Taking place in the near future, Neill Blomkamp's Chappie is set in Johannesburg where mechanized machines known as scouts have systematically taken control of the police force, being used in overally oppressive ways against the citizens. Deon Wilson, the man responsible for designing the scout machines has had a recent breakthrough, designing a program that he believes will give the machines a state of higher consciousness. When Deon is kidnapped by a bunch of hooligans intent on getting a scout to program for their benefit, Deon installs his new program giving a single scout the ability to think and feel for himself. Neill Blomkamp's Chappie is the work of a filmmaker that continues to show a strong ability to create unique and interesting worlds, but Chappie ultimately struggles thematically and narratively. Chappie as a character is well designed, a child who is thrown into a dangerous situation and has to grow as a human being. Why the film really struggles has nothing to do with Chappie, and more so do with the antagonist, Vincent Moore, a rival engineer whose vehemently against robots having any type of consciouness. Vincent is a very poorly written character who is terribly uninteresting, simply there to provide the conflict at the end of the film. Chappie doesnt' really raise any thematic questions about the idea of sentenient life having a "soul", simply satisfied with its muddled story. Chappie misses opportunities to explore the surveillance state and how freedom is lost for the perceived benefit of security, delivering clunky dialogue that only makes the film feel goofy, struggling to register any form of an emotional response. While Chappie has its moments due to a very strong virtual performance, the film is a disappointing effort with a lackluster script and weak antagonist, never having much to say in general.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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