Chappie

Expectations:
Neill Blomkamp is THE MAN! Sure, all of you hateful critics are going to harp on the fact that Elysium wasn't as good as District 9, and, however true that may be, I personally didn't hate it as much as everyone else. It had problems. Heck, even Blomkamp has been hating on it, as of late. But, it wasn't terrible! It just didn't have the wow factor that came along with District 9. Instead, it felt a bit more like a typical sci-fi action flick and, if judged accordingly, holds its own. That said, Chappie is being seen as a chance for Blomkamp to redeem himself, and I was quite hopeful that he would be able to shut the critics up with this film. To me, the trailers for Chappie were absolutely terrible, particularly considering that Blomkamp has sold the film as a sort-of comedic sci-fi flick. Regardless, I knew that I would be checking Chappie out on opening weekend, and that is exactly what I did...

Plot:
While there were a few superfluous moments throughout this sci-fi dramedy, I was totally pleased with the story! While I can't pinpoint the reason, Blomkamp never has any problem connecting with me, and his ability to discuss social issues with his characters (however blatant) is something that I really enjoy. Chappie had a large resemblance to District 9, being set in the slums of Johannesburg and focusing on a character who was a bit of an outcast. Where District 9 was about not being accepted by your own people, Chappie focused more on the issue of not accepting new ideas and individuals who may not be anything like you. Sure, that element may have been shoved down the audience's throat a bit... But not any more than it was in District 9! Overall, Chappie really felt like an early 2000s sci-fi, action film, with its mix of humor, action, and fun. I'm not exactly sure why people have been so harsh on this film, but oh well...

Characters:
In the past, Blomkamp has sort of bombed with any character that wasn't played by Sharlto Copley (one of THE MOST underrated actors, by the way). While I am one of his biggest fans, there is no forgiving the horror that was Jodie Foster in Elysium. Thankfully, Chappie took a turn for the better...

Negatives:
You may or may not know, but I LOVE The Newsroom. And, what an appropriate time to bring that up, as I'm going against the critical flow! Anyway, on The Newsroom, Dev Patel plays Neil, who runs the news show's blog and pretty much anything else that has to do with technology. As I watched Chappie and saw Patel playing pretty much the exact same character, I just couldn't quite turn Neil off, in my mind. While Patel's performance wasn't horrible, I just don't think I connected to him as well as I should have. And, he never EVER closed the trunk to his van, which really pissed me off. Additionally, the mean guy who spoke English but still had subtitles... Yeah... Why?!?

Positives:
Ninja and Yo-Landi Visser, who actually played a version of themselves in the film, were quite fun as non-traditional gangsters, however goofy they may have been. Sure, there were times when you could tell that they needed some acting help, but the characters accomplished what they needed to and allowed for the main man to shine. And, that leads me to... Chappie! Of course, when your name is the title of the film, you are expected to steal the show, but I must say that Chappie was one of my favorite sci-fi characters in quite some time. Sharlto Copley was able to bring him to life in a way that not many could, and I was surprisingly impressed. Chappie was caring. Chappie made mistakes. Chappie made you laugh. But, above all, Chappie made you accept who he was becoming and never missed a beat in doing so...

Conclusion:
It appears as if 2015 is going to bring with it the bold return of these stand-alone action flicks, tucked neatly in the holes between Marvel and Star Wars. Unfortunately, the box office has failed to show a large amount of support for such films, which is quite disappointing to me. There was once a day when we could watch something that wasn't a superhero film or Oscar bait and actually enjoy it. It wasn't all Liam Neeson and teenagers killing each other! For me, Chappie was a return to those glory days of action films, when I was a kid who wouldn't have been impressed by the films that I love these days. Additionally, it was a reminder of how much I love Neill Blomkamp, who I believe has yet to miss on any film. Group think is a huge problem in the world of film criticism, and I believe a combination of group think and a horrible trailer led to the critical demise of Chappie. However, my opinion is unwavering. Chappie was a strong action film with an awesome story to tell about outcasts and embracing yourself for who you were truly meant to become. I give Chappie 3.89 out 5 stars.

