Chappie

Chappie is the new film from Neill Blomkamp, director of District 9 and Elysium. In 2009 Blomkamp exploded on to the scene with a signature style and has employed many of the same techniques and themes since.
Firstly Blomkamps films look incredible! The design of everything is so clearly considered and the visual effects are exquisite! The atmosphere he generates is often clinical tech meets grungy ghetto - a dynamic visual aesthetic which draws parallels with the inequality in his stories.
Steeped in technology and science fiction, Blomkamps films often display contemporary parables such as environmental and political concerns. With District 9 Blomkamp and co-writer Terri Tatchell (Blomkamps wife) nailed this tantalising mix of visuals and commentary. Elysium came close, but fell short - offering a sentimental, but ultimately devastating answer to an over-populated planet, whose inhabitants could be cured of all disease?! Regardless, a disappointing Blomkamp film will always be an interesting and dynamic vision.

With Chappie, Blomkamp has returned to his home-town of Johannesburg - the setting for District 9. He has also employed the talents of his former writing partner (Tatchell) to bring some joy to proceedings - something missing from the more serious Elysium, which Blomkamp tackled alone.

The police of Johannesburg are overwhelmed with crime. In an effort to protect the people and the police, robots (named Scouts) have been developed by leading manufacturers, Tetra Vaal - designed by chief engineer, Deon Wilson (Dev Patel).
Scout #22 is emobilised in a Police altercation and is consequently decommissioned. Not content with merely programming robots to do a humans biding, Deon is close to developing an artificial intelligence. Using the now defunct scout #22 as his guinea pig, Deon sets about uploading a newly conceived consciousness.
Meanwhile gang in-fighting has cost Ninja and Yolandi a debt of 20 million (rand). Their plan is to use a police scout to help them "raise" the money they need with a planned robbery.
Enter Chappie - Deons experiment and Ninja and Yolandis answer to a life-threatening debt.

Chappie has come in for heavy criticism for being derivative of other robot and AI films. Yes the opening salvo of a crime-ridden city and an overburdened police force is reminiscent of Robocop. But then the metamorphosis of man to alien in District 9 was reminiscent of Cronenbergs The Fly. This kind of criticism serves little to no purpose when you consider most stories have already been told. In this day and age, it's how one spins a yarn, both technically and emotionally.

Chappie does both very well! Once again the film looks breathtaking! Joining Dev Patel is Hugh Jackman, as competing design engineer Vincent Moore and Sigourney Weaver, as Michelle Bradley - the pairs boss and CEO of Tetra Vaal. In reality Ninja and Yolandi are Johannesburg musical legends, Die Antwoord. Here they play criminalised versions of themselves - and Chappies newly adoptive parents (how's that for originality)!
And in a motion-capture performance to rival Serkis and co is the great Sharlto Copley as Chappie - Blomkamps lucky charm! Sharlto is magnificent and hilarious! His performance is child-like, but subtly adaptive - as Chappie learns at an increasingly fast rate. Just as he did in District 9, Copley totally convinces as Chappie, owning every line of dialogue (instantly quotable I might add)!

Despite similarities to other films, Chappie looks at advancement and new frontiers in technology. With consciousness comes a barrage of questions, not least is ones own mortality. Blomkamp looks at man and creator parables this time - using Chappie to ask questions which are foremost on our minds. Wisely the human factor has not been forgotten in Blomkamps imminent future. There is potential for conscious over-load down the line and more uneasy questions to an over-populated planet.
Until such a follow-up arrives, there is much to enjoy with Chappie. Not least is a loveable central character, engaging story and visuals to stimulate the senses long after the credits have rolled.

4/5


Poster image courtesy: http://www.film.ru