Chappie could be the next big cult classic, or a pervasive stain on Hugh Jackman’s career.
Inspired by successful South African musicians Die Antwoord, this new instalment from District 9 director Neil Blomkamp is a very strange mix. The premise is the exploration of a mechanical police force and sentient AI. Chappie, a scrapped bot, is reprogrammed to become more human by his maker – played by Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire). Die Antwoord’s Ninja and Yolandi Visser look after him in loco parentis and it is his adventures with this odd pairing that makes up the majority of the film.
The story itself has many veins of somewhat clichéd plots – gang member loses money and must repay, under-appreciated workers strike back etc, however the lack of thought provoking depth leaves plenty of brain cells free to process Die Antwoord. Rather like Lady Gaga there is some real magic in the visual madness they present, while not polished actors, they certainly captivate.
Hugh Jackman on set alongside Chappie.
The complete bafflement of what is happening begins to make you look for hidden depth, is giving a robot the freedom to grow and think for itself a metaphor for society? Or am I thinking too much, perhaps it really is all about Hugh Jackman harming people with a giant robot… But I would really like to hope that isn’t the case.
Played by Sharlto Copley (District 9), Chappie is by far the biggest entertainer throughout despite being a robot. His carousel of comedy, compassion and tragedy is a joy to watch. His development as a character is so unexpected and well executed you can almost forgive the droid nature of his supporting cast – who were all human characters, played by humans, just so we’re clear.
Visually the film is dynamic and similar to the french film District 13 it creates a stark but rich tapestry from an impoverished environment. The warehouse where Chappie lives is designed almost entirely by Die Antwoord using their very unique album artwork; which is promoted with all the subtlety of Pepé Le Pew attempting to woo your house cat.
As the lead visual aspect, Chappie is beautifully designed and animated, a rugged weapon utilitarian police work before developing his own more colourful personality as the film progresses. He’s a perfect match for Die Antwoord visually, but it appears he had to make do with whatever was in the skip outside Primark. This would explain why they could only find a pair of hideous baize three quarter-lengths for the arch enemy Hugh Jackman; a recurring image so hilarious I feel laughter brewing all over again.
I am not truly sure what Chappie is, nor I think did its creators. That in itself is an achievement though, rarely does a film spiral out of control so much that it boarders all of the genres between serious drama and ironic action parody. In parts it is so bad it almost becomes good, like the Horror Channel.
There is a constant nagging hope that it’s actually smarter than it seems but for the most part it is just random vandalism of a smart concept. However putting careful analysis aside, any film that features a rubber chicken is worth a watch, at least on Blu-ray anyway.
Author – Joe, Bath store