Elysium

 

Expectations:
Way back in 2009, Neill Blomkamp and Sharlto Copley absolutely blew me away with their cheap, simple science ficiton hit, District 9. Not only was District 9 one of my favorite films of that year, it somehow merited an Oscar nomination, which totally surprised me and I'm sure many others. I've since seen the film at least 20 times, and, each time, it blows me away. My college literature professor even had us watch the film as part of our course work a couple of years ago (he was a huge sci-fi fan). Needless to say, the film made its mark in my life and really gave science fiction its first hope of actually receiving critical acclaim in a very long time, because we all know that Avatar was an underwhelming attempt at the same. With Blomkamp and Copley both involved with Elysium as well, I could barely contain my excitement for the film. In fact, there was no summer film that I was looking forward to more than Elysium, and that is saying something. So, of course, my hopes were high, even with the mixed reviews and the border line freshness on the Tomatometer.

Plot:
As far as killing people in unnecessarily gory fashion is concerned, Neill Blomkamp has a chance to quickly become the Quentin Tarantino of science fiction! In Elysium, people were blowing up left and right, as was the case with District 9. Maybe it was a bit too much, but I must say that I really enjoy watching people explode into hamburger meat, as long as the story is obviously false science fiction (not in your case, Quentin!). As evident by my hamburger meat excitement, I did enjoy the action in Elysium, which was very similar to District 9, just on a $100 million scale. On the other hand, Elysium's plot was not quite as moving as the intricate transformation story of District 9. There were so few intricacies to the story that the entire plot became vague and predictable, and there were many things that didn't quite make sense, even in a made up world. However, I still enjoyed it! Maybe I just have some sort of premature love for Blomkamp's films? Who knows! But, there was no point in the entire film that I was not completely wrapped up in the action onscreen, even when I was not being impressed by the storyline...

Characters:
I like to think that most people have a list of actors whose films they tend to enjoy, even though they are rarely impressed with the actor him/herself. For me, Matt Damon is one of those actors, along with folks like Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone. I just don't ever think of Damon as being invested in the character that he is playing, and his role of Max in Elysium was no exception in my thinking. Hopefully, one day, Damon will blow me away, but, for now, I must continue to wait.

Negatives:
Jodie freakin Foster!!! What happened!!! Usually, in contrast to Matt Damon, I enjoy watching Jodie Foster do her manly-woman thing, but I guess her lifetime achievement thing sucked her acting ability right out of her. Personally, I don't think she was even a bad choice for the role of Delacourt, but she just didn't bring it! Maybe Neill Blomkamp was too scared to correct her or something. Regardless, it was purely awful. There were a few other negatives, but none were on the same level as Foster's, so they will go unmentioned.

Positives:
Sure, Sharlto Copley is a bit odd, but there is no denying that the man can act. If you've seen District 9, you know how easily he connected to the audience as an innocent civilian. In Elysium, however, Copley's Kruger is completely, 100% opposite of D9's Wikas, and I loved him just as much. Kruger is a hard-nosed, government-assassin type guy, who tends to enjoy creating the aforementioned hamburger meat. Although I have yet to see many of the Oscar contenders that were released this summer, Copley's performance was one of my favorites thus far in 2013. Say what you want, but this guy is impressive!

Conclusion:
I know a lot of this review was "in comparison to District 9," making the review less significant to any of you who have yet to see the 2009 thriller. Let this serve as an encouragement to go watch it! If you have any love for movies with underlying meanings that are not so underlying, I promise that you will not be disappointed with District 9. As for Elysium... Even with the weak plot and the weak Jodie Foster, I really liked. Was it anywhere close to perfect? No... But, I was intrigued throughout the entire film, and that is something that rarely happens for me in thriller/action films. Kudos to Blomkamp for continuing to impress. Maybe everyone just set their expectations a bit too high, after the greatness that was District 9. I give Elysium 3.68 out of 5 stars.

Great Expectations: August 2013

As the summer begins to come to a close, I am longing for temperatures in the 40s, hot chocolate, and Christmas. Unfortunately, here in South Mississippi, my longings will not be fulfilled for quite sometime, leaving me with nothing but the sadness that comes with starting school and not having new movies to go watch. I feel like this girl:

Fortunately for us, there are still a few good summer flicks left, including the movie I have been waiting for all summer long...... Elysium--movie featuring one of my favorite (based on the whole one movie he has made), young directors, Neil Blomkamp. His first film, District 9, was one of the most underappreciated films of the past few years, as well as one of the most surprising Oscar nominees. District 9 is one of my favorite sci-fi films of all time, and I cannot wait to see Blomkamp's next attempt at sci-fi greatness. So, even with the disappointment that comes with the end of summer, we have Elysium and a few other films to look forward to...
 

 

The Spectacular Now

(August 2)

 

 

2 Guns

(August 2)

 

 

Elysium

(August 9)