STACK #126 Apr 2016

CINEMA

REVIEWS

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The creator of merciless robot soldiers, used as special police squads, experiments on a new operating system capable of learning, creativity and decision. Naturally, it falls into the hands of gangster/alternative/rap group Die Antwoord. CHAPPIE RELEASED: March 12 DIRECTOR: Neill Blomkamp CAST: Sharlto Copley, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver RATING: MA15+

P erhaps making one of the most exciting and nigh on perfect movies in many years as your debut is a curse for life? District 9 shattered conventions and engaged audiences with such power, they pretty much gave director Blomkamp the keys to Hollywood uttering, ‘Go for it!’. Then came the miscalculated fart, Elysium, with a bigger budget and major Hollywood stars. Since that critical and commercial failure, smaller stars (Jackman instead of Damon, Weaver instead of Foster) and less fanfare greets this third writer- director offering, Chappie ; a riff on elements of District 9 ’s ‘urban chaos’ and uber machinery, but with a hook involving cult South African musical outfit, Die Antwoord. But, you see, they play themselves. Not the best idea in hindsight, particularly considering suspension of belief goes out the window if a lead character is wearing a T-shirt of their own band in a sci-fi orientated fictitious universe. Unless you’re Jodorowsky in the ‘70s, forget it; your cover’s blown and it’s now a mere promotional video clip for two hours. That said, while the director offers a script making audiences guffaw with embarrassment, and seemingly has no

idea on how to direct actors to show genuine emotion, intent or belief, he’s damn good at making us love a foreign object. Like our hearts melted for ‘the prawns’ in District 9 , ‘Chappie’ himself (a broken robot soldier, now fitted with the capability to learn) is freshly believable as a newborn machine entering our horrible, cruel world possessing an E.T. meets Short Circuit cute factor. The idea of Die Antwoord teaching Chappie how to be a gangster is at times extremely satisfying and brave filmmaking. But in consistency, it’s a pantomime of shame as Hugh Jackman awkwardly channels Steve Irwin on steroids and Weaver basically does NOTHING, yet the next minute someone’s head is being ripped off – Verhoeven style. The action is as you'd expect, astonishing; but that cat-sat-on-the-mat script, the sheer lack of any screen charisma from the afore band, and the cliché upon cliché makes you leave the cinema deflated. One must now wonder and fear what Blomkamp will do officially helming the next Alien film!? Oh, Chappie was intended as the first part in a trilogy of films. Now, probably not. Chris Murray

APRIL 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

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