

[@ctrlallterrors]

I can tell ChatGPT wrote this entire video.

[@xp7575]

Not at all, the style is nothing like ChatGTP, they might have used it to generate an outline but you can clearly tell that the way the lines are phrased are in line with the same style thay this channel has always had and it sounds nothing like how ChatGTP phrases it's responses

[@ProtoMarcus]

​@@xp7575His first definition of "Flash in a Pan" is both inaccurate and non-sensical It does feel he got some text outlines from AI generated sources and put his own personal twist to them because the structure kinda feels off too The container feels human but the content feels artificial

[@chendaddy]

I don't know if ChatGPT wrote this video, but so many video narrations on KZbin and articles across the Internet are incredibly formulaic and uninspiring anyway. ChatGPT just happens to be able to learn and crank those out much more efficiently than any lazy, uninspired human could.

[@CRUELLANDER]

I really do like Chappie, and it’s sad that we aren’t ever gonna get the sequels that we’re going to be made if Chappie was a success. Yeah, you can look it up and there was an actual plan for a Chappie Trilogy, but he said he would only continue it if it was “economically feasible”. But since it had a $49M budget and made only $102.1M, it was doomed. I think there’s a lot of ways to fix the Chappie film, and I still question why they didn’t see this from the beginning, here’s how they could fix it. 1. No Die Antwoord, I think their characters could’ve just been removed entirely from the movie and I think it would’ve made it better. 2. Remove the Hugh Jackman’s character, and his entire Robocop ED-209 ripoff named Moose, didn’t need this in this movie, but think could’ve been saved for a sequel maybe but in a better way. 3. Have the Main Villain be the Hippo (the guy who wanted everything, and gave Die Antwoods character 7 days to get $20M dollars). 4. Explore more of Chappie’s Personality, throughout the movie have him start and continue growing a personality. 5. Don’t make Chappie a gangster, have Chappie be more of someone who feels out of place in the world. & that’s all I could figure out how to fix Chappie, the ending could be Chappie on the run now from the Government & yeah.

[@charlesmaclellan8124]

Theres a parallel Universe to ours, and in other one, Neil made his Halo & Alien movies, & those two movies alone brought world peace & an end to starvation. We got screwed over fellas.

[@archeryguy1701]

Boy, I'm glad that I'm not the only one to feel this way. I LOVE District 9, and was happy to jump behind any any other movie he wanted to do.... and both Elysium and Chappie struck out with me. Very eh movies overall, and I felt like that lacked that effective sci-fi almost parable nature that District 9 had.

[@LDrumsOhio]

I think he’s a good director but doesn’t have good long form script writing abilities. Rakka, Firebase, Zygote are incredible on all levels along with his halo shorts… they are also all less than 25 minutes long.

[@justmytwocents5166]

Elysium is overhated and unfairly compared to District 9. Obviously the latter is a better movie. But, Elysium is still an entertaining sci-fi w/ some really sweet action scenes. Chappie is where he lost me and jumped the shark imo…

[@someOldBaldguy]

Chappie would have been great if they didn’t cast those two weirdos to star in it. Should’ve casted idk, actual actors… and a girl that wasn’t so… off putting.

[@rutrem09]

Elysium snd Chappie are great movies, masterpieces compered to recent crap-fiction from Disney

[@ScottCreley]

He's an exceptional writer and director. You're wrong here, my guy. His style carries him when he fails in other areas. He doesn’t live up to D9, but his other movies are capable and fun while sometimes being exceptional. Elysium had a lot to it. Chappie was ET for zoomers. The possession movie was an experiment during COVID. I dont count gran turismo and haven't seen it, it's not an auteur film.

[@70agrr]

Loved Elysium and Chappie, and of course D9, hope he keeps making these visually stunning films, still miles better than the dross so called BIG studios have released these past few years

[@isaacmartinez6904]

I hope he gets to make a sequel to District 9.

[@GlowingManga]

Great article. I love Blomkamp - his work is always at the very least, visually interesting. We may see something like District 9 again, I wouldn't count him out.

