Chappie is a sci-fi action film set in Johannesburg, South Africa, that works really well despite some obvious flaws that many critics have really taken to heart. Let me explain.
First, the milieu is authentic, and not just your generic Hollywood slums (see Elysium or Real Steel for the nearest comparison). The Zef design as implemented by Die Antwoord adds the film a ton of character and detail (pink-colored guns, mouth-watering graffiti), and the slang is so rich that certain characters need subtitles. Someone claimed that the film felt like a long video for Die Antwoord, and yes, in a sense it is, since their music is present throughout, and their characters are glorified, but I don't consider it a bad thing at all. Ninja and Yolandi Visser may not be great actors but they are fun and embody so much background influences (Aphex Twin tattoos, Tank Girl, kawaii, industrial punk, Lol from Shane Meadows' This Is England and Atari Teenage Riot, to name a few) that I would watch a film that is based on them alone just to see what it would look like. I mean, how many films are there in which a major character wear Pink Floyd shorts in it? And did I forget to say that some Die Antwoord portions are genuinely funny?
Second, Chappie works. The special effects are seamless - his presence feels 100% physical throughout. Sharlto Copley's voice work is spot on as well, giving soul to the metal and wires, which is very important in order to buy Chappie as truly sentient. By the end of the film, one does not think of Chappie as a robot or someone's creation but as a being of its own. OK, the writing makes Chappie evolve faster than expected (growing from a baby to a scientist that can codify consciousness in matter of days might be too much) but the alternative would be to stretch the film's budget and runtime so this is pure trade-off. The idea is there: Chappie, mommy, daddy, the Maker, and the Evil World in which dog eats dog.
Third, the AI and the codification of consciousness make the film relevant as we close in on as a humankind to the point where AI will be a reality. This film takes on this idea as a neat sublimation of previous films (including recent endeavors such as Transcendence), and pulls it forward towards a vision of future society in which mankind could go on to exist forever in a non-organic form while keeping the capability to reproduce by creating new AIs in their own image. I like that - a continuation of this particular story could be interesting.
Fourth, the action parts of the film are a blast. Hugh Jackman as the main villain sells the character in every scene he is in. His character might be a single-note one, as some have complained, but in the end you really root for Chappie when he breaks every bone in Hugh's body.
And yes, Chappie is a flawed film: 1. It seems to be too easy to abuse the security key and too hard for the Maker to take it back from Chappie in the early portion of the film; 2. Weaver's character makes no sense at all when she rejects AI (so what if they sell weapons? diversification and more patents NEVER hurt anyone) or allows the Moose to be used (it should be ILLEGAL to use it without proper council authority). But so what? Chappie is a genre film, which means that the ideas themselves are more important than certain aspects of traditional story-telling. Ultimately, there are so many things, big and small, that cover for these flaws.
To conclude, Neill Blomkamp was always going to have problems to get out of the shadow of District 9. But he continued to make sci-fi action films with heavy doses of cyberpunk and in this sense, he should be appreciated for the torch-bearer he is. And Chappie is a strong argument in his favor.
First, the milieu is authentic, and not just your generic Hollywood slums (see Elysium or Real Steel for the nearest comparison). The Zef design as implemented by Die Antwoord adds the film a ton of character and detail (pink-colored guns, mouth-watering graffiti), and the slang is so rich that certain characters need subtitles. Someone claimed that the film felt like a long video for Die Antwoord, and yes, in a sense it is, since their music is present throughout, and their characters are glorified, but I don't consider it a bad thing at all. Ninja and Yolandi Visser may not be great actors but they are fun and embody so much background influences (Aphex Twin tattoos, Tank Girl, kawaii, industrial punk, Lol from Shane Meadows' This Is England and Atari Teenage Riot, to name a few) that I would watch a film that is based on them alone just to see what it would look like. I mean, how many films are there in which a major character wear Pink Floyd shorts in it? And did I forget to say that some Die Antwoord portions are genuinely funny?
Second, Chappie works. The special effects are seamless - his presence feels 100% physical throughout. Sharlto Copley's voice work is spot on as well, giving soul to the metal and wires, which is very important in order to buy Chappie as truly sentient. By the end of the film, one does not think of Chappie as a robot or someone's creation but as a being of its own. OK, the writing makes Chappie evolve faster than expected (growing from a baby to a scientist that can codify consciousness in matter of days might be too much) but the alternative would be to stretch the film's budget and runtime so this is pure trade-off. The idea is there: Chappie, mommy, daddy, the Maker, and the Evil World in which dog eats dog.
Third, the AI and the codification of consciousness make the film relevant as we close in on as a humankind to the point where AI will be a reality. This film takes on this idea as a neat sublimation of previous films (including recent endeavors such as Transcendence), and pulls it forward towards a vision of future society in which mankind could go on to exist forever in a non-organic form while keeping the capability to reproduce by creating new AIs in their own image. I like that - a continuation of this particular story could be interesting.
Fourth, the action parts of the film are a blast. Hugh Jackman as the main villain sells the character in every scene he is in. His character might be a single-note one, as some have complained, but in the end you really root for Chappie when he breaks every bone in Hugh's body.
And yes, Chappie is a flawed film: 1. It seems to be too easy to abuse the security key and too hard for the Maker to take it back from Chappie in the early portion of the film; 2. Weaver's character makes no sense at all when she rejects AI (so what if they sell weapons? diversification and more patents NEVER hurt anyone) or allows the Moose to be used (it should be ILLEGAL to use it without proper council authority). But so what? Chappie is a genre film, which means that the ideas themselves are more important than certain aspects of traditional story-telling. Ultimately, there are so many things, big and small, that cover for these flaws.
To conclude, Neill Blomkamp was always going to have problems to get out of the shadow of District 9. But he continued to make sci-fi action films with heavy doses of cyberpunk and in this sense, he should be appreciated for the torch-bearer he is. And Chappie is a strong argument in his favor.