dvd of the week
Probably because of how great Neil Blomkamp’s first film District 9 was, critics were nasty that his third Chappie wasn’t as good. But I can’t fathom the hatred of the film, which I thoroughly enjoyed and found politically astute. Like District 9, Chappie takes place in a near-future South Africa ravaged by poverty and crime – until incredibly effective robot police mostly end the crime wave. The designer of the robots, whiz kid Deon Wilson (Dev Patel), is not content with his success: He wants to take the robots further and give them artificial intelligence that includes free will, artistic judgement and complex emotions. Told not to bother, he works in secret; meanwhile, Deon’s rival engineer Vincent Moore (a mulleted Hugh Jackman) is determined to take down Deon and his robots, no matter the cost. Blomkamp’s writing and direction are pointed and thrilling, while the social commentary is perhaps too blunt. Still, I loved the film and it deserves a second chance.
