“CHAPPIE.” Key changes enable him to think and feel.
Years ago, the outstanding animated feature, “Wall-E,” told the unusual story of a little robot assigned all by his lonesome to clean up the debris and junk on an abandoned Earth.
The full-length cartoon both delighted and moved viewers, because the