Review - Chappie

Following Neil Blomkamp's 2009 debut film District 9, his 2013 feature Elysium contrasted in a way that was somewhat disappointing in the way in which it was produced. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, it's just that it felt more like a Hollywood blockbuster, as oppose to the raw and edgy adventure that was District 9. I'm happy to say though that Chappie brings the best of both worlds together beautifully.

Set in near-future Johannesburg, where an iRobot-like system of AI law-enforcement patrols the streets. Crime is down to a record low and cop deaths have been reduced, yet robot-cop inventor Deon Wilson (Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire) sees more to his android army than just clean streets. 

Deon is working on something new, an artificial intelligence system that can not only think, but can feel emotion and create it's personality. The result of his prototype computer program and a set-to-be destroyed faulty police robot, is Chappie. 

With the body of a thick-skinned machine and the brain of a developing and highly

impressionable small child, Chappie and creator Deon are hijacked and taken to the derelict underbelly of Johannesburg. Here they are confronted by criminals Ninja and Yolandi, a pair of gang runaways played by electroclash duo Die Antwoord. 

Sharlto Copley once more plays a major part in the South African directors creation, voicing Chappie in a charming and delightfully humane fashion. You'll leave the cinema wanting a Chappie, and wanting to cuddle it like a baby until he falls asleep and starts calling you Mommy. 

As Deon attempts to nuture Chappie's infant brain slowly, Ninja sees the opportunity to turn him instead into his car-jacking ninja-star throwing sidekick. Chappie learns quickly and soon becomes a foreboding figure in the underground crime scene. 

Thrown into the mix too is Deon's co-worker Vincent Moore. Played by a mullet-laden Hugh Jackman, Moore sees Deon's successful police units as the reason behind his own crime-fighting invention, "The Moose" failing to find a willing customer. 

The story moves inevitably towards a gunfight between Moore in his Moose and Chappie and co. The fight scene serves a purpose as a conclusion to the film in a CGI-heavy encounter, bringing a somewhat easy end to Jackman and the human factions involvement. 

Blomkamp's third directional outing is an enjoyable and infectious journey that leaves you wanting more Chappie. It asks big questions concerning what's right and what's wrong with overly-developing AI technology yet it doesn't necessarily answer these questions, rather it leaves it to us to ponder. 

  

Review - Big Hero 6

Coming off the back of their seemingly everlasting success with Frozen, Disney Animated Studios have drawn directly from Marvel's chest of treasures to bring us 2014's highest grossing animated movie, Big Hero 6. Voiced by Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Robot Chicken) Baymax and co come together to create a visually dazzling and highly loveable superhero spectacle for the whole family. 

Set in the streets of a fictional amalgamation of America and Japan, San Fransokyo (it's as cool as it sounds), this lesser known Marvel story brings together 14-year-old scientific inventing prodigy Hiro Hamada, and his brother's own robot creation Baymax. Initially designed to care and aid for those in need, Baymax is slowly transformed by Hiro from an inflatable-latex version of Mrs Doubtfire, into a full body-armoured fighting machine. 

Comedy runs throughout with Baymax stealing the show, basic slapstick jokes are meticulously timed and innovately reimagined to make uproariously funny scenes from the simplest of concepts. Alongside coloufully epic visuals and technoloigcally advanced animation, Disney have created a movie with enough cross-generational flavour to make this a contender for movie of the year. 

Baymax is brilliant, his Siri-like response tone and adorably cute natured mannerisms make him a loveable and hilarious character. He is overly-attentive like a loving parent, but at the same time is completely oblivious of his surroundings like a small child. Baymax's character manages to dilute fast-paced action scenes with his gentle nature, scenes which would have otherwise been alarming for kids. 

Whilst investigating the death of Hiro's brother and Baymax's creator, Tadashi, the pair come across a Kabuki-masked, black cloak wearing figure who has turned one of Hiro's scientific creations into his own personal weapon. But the duo aren't alone, teamed with Tadashi's college buddies and Hiro's keen eye for inventing brightly coloured and incredibly advanced superhero costumes, the six of them set out to avenge Tadashi's death and uncover the man behind the mask. 

The film's plot is basic, but has been fleshed out well with clever twists and turns and characters that are instantly loveable and gags that will be long remembered. The ever growing relationship between Baymax and Hiro though is the core of this high-flying adventure. The early stages bring together Hiro's teenage attitude and Baymax's child-like naivety, while the latter of the movie is both heartwarming and heroic. 

And of course, it wouldn't be a Marvel movie without an appearance from Stan Lee now would it?