Reported By:
| Edited By: Bryan Durham |Source: DNA |Updated: Mar 26, 2015, 03:37 PM IST
Movie: Chappie
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Ninja, Yo-Landi Visser,
Rating: **1/2
What's it about: Deon WIlson (Dev Patel), a maker of scout robots with a local Johannesburg robotics company, that retails to the city's cops, decides to use a guardkey to experiment on one of his rejects. This will enable to make the robot, whose battery is running out, sentient. He gets hijacked by an amateurish band of thieves who steal his 'cargo'. He tries and keeps in touch with the robot but is soon appalled to see that his creation is living the life of a criminal. Things soon get to a head, when rival engineer Vincent Moore (Hugh Jackman), whose own project is in limbo, decides to create trouble.
What's hot: One can't but appreciate Blomkamp's vision. In the larger scheme of things, the man brings up relevant questions of existentialism. Can a robot have consciousness? Can it be transferred? Can it love or hate? And the time this story is set is the immediate future. The idea that overdependence on technology is also not a good thing, is also broached. My favourite people to watch in this film are Ninja and Yolandi (of rap duo Die Antwoord). Having been introduced to their music half a year ago, I've grown to like their craziness and music, which kind of gets a big platform with this film.
What's not: The premise is promising, but the execution seems a little too simplistic, a little too contrived and very amateurish. Blomkamp's District 9, with Sharlto Copley (who plays Chappie here) is in top form with that film, but seems utterly lacking here. The film kind of builds and builds, but then throws it all away at the end.
What to do: If you choose to watch this film, do so for the mad, mad, mad antics of Ninja. Dev and Hugh are too thinly drawn here to merit a criticism. Copley plays Chappie with heart. And when you start watching a film and use your brains, it helps to have a character like his. Really wish I liked this film more, but I don't.
