Review of Chappie (2015) by Jamesirish68 — 08 Mar 2015

District 9 was an outstanding movie and for its follow up to be so weak is very disappointing. It copies the District 9 formula nearly to the letter. It’s basically the same movie but without the soul. The fake realistic talking heads opening, the robots who are off the same drawing board as the the D9 aliens, the urban decay shots the same. The overhead ghetto shots the same .The plot line the same. The final showdown the same. The final scene rebirth analogy the same. The sets and locations are the same.

The thug rapper gang are a new addition and not a positive one. Their primary purpose appears to start a fashion line and their music.Actors they are not... We have every accent under the sun to emphasise diversity I presume. Lots of the dialog is impenetrable and ear screeching annoying.

Bloomkamp has another anti apartheid message here, which is fine but he has a distinct preference himself for casting Afrikaners over black South Africans..(Nobody else hires Sharlto)..

Jackman and Weaver don't really care much and you sense it in their performances. A Christian baddie ( he crosses himself) ticks another cliche PC box.

D9 was wonderful and seems to be this guy’s peak.....Two misfires on the trot...