Chappie (2015) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written December 31st, 2015*

"Happy Chappie"

Neill Blomkamp exploded onto the film scene with the incredible District 9 in 2009 and he followed it up with the much less well received Elysium a couple of years ago. Most people were hoping that he would reach the heights he did with District 9 with Chappie, while he didn't, Chappie was still one of the most underrated and unfairly reviewed films of this year. 

Dev Patel plays a scientist who made robots that replaced the human police force in Johannesburg, but he wants to create the first sentient robot with a conciseness. To the dismay of his superiors he steals a damaged unit and puts a chip in it that makes him aware. The robot is then stolen by a group of gangsters who name him 'Chappie' and want to use him for heists to raise money for a kingpin they are in debt to.

The character of Chappie is utterly charming, most people seemed to find him annoying, but I cared about him from the get go. He starts of acting like a baby, but quickly grows to learn morality and to handle himself. It was fascinating to see a robot that is scared of the world. It really helped that Blomkamp once again creates CGI that mixes into the real world perfectly and feels real. Sharlto Copley's familiar voice as Chappie also helped make for a likeable character.

Where Chappie falters for me is the lack of exploration of the morality of making sentient life out of a robot. The questions are asked, but not explored at all really. If you want a deeper look at these questions, you're probably better off watching Ex Machina.

While it is not particularly deep, Blomkamp once again makes an insanely entertaining action film. His visual style and use of slow-motion is once again top-notch and is gorgeous. I loved the design of everything, even the custom painted weapons the characters use. It's also extremely violent at times, even grizzly. Which might seem at odds with the film's tone, it feels like Robocop meets Short Circuit, but it works. 

Hugh Jackman's (or Huge Jacked Man's) villain is quite weak. I get the character's frustration as he tries to push for his over the top warlike robots to be put in the field, but the motivation for doing some of the stuff was really messy and there was such a strange scene where he pulls a gun on Patel in the office and it was just brushed off as a "prank" with no consequences. Jackman's performance certainly wasn't bad, his character was just badly developed.

First time actors 'Ninja' and Yo-Landi Visser fare much better. Their characters (Especially Yo's) are very likeable and Chappie's adoptive parents who raise him to different ideals. Ninja just wants to use him for crime and make money, while Yo wants him to follow his dreams and be creative. Their relationship was the heart of Chappie and it was very effective, making for a bittersweet and quite touching ending. 

Sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver also has a small role that really amounts to nothing more than a cameo. No idea why she even gets her name on the poster. I guess her small role in this also had some involvement on the green light of Blomkamp's 'Alien 5', so I guess it was worth it.


Chappie is a charming, action packed and violent sci-fi film and one of the most underrated films of the year. Cannot wait to see Blomkamp's Alien 5 (Which is sadly on hold while Ridley Scott does his next Prometheus film). I have faith it will be more in line of this and District 9 and probably better than Alien 3 and Resurrection.

8/10 Dans

Chappie is out now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD in the UK

Watch the trailer below:

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Logan (2017) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written February 28th, 2017*

"Don't be what they made you"

If there was any film likely to leave me in tears this year in the cinema, it was going to be Logan. Hugh Jackman's swansong to the X-Men franchise and to the character of Wolverine he'd been playing for 17 years. Logan is a character I've been watching since I was 4 years old back in 2000, so in many ways it felt like the end of my childhood.

Thankfully, Logan is a film that has matured with its audience that had been watching X-Men since their early years. It's a dark, miserable and depressing film and barely resembles a single superhero film of recent years. I'll also say seriously that this is the best superhero film since The Dark Knight, possibly even better.

This was a beautiful, powerful and violent send-off that worked far better than I ever possibly could have imagined. Hugh Jackman plays a far older, broken and worn down Wolverine whose healing powers don't work very well anymore and has to look after a dementia stricken Professor Xavier who is prone to dangerous psychological outbursts. Logan ends up reluctantly having to look after and take a clone of himself in the form of a young girl he has to take to sanctuary while being hunted by a military group.

Where Logan differs itself from other superhero films is its tone and content. While Deadpool was a violent and crude film, Logan is far more mature, resonate and powerful. This is not a kids film, not just due to the adult content, but the bleak and miserable tone throughout.

It's really sad to see these characters you grew up with in such a broken state. Logan is a borderline alcoholic reduced to being a limo driver, while Xavier is a shadow of his former self. It's heartbreaking stuff that works so well thanks to the incredible performances from Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart. They manage to mix superhero nonsense with genuine heart, warmth, tragedy and even comedy at times. It's all so bittersweet, but it works.

They're joined by a star making turn from Dafne Keen as 'Laura' a near mute clone of Logan who is on the run from a military group. While barely saying anything, Keen brings so much to the role, delivering a really touching father-daughter relationship Logan had been unable to have throughout his whole tragic life. What's even more impressive is the fact this is only Keen's second role in her entire career and she nearly stole the show from Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart. This is probably the best child performance I've seen since Chloe Grace Moretz in Kick-Ass.

The Office/Extras writer Stephen Merchant also gave a memorable turn as Caliban, a pale albino mutant who brings a lighter tone to some of Logan's more bleak outlook. He's essentially doing what he usually does, but with some makeup on. Anyway, it was nice to see him a huge blockbuster film for once. He earns it more than his co-writer Ricky Gervais. And now I just imagined an alternate universe where Gervais was in this too...

James Mangold takes on directorial duties as he did with the previous Wolverine outing 'The Wolverine' in 2013, which was a bit of a mess, but at least better than 2009's 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'. Logan thankfully does not suffer from the same pitfalls as Mangold's last effort with the Wolverine character. Probably due to the fact he was allowed creative control to make a violent, R-rated send-off that lacks a bombastic CGI heavy finale.

All the action in Logan feels small and contained, but is brutal and hard-hitting at the same time. It was so satisfying to see Wolverine actually cut people up into gory messes. While extremely violent, it all works within the tone of the film. I wasn't a massive fan of the frequent swearing at the beginning of the film, but that soon wore off and they toned it down.

Mangold directs the action scenes with kinetic beauty, making use of both Wolverine and Laura in some visually beautiful action scenes. The cinematography of Logan feels closer to No Country for Old Men than it does a superhero film. Logan has the vibe of a neo-western and looks gorgeous, full of nice looking deserts and even a trip to Las Vegas.

Without spoiling anything, I'd honestly be okay if this was the ending to the X-Men series as a whole. It leaves things in such a powerful and perfect way that I was tearing up. While this is the end of Hugh Jackman's run as Wolverine, it also feels like the end point of the X-Men we all grew up with, and it managed to do it all perfectly.

Logan is a powerful, violent and beautiful send-off for Hugh Jackman's 17 year run as Logan. It's also one of the best superhero films of all-time and likely to be one of the best films of 2017. I really hope there's Oscar considerations for Logan for next years awards.

10/10 Dans

Logan is out July 10th in the UK on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD
Watch the trailer below:

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