Chappie (2015)

It was a good idea directed badly. For most of the film I kept asking myself if it were all a joke or if I was hallucinating, surely no one could have intentionally created characters as ridiculous and a script so lame as this. And so the plot goes: Dev 'Slumdog' Patel plays a scientist who has created a robot police force which has cut crime in Johannesburg by 90% Hugh Jackman, his rival in the same robotics company and is himself looking for approval to deploy his own much larger robot. It's just like the plot of Robocop, but instead of having Clarence Boddicker and his gang to deal with, the robot police have a collection of unlikely and brightly coloured villains, who look like characters from 90's video games.

 After an accident, one robot in the factory is due to be scrapped, but Dev Patel saves him and implants his new breakthrough artificial intelligence software into the droid's memory. The mindless automaton becomes self aware but has the mind of a child, at which point the young scientist is kidnapped by a gang of criminals, who intend to use 'Chappie' the newly conscience robot, to pull off a daring heist. Now most of the film is wasted with the attempts of the inept and quite frankly ridiculous looking criminals to teach Chappie how to be a criminal. These bad ass gangsters have an affinity for brightly coloured things, crap haircuts, and even worse tattoos. That, and the acting from the trio of crims leaves a lot to be desired. Hugh Jackman, who looks just as silly as the criminals in this weird film - looking like a cross between Indiana Jones and Steve Irwin - eventually turns bad, and tries to kill everyone in sight with his huge battle robot , 'The Moose'.

 If it weren't for the battle scenes I'd have 2-starred this film. The entertaining and impressive special effects during such scenes was just what I was expecting from Blomkamp. It's just a shame that he didn't pay as much attention to the rest of the film. It could have been the new Short Circuit (or a least a very violent Short Circuit.) I liked the ending, which leaves you wondering about a possible sequel. All in all, a bit of a misfire from Blomkamp who, as he proved with District 9, is capable of a lot better.

Chappie (2015)

It was a good idea directed badly. For most of the film I kept asking myself if it were all a joke or if I was hallucinating, surely no one could have intentionally created characters as ridiculous and a script so lame as this. And so the plot goes: Dev 'Slumdog' Patel plays a scientist who has created a robot police force which has cut crime in Johannesburg by 90% Hugh Jackman, his rival in the same robotics company and is himself looking for approval to deploy his own much larger robot. It's just like the plot of Robocop, but instead of having Clarence Boddicker and his gang to deal with, the robot police have a collection of unlikely and brightly coloured villains, who look like characters from 90's video games.

 After an accident, one robot in the factory is due to be scrapped, but Dev Patel saves him and implants his new breakthrough artificial intelligence software into the droid's memory. The mindless automaton becomes self aware but has the mind of a child, at which point the young scientist is kidnapped by a gang of criminals, who intend to use 'Chappie' the newly conscience robot, to pull off a daring heist. Now most of the film is wasted with the attempts of the inept and quite frankly ridiculous looking criminals to teach Chappie how to be a criminal. These bad ass gangsters have an affinity for brightly coloured things, crap haircuts, and even worse tattoos. That, and the acting from the trio of crims leaves a lot to be desired. Hugh Jackman, who looks just as silly as the criminals in this weird film - looking like a cross between Indiana Jones and Steve Irwin - eventually turns bad, and tries to kill everyone in sight with his huge battle robot , 'The Moose'.

 If it weren't for the battle scenes I'd have 2-starred this film. The entertaining and impressive special effects during such scenes was just what I was expecting from Blomkamp. It's just a shame that he didn't pay as much attention to the rest of the film. It could have been the new Short Circuit (or a least a very violent Short Circuit.) I liked the ending, which leaves you wondering about a possible sequel. All in all, a bit of a misfire from Blomkamp who, as he proved with District 9, is capable of a lot better.

Enemy (2014)

Enemy is a dark and strange slow-burner, and one of the most boring films I've ever seen. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a disheveled history teacher who, while watching a movie at home, discovers a man that looks exactly the same as him.

At no point do the two men attempt find out how they look alike, exchanging birth dates, birth certificates, or ask their parents etc.. Which would be the natural reaction after making such a discovery.

He sets out to find this man and find out how this is possible. They meet, and he discovers his identical opposite is in effect his nasty alter-ego.

His opposite number then blackmails him into a night with his wife. That's basically it... the proceeding hour before that dragged out arduously, with Gyllenhaal shuffling from place to place, every night having sex with his girlfriend in his dump of an apartment.

I just understand the message the director was trying to get across, be it in an obscure and arty way. I'm a fan of indie and art cinema, but this film just didn't do anything for me. I'd also love to know what those spiders symbolized..?

The films only saving grace is it was well filmed, with a dark, melancholy style. Other than that Enemy is a strange, dark, gloomy and extremely boring indie film, which is neither interesting, clever or entertaining.

Enemy (2014)

Enemy is a dark and strange slow-burner, and one of the most boring films I've ever seen. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a disheveled history teacher who, while watching a movie at home, discovers a man that looks exactly the same as him.

At no point do the two men attempt find out how they look alike, exchanging birth dates, birth certificates, or ask their parents etc.. Which would be the natural reaction after making such a discovery.

He sets out to find this man and find out how this is possible. They meet, and he discovers his identical opposite is in effect his nasty alter-ego.

His opposite number then blackmails him into a night with his wife. That's basically it... the proceeding hour before that dragged out arduously, with Gyllenhaal shuffling from place to place, every night having sex with his girlfriend in his dump of an apartment.

I just understand the message the director was trying to get across, be it in an obscure and arty way. I'm a fan of indie and art cinema, but this film just didn't do anything for me. I'd also love to know what those spiders symbolized..?

The films only saving grace is it was well filmed, with a dark, melancholy style. Other than that Enemy is a strange, dark, gloomy and extremely boring indie film, which is neither interesting, clever or entertaining.