Chappie (2015)

In the near future, crime is patrolled by a mechanized police force. When one police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself.

Director:

Neill Blomkamp

Writers:

Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell

Stars:

Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sharlto Copley	...	Chappie
Dev Patel	...	Deon Wilson
Ninja	...	Ninja
Yo-Landi Visser	...	Yo-Landi (as ¥o-Landi Vi$$er)
Jose Pablo Cantillo	...	Yankie (Amerika)
Hugh Jackman	...	Vincent Moore
Sigourney Weaver	...	Michelle Bradley
Brandon Auret	...	Hippo
Johnny Selema	...	Pitbull (as Johnny K. Selema)
Anderson Cooper	...	Anderson Cooper
Maurice Carpede	...	Police Chief
Jason Cope	...	Tetravaal Lead Mechanic
Kevin Otto	...	Interviewer
Chris Shields	...	Journalist
Bill Marchant	...	Professor

Storyline

In Johannesburg, the police department reduced the high rating of criminality using robots from the Tetravaal Company, designed by the engineer Deon Wilson. The former military Vincent Moore is envious of Deon, since he has developed another project called Moose, but neither Tetravaal nor the police department is interested. Deon has just developed an Artificial Intelligence but the Tetravaal's CEO Michelle Bradley asks him to abort the project. Deon decides to bring the damaged Robot 22 that was sent to be crushed to test his A.I. However he is kidnapped by the criminals Ninja, Yo-Landi and Amerika that want him to stop the robot cops. When they see the damaged robot in the van, they force Deon to program it to heist banks with them and they call it Chappie. However, Chappie acts like a child and need to be trained to learn and grow. Meanwhile Vincent follows Deon and plots an evil scheme to activate his robot.

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Plot Keywords:

robot | artificial intelligence | future | mind uploading | consciousness | 

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Taglines:

A different kind of family unit.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

South Africa USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Capis

Filming Locations:

Johannesburg, South Africa

Box Office

Budget:

$49,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,346,782, 8 March 2015, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$31,569,268

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$104,399,548, 25 May 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation,Media Rights Capital (MRC),LStar Capital

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color (ACES)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ninja was also Neill Blomkamp's first choice to play the lead in Blomkamp's previous feature Elysium (2013), but he turned down the role, reportedly because he didn't want his first screen role to be an American-accented character.

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Goofs

Around the 3 minute mark in the movie, there is a white Mercedes van that travels from right to left on the screen. The van has the word "Tetravaal" (and it's logo) and the words "Robotics Service and Maintenance" on the side of the van. (It's the van with Chappie inside after he gets damaged. When the van stops, they take Chappie out of the back.)

As the van is traveling from right to left across the screen, you see the driver's left hand in an awkward position. The driver's window is down and the driver's left hand is holding the frame in the middle of the door (the part of the frame where the window slides down into the frame of the door).

As the van moves more to the left and as the driver applies the breaks to stop the van, the door opens (Maybe 4 to 6 inches? Or 10 to 15 cm?) and the driver realizes the door is open and quickly pulls the door shut with his hand as he comes to a stop.

After watching it again, you realize that the driver has his hand on the door during the entire video of the van moving because he's trying keep the door shut with his hand.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Journalist: Historically, when we look at evolution, it's not surprising that uh... Chappie's left turn... uh... happened.
Professor: It's too early to tell how this is all going to play out. I didn't believe that this would happen in my lifetime, but... but it is happening.

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Crazy Credits

In the closing credits appears "Be Moved" in large font.

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Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: Chappie/The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel/Unfinished Business (2015)

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Soundtracks

Happy Go S*cky F*cky
Written by Ninja, Yo-Landi Visser (as ¥o-Landi Vi$$er), D.J. Hi-Tek (as DJ Hi-Tek), Motohiro Kawashima
Performed by Die Antwoord
Courtesy of Zef Records

User Reviews

A Rare Entertaining AND Technologically Honest SciFi

I went to watch it because I like scifi and AI/robot theme TV/movies in general. Some I hate (Her, A.I.) some I love (Blade Runner, Battlestar remake, Wall-E). This one, I love. I didn't have an opinion about Neill Blomkamp. Didn't even know Hugh Jackman is in this movie so it was a pleasant surprise.

I was emotionally moved and entertained. Chappie is one of - no, THE MOST action-packed YET emotionally-engaging and HEARTFUL movies I've watched in a while, no bored moments and no time for going into meta-analysis. Can't believe I cared about a clunky metalic wire-ly robot, haven't since the far-cuter Wall-E anyway.

Dev Pattel is well cast, did the role total justice. Sigourney did her part with just the right note. Hugh succeeded in compressing his bigger-than-life self into an unglamorous (even unflattering) thug-in-cubicle-job role. Very noble of him, lending his superstar weight to this project. (showing Mr.BirdMan how a real-life hero gracefully bow out of superhero phase of his film role)

In spite of the tension from start to end, people burst out laughing A LOT throughout. There were lots of humor, but nothing contrived, just Grade AAA seamless storytelling. And if the key characters act crazy, it is explained why, without being captain obvious. Dialogs and expositions, 99% SHOW vs tell, Mckee would be proud, not that it mattered against the hateful bigots of pro critics Borg contingent. I decided somewhere along 20 minutes in - I REALLY like this directorial voice.

The technical bits: the story craft, the plotting, pacing, editing, art directing, effects, all superb and SEAMLESSLY EXECUTED. Zero complaint there. My only beef is as usual the theological stuff but I will not trash something this brilliant because it doesn't agree with my spiritual viewpoint.

Side note on IRRELEVANCY OF RT CRITIC SCORE (and probably Academy Self-Awards) I never cared about Rotten Tomatos score but my other half love to check it after every movie. We both anticipated the critics will be hateful with this one because it features a non-American director and 2 non-American male leads! But we didn't expect the shamelessness level. At least the audience disagreed by a HUGE margin, and the audience WORLDWIDE will continue to disagree as the box office telly of Rest of The World come in. This movie is trashed due to PURE POLITICAL reason. DUH. There are some really tightly-wound-up, bitter ANALysts in the mainstream "art" critic scene, who have forgotten how to feel sentient, and lost touch with everything, obviously.

Anyway, go watch it, just for entertainment. If you happen to be moved then it is a bonus. It will prove that you have a heart, and more sentient than the average Borgs who's tied into "networked group mind" opinions.

Meanwhile I totally look forward to a sequel. 9/10. +1 just to annoy the art-haters.