Chappie
Directed by Neil Blomkamp
Opens March 6
With the release of Chappie, instincts on writer-director Neill Blomkamp seem divided on praising him as a sci-fi visionary and potential savior of the Alien franchise and burying him as a derivative, diminishing hack. Maybe we can split the difference: bury him up to his shoulders and give him a heartfelt talking-to. Chappie, being the misadventures of a Johnny 5-ish robot who Johnny 5-ishly gains real consciousness, isn’t quite the type of movie only a talented director could make, but it’s not the kind of thing anonymous hacks churn out. For most directors, hacks or not, this sci-fi-action-comedy-drama wouldn’t be worth the trouble.
