Review of Chappie (2015) by James S — 10 Jul 2015

While this movie sports incredible visual effects and somewhat redeems itself near the end, it's still an unnecessarily mean-spirited and stupid venture. It takes a premise and style that was done better in previous films like "E.

T." and "Short Circuit" but fails in that it refuses to try and acknowledge what made those movies charming to begin with. Instead, it gives us a character whose innocence matches that of E.

T. and Johnny Five, only it thinks we want to see that character thrown into a relentlessly dark reality from which the film can't resuscitate itself. The only good thing about it is that audiences are finally waking up to the mediocrity that is director Neill Blompkamp.