With his previous masterpiece of District 9, Neill Blomkamp had some big expectations with his new release, Chappie. I may be in the minority here as it seems many loved Chappie. There are quite a few reasons I feel Chappie is nothing to write home about. While it is flashy on
the outside, with a great soundtrack and great CGI effects, the inner details of the movie lacked.
One of the main problems with Chappie is its sub-par plot. From the very start, the plot felt rushed and undeveloped. At many points throughout the film the viewer is left questioning how certain events played out. There are many instances where main details are left unexplained or are just not plausible. It is as if the viewer was expected to not notice and play dumb. This is a great example of one of those movies where the brain must be shut off to enjoy. Maybe had I known that, I would have enjoyed the movie a bit more.
Another major flaw that ruins Chappie’s chances at being great are characters. I’m not really sure what type of personalities the characters are supposed to have and that is a problem. I should have a feeling of who each person is and the actions they would make. I never got that. At many times throughout, characters had actions that were paradoxical with their already “developed” personalities. I felt as though the characters were undeveloped and not even the writers knew who they truly were. Because the characters were undeveloped and the script was mediocre, little room was left for actors to shine. I felt as if the acting was there but was held back due to the poor character choices and a mediocre script.
The one character who shined, as he should have, was Chappie. I thoroughly enjoyed the thought that was put into his actions and his script. His cuteness and lovability was the one character that I really could relate to. Chappie was the one character who I felt was fully developed. Other than Chappie, all other characters were mediocre at best if not complete failures.
Not to worry though, Chappie did have some aspects to it that saved it from being an outright flop. For one, the soundtrack was amazing. It made action scenes extremely intense and pulled out emotions when necessary. I was not surprised to find Hans Zimmer had a hand in it.
The CGI in the movie was great as well. Even in many of the slow-motion action scenes, I could not tell what was real and what was fake. The fight scenes were intense without being overwhelming. I found myself enveloped in the movie during the action parts due to the great CGI and great soundtrack.
While the movie had some decency to it, fatal flaws tarnished the great potential Chappie had at being a great movie. With a great soundtrack, CGI, and fighting scenes, there was no craving for action left. But, a messy plot and undeveloped characters proved to be downfalls. It is comparable to having a really nice car with no engine. It looks good, but doesn’t do much. I really was hoping for more from Neill Blomkamp this time… Hopefully he will make a great return with a sequel to District 9.
