Chappie - C-

Rated R, 114 minutes
Wes's Grade: C-

Sci-fi flick "Chappie" has some nice visuals, but is mostly a clunker

Science-fiction filmmaker Neil Blomkamp remains one of cinema's brightest new stars, particularly after his first two compelling films, "District 9" and "Elysium," but every filmmaker has misfires, and the new sci-fi drama "Chappie," about an experimental robot, is certainly going to be one of Blomkamp's lesser efforts. In spite of the solid visuals, the story and characters are far less memorable. In the near future, crime is patrolled by an oppressive mechanized police force. But now, the people are fighting back. When one police droid, Chappie (Charlto Copley), is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. As powerful, destructive forces start to see Chappie as a danger to mankind and order, they will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo and ensure that Chappie is the last of his kind. Directed and written by Blomkamp, the mildly entertaining but incoherent "Chappie" is mostly a clunker, despite an original concept and some intriguing special effects. Unfortunately, Blomkamp is mostly to blame here too, with a sledgehammer approach that is hardly subtle; the characters are strictly one-dimensional and painted in such broad strokes, that it's hard to believe this is the same director of the thought-provoking "District 9," which is one of the best science-fiction films of the past few years. It's unfortunate that "Chappie" wastes such a talented cast too, including Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman (sporting one of the worst mullets of recent memory) and Sigourney Weaver, as well as Blomkamp's muse of sorts, Copley, whose previous collaborations with the director are far more memorable than "Chappie." The film is most unfocused in a much slower second act, when it takes considerable time to get the robot up and going again, and the film becomes an uneasy mix of cutesy and bloody. The nifty special effects, which are Blomkamp's trademark, have been done on a modest scale here, and the production values overall are great, and while "Chappie" has a few good moments, the sum of its parts don't quite add up. Hopefully this won't affect Blomkamp too much, who has been charged with the daunting job of rebooting the "Alien" franchise (a deal obviously made before this was seen), and he is certainly an intriguing choice for that job. There have been many great films made about robots, though "Chappie" isn't one of them. Rent Blompkamp's debut, "District 9," for a much better experience.