Really enjoyed watching Chappie (2015) last night. It’s the third movie from Neill Blomkamp, the director of District 9 (2009) and Elysium (2013). RoboCop meets District 9.
Okay, Elysium could be better, but I got a serious kick out of District 9 and Chappie was right up my alley. The story is set in Johannesburg that looks eerie as it is. To sum it up without giving too much of the plot away let me say that a gang of small-caliber criminals is tricking a self-conscious robot into a life of crime. Abandoned buildings, crime, poverty and luxury are mixed up in the melting pot of South Africa. Throw in some police robots and you get the idea.
With the addition of Die Antwoord who are playing a somewhat altered version of themselves things started to feel simply surreal. Unfortunately apart from the Die Antwoord duo and the guy playing Hippo, the other characters looked like they got to Johannesburg by mistake. Enough with being picky though, despite the miscasts and occasional plot holes I could not get my eyes off the screen.
If you liked the original RoboCop (1987) – Chappie is going to strike similar chords. Another movie that comes to mind and relatively unknown these days is Short Circuit (1986) – I was so impressed when I was a kid I watched it seven times at the movies.
Okay back then they didn’t make Jonny Five or Alex Murphy rob other people and wear bling, so expect a different kind of entertainment here. Gangsta-style with the required plot devices preserved: Good robot – check, Big bad robot – check, thugs, gangs – oh yeah.
Wish I could watch it with the kids, but the degree of f-word usage and some graphic scenes in the last third of the movie make it not very family-friendly. My daughter didn’t like it at all:
— I don’t want to watch it, they are being mean to the robot
Too bad the RoboCop (2015) remake turned out pretty bland in comparison to the original. Like the direct-to-video sequels that were released in abundance in the 90s. Chappie kicks some serious ass.
Oh and if you like a retro-fitted dystopian robotic future, check out Edge of Tomorrow (2014) – that one is even kid-friendly.
And I am off to see District 9 again.