In the near future, crime is patrolled by a mechanized police force. When one police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself (www.imdb.com).
Director: Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium)
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver
Neill Blomkamp has become a great science-fiction director of the new age. Comparisons will be drawn on District 9, as Blomkamp's best work is his first. Chappie starts the same way; in the style of a documentary that moves swiftly on to its narrative. Think Ex-Machina meets Robocop. Robots make up South Africa's police force, keeping streets safe and crime low. Dev Patel's Deon is the lead developer for the company behind the robot's manufacturing and distribution to the government. One particular model, number 22, is prone to damage. Deon, without consent, programs a stand alone subconscious into 22. 22, otherwise known as Chappie, enters the hands of Ninja and Yolandi (from the rap group Die Antwoord, playing themselves), who teach Chappie how to be 'gangster'. If you're a fan of either District 9 or Elysium, Chappie will hit the spot. Sharlto Copley's voiceover and an impressive use of CGI bring Chappie to life, even if he bears some bugs. His surrogate mother and father teach him, morphing him into want they want him to be. Yolandi and Ninja are inexperienced actors, and it shows, especially when Chappie outdoes them in connecting with the audience. It's almost easy to forget that he's not real. Dev Patel and Hugh Jackman put in career best performances. Jackman's Vincent Moore works alongside Patel. His character is fueled by jealousy because his project was outdone by Patel's. Both actors are refreshing and drive the narrative forward to its climactic ending, which twists and turns in a way that's hard to have guessed at any stage. Chappie may be yet another take on AI, but it's one that brings new ideas (weird and interesting ones) to the table. There's plenty of things to love about Chappie the film, but not so much the robot.
4/5
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