Chappie (2015)

 

Neill Blomkamp knows how to do his science fiction, that's for sure. If anyone is in doubt about this, just check out 'District 9'. And here he is again, with something a little different and occasionally a bit weird, but still interesting enough to warrant a watch.

This is pretty much like Pinocchio, only with robots, gangsters, Die Antwoord almost-but-not-really playing themselves and Hugh Jackman as an asshole with the most bizarre haircut and sexy shorts. 

Yes, it's a bit of a mishmash, but somehow, it works out in the end.

In the near future, crime in Johannesburg is finally going down, because they have invested a lot of money in a project where police officers are assisted and replaced by droids called Scouts. The bodycount is down as is corruption and this has made the firm Tetravaal immensely rich. However, one engineer (Jackman) is pissed that his warmachine is not produced as the Scouts are a success. 

You will soon notice how Jackman's machine looks eerily like ED-209 from 'Robocop'. But as it's Blomkamp, I'm chalking it up to tribute instead of rip-off.

However, the developer of the Scouts, Deon (Dev Patel) is working on a new type of AI, one that can learn and become more alive. His employer wants nothing to do with this, so he tests it on a model about to be scrapped. But this is taken by some gangsters (Ninja and Yo-landi from Die Antwoord) in order to pull off a heist. His trick with the robot works and now Chappie is sentient and like a child. 

Yes, you can see where this is all going. The gangsters want to use Chappie for a heist, Deon wants him to stay on the path of right and Jackman's character wants to destroy Chappie. Add to that the fact that Chappie discovers his battery will be dead in about five days and he wants to live, and that he now has a child-mother relationship with Yo-landi, as she takes to him and we're off!

So yes, in a way, this is a science fiction version of 'Pinocchio', but with lots of swearing, blood and guts and explosions. And for some reason, it works. Mostly. 

What does work are a lot of the supporting cast. Dev Patel is good as Deon and even Die Antwoord is a lot better at acting than you might assume. Sure, it's not always top of the line as especially Ninja can go a little overboard, but Yo-landi does a really good job. Who really steals the show is Sharlto Copley as Chappie and the CG for the mo-cap is excellently done. 

What doesn't really gel, is the character Jackman plays. He is just a little too silly at being this evil, frustrated prick. The haircut and shorts don't help his character either, nor does the fact he always walks around with a gun (even in the office). He truly is a one note character. What also is rather bizarre, is that the couple from Die Antwoord actually wear shirts with their own faces and names on. It feels as if they're playing themselves, but it is a bit weird at times. 

Their music does fit in the film, though. 

The message is hammered in rather bluntly, so if you can take that, you're good. Also, hammering in something doesn't really make sense, but mixed metaphors sometimes good bedfellows make. Or not. 

Anyway: it's a fun film, just don't expect a masterpiece of cinema. It has Blomkamp's energetic style and trappings, but it isn't his best. It's okay and can be enjoyable if you have some time to waste.