Welcome to 2015’s first big disappointment. I had some very high hopes for this film, but sadly the film is just a huge mess. It is not a complete waste, but there was so much potential for a far greater film.
Don’t laugh, I’m being cool
Before I tear this film apart, I will look at the handful of things it gets right. Firstly, I would like to address the complaints that most critics have been giving. Without spoiling anything, the film does not go in a traditional direction. I had absolutely no problems with this. I applaud the film for taking a fresh and interesting direction. It is not a good reason to dislike the film because it did not go the direction you thought it would. With that said, there were plenty of other reasons why the film does not work (more on that later). The story itself is interesting enough to grab my attention, but was not as refined to truly make it have a lasting effect. However, the visuals and the editing are fantastic. I love how it was edited. It was very unique, and something that really stuck with me after the film. The film was also shot very well throughout. Another huge positive for the film is the soundtrack. Hans Zimmer worked on it, and it was really unique. I thought it fit the tone of the film. It was very futuristic, with plenty of dark undertones. Finally (and thankfully), Chappie (the character) is great. I love how his character is handled, and he is by far the most complex character in the film.
I’m consciousness. I’m alive. I’m Chappie
Now onto the bad. Well, let us start off with the poor writing. Neil Blomkamp himself, along with Terri Tatchell are the writers of the film, and this is where most of the problems lie. Characters are given clunky, awkward dialogue, and too much of the dialogue is expositional. By this, I mean that the dialogue often explains what is going on with the world. Not only that, but it serves as a way to explains what characters are doing. Another major problem is the characters. They are not complex at all. Actually, the films’ main protagonists are by far some of the most annoying characters I have ever seen in a film. Hugh Jackman’s character was also laughable. I should not even call him a characters because he becomes a caricature. Not only are the characters mostly bad, the acting is atrocious. From top to bottom, all the actors (except for Sharlto Copley as Chappie) are pretty lousy. They are mostly good actors, except for the inclusion of Ninja and Yo-Landi. Those two are such horrible actors that I never want to see them in another film. They are not even actors, so I do not know why they were selected for his film. Another problem is the sound in the film. I could not hear what some characters were saying. There were occasionally subtitles for some of the characters, but I think the subtitles should have remained for the whole film.
Closing Remarks
Unlike Neil Blomkamps previous films, Chappie is not good. Sure, there are several right spots in the film, but the film has too much going against it that give it mediocrity. I had really high hopes for this film, and it was even in my top 10 most anticipated list of 2015. I hope the rest of the films on my list do not disappoint me like this one has.