[@wesleyponniah4819]

I always loved his imagination

[@S80Retroboy80s]

I don't know about the "others" but I personally liked Elysiumand its visual style/storytelling. I think it has good character arcs, cliched, yes, but still good (I`d even say more than enough) to understand their motivation and consequent actions.

[@MonteaNoLipton]

I refuse to believe Chappie wasnt a blatently bad rip off of Short Circuit....

[@tsepheletseka5115]

A combination of Short Circuit and Robocop.

[@marcoedelrolandi4936]

I remember listening to an interview of his, done soon after the release, and being sort of shocked by how naively he was communicating with the interviewer. I came out sort of puzzled: how can somebody who speaks so “simply” have created something so complex as District 9? My feeling is that his debut movie benefited from tons of inputs of other people, and once left on his own Blomkamp demonstrated to be a great action director, but a a shallow writer and overall too narrow in his focus. Elysium was a copy of the Alita manga from gone days, Chappie was… well flat and predictable. I might be harsh, but as other people mentioned, he should focus on directing and let others do the writing. In the end there’s still a huge need of competent directors who know what they’re doing, even if they’re not writing their own scripts. Actually, you can argue that nowadays the idea of a do-it-all director like Cameron, Lucas or Spielberg is pretty much dead.

[@robinwright531]

Chappie was so good I love that movie. It’s the robocop we deserved.

[@lrod4545]

@Nerdstalgic Hi, just watched your video. Absolutely fascinating piece on Blomkamp. In response to your audience question. I think the first person that comes to mind as brilliant director in the beginning was Zack Snyder. Loved Wathcmen and Man of Steel. But has gotten progressively worse by the time you get to Rebel Moon.

[@BFVgnr]

Flash in the pan described a malfunction. It's a colloquialism from the 16th and 17rh centuries about a musket misfire. A flash in the pan is literally a 'missed fire'. The spark from the flint hitting the striker only barely caught the powder in the pan, thus making a 'flash in the pan' rather than the rifle firing. It was literally when the gunpowder in the 'pan' below the flint and striker only 'flashed', rather than burning and igniting the propellant charge for the musket. A flash in the pan wasn't a thing of beauty, it was a misfire. It was a mistake. It was a bad thing.

[@peglor]

Very interesting to hear he was involved in Dark Angel - the first season of that was great - the second season was a mess because they started some very interesting, but long story arcs before discovering they weren't getting a third season.

[@johnard611]

Yeah I also loved S1 of Dark Angel. Its makes sense that he was also involved in Stargate SG-1 because it was a lower budget showcase of mixing futuristic sci-fi tech with modern military hardware. I wonder if that informed his style.

[@dipperdandy]

Demonic was... embarrassingly bad. It was a pandemic shoot and wow does it show. I had... NO idea they even made a Gran Turismo movie. And I tend to have my fingers on the pulse with films. So that aint bode well. Like I have literally seen and heard zero about it. Anyways, D9 is dope AF.

[@everybodyyeats]

Chappie was great, not sure what people are on about. I put it on par with District 9

[@Locadel2003]

Gran Turismo was fucking amazing, one of the best movies I have seen since Top Gun Maverick

[@diggersdiecast8879]

In district 9, I'll never forget that scene where the high ranking gang dudes head blows up like a balloon and of course pops. Crazy movie, criminally underrated

[@Zombiesnyder13]

Directing GRAN TURISMO was the final nail in the coffin

[@seancollins7447]

Not really, it had warmer reception than his past two films.

[@shinobi-no-bueno]

I didn't even realize he was involved in that blah-film, let alone directed it. I must admit i didn't watch it, it seemed wholly uninteresting.

[@TylerMyers94]

I actually liked GT. Easily Blomkamp's best film since District 9.

[@moxiemaxie3543]

Why did you capitalize the title?

[@tenglobalmedia1473]

I really like how you told his story , it made sense and it also paid homage to a pure visual artiste, and that is inspirational to other visual artists.

[@shinobi-no-bueno]

D9 is a goat movie, chappie was fun, Elysium was boring. I wish he got to make Halo

[@arielwollinger]

I have been a fan of blomkamp's work since alive in Joburg. He should have done a district 9 sequel

[@mechajay3358]

Elysium was dope, Chappie is underrated and Gran Turismo was awesome. I just wish we had gotten Neil's Alien Sequel Movie and Halo Film with Peter Jackson (instead of Ridley Scott's lame Covenant flick and that poor excuse of a Halo TV series).

[@blackskull7x]

Zero hour gang

[@toemas8]

It’s amazing how little we see of Blomkamp but Disney will pull anyone off the street and give them a star wars series… so long as they tick a few boxes.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

He only seems to have started looking for 'director for hire' projects in recent years after previously wanting creative control. I don't think he's put his name forward for a Disney Star Wars gig?

[@AK_UK_]

District 9 sequel please.

[@nicocancilla8386]

No!!! That movie was garbage!!!

[@AK_UK_]

@@nicocancilla8386 you're the first person to say this. Ever.

[@anthonypoole4025]

I loved Chappie 🤷‍♂️

[@OuterBoundaries]

I love Blomkamp. He hasnt let anyone down. Elysium was great.

[@quitcallinmebill1699]

Elysium is one of my favorite movies of all time. I remember 2013. People really liked it

[@TallSilhouette]

He's definitely hit or miss, but I hope he keeps getting work and starts hitting more than missing again. Another District 9 level success would be wonderful.

[@TronForlox]

More like hit and miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss …….

[@Jaychavo73]

Chappie was so so so good

[@junedtan2]

He reminds me of M. Night Shyamalan. The love of making movies is strong on both. Both have their own highs and lows (depending on how you see each film - for instance Elysium is as good as District 9 IMO). Both choose to be independent. And yeah, people put too much expectations on them, and criticize them based on them.

[@barney7822]

I'm actually glad that he didn't make Robocop I really hope Abe Forsythe can make it, because I loved his work on DOWN UNDER and LITTLE MONSTERS His chaotic comedy stylefits perfectly with the world of Robocop

[@gudspellar3605]

We look out at directors and see money being thrown away with diminishing returns on screen. Neill gets amazing results at a fraction of the cost... and understands that visuals need to be dirty and blurry to fit in with the dirty and blurry reality around them. I think your video also points out that it's not a bad thing for studio control to exist because directors like Blomkamp do need a little more refinement to round out his amazing talent. There are so many directors out there who never shore up their weaknesses to really set off their strengths (Snyder).

[@jamesatkinsonja]

I know 'Studio interference' is usually a gripe of filmmakers but you do need someone to say 'no' to bad ideas.

[@jasondreams202]

I love everything he’s been attached to with the exception of demonic which I only just heard about in this video. I also wasn’t aware he was oats studio, but I really enjoyed those shorts as well. D9 and chappie were two of My favorite movies of all time and I really hoped they would continue further

[@henrycase3788]

Neill Blomkamp and Duncan Jones. Both had solid directorial debuts (District 9 and Moon) in the same year of 2009. Both works were solid science fiction films, and both filmmakers touted as promising new blood. It's sad to see how their trajectory as directors have been a steady decline with each new entry. Source Code, Jones' second film, was pretty good tho, but then he just stumbles hard with Warcraft and falls down flat on his face with Mute.

[@jimtroeltsch5998]

His oats studio shorts are amazing and so inspiring. I really would have liked to see any of those made int oa full length film. Especially the one about the mass-flesh monster, and the one about the reptilian alien invaders

[@AKen_Films]

I still love Blomkamp’s work! He could however use some of the writing discipline of someone like Charlie Booker to not just let his sci-fi concepts exist on their own but use them to build a narrative that takes those concepts to their logical conclusion. No matter how destructive, werid, or uplifting those conclusions could be it will be a good story regardless of what happens.