http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1823672/
This week Neill Blomkamp's Chappie has split the opinion of cinema goers, some see underdeveloped ideas and over the top violence mixed with character stereotypes and confused ideas. I think, they are wrong! I will be doing a longer more academic spoilery review but I will keep this one light on the spoilers.
Chappie is straight up the cutest robot ever, so human so innocent and gullible, his growth from child to teen is beautiful and funny to watch whilst Blomkamp throws incredible big ideas at the audience but doesn't fall into slow boring overintellectual hipsterage. Instead Chappie reminds you exactly what you are watching, a hilarious coming of age story about a ninja gangsta robot.
The art style is simply stunning, described by Blomkamp as "the third in a stylistic trilogy" with District 9 and Elysium, the world feels similarly dirty and pessimistic with only one beacon of light, technology, growth and Chappie.
It may have a lot of audiences a little confused but that is because the film asks you to be an active audience, questioning among others, the big issues of consciousnesses and morality however it doesn't proceed to tell you all of the answers, it doesn't force you through the narrative to explore these issues, it lets you sit with them whilst you watch the most meta of casts fight it out with brightly coloured guns and Chappie T-shirts.
In my eyes Chappie is a clear success and a unique on at that, I am only worried that with this and Jupiter Ascending getting bad reviews I am going to spend a lot of the next few years arguing about what I consider to be great science fiction. Go see it and judge for yourself if you think Chappie deserves the snub its getting from critics.
8.5/10
A more thorough academic spoilericous review is on the way as part of AI SEASON!
Chappie is straight up the cutest robot ever, so human so innocent and gullible, his growth from child to teen is beautiful and funny to watch whilst Blomkamp throws incredible big ideas at the audience but doesn't fall into slow boring overintellectual hipsterage. Instead Chappie reminds you exactly what you are watching, a hilarious coming of age story about a ninja gangsta robot.
The art style is simply stunning, described by Blomkamp as "the third in a stylistic trilogy" with District 9 and Elysium, the world feels similarly dirty and pessimistic with only one beacon of light, technology, growth and Chappie.
It may have a lot of audiences a little confused but that is because the film asks you to be an active audience, questioning among others, the big issues of consciousnesses and morality however it doesn't proceed to tell you all of the answers, it doesn't force you through the narrative to explore these issues, it lets you sit with them whilst you watch the most meta of casts fight it out with brightly coloured guns and Chappie T-shirts.
In my eyes Chappie is a clear success and a unique on at that, I am only worried that with this and Jupiter Ascending getting bad reviews I am going to spend a lot of the next few years arguing about what I consider to be great science fiction. Go see it and judge for yourself if you think Chappie deserves the snub its getting from critics.
8.5/10
A more thorough academic spoilericous review is on the way as part of AI SEASON!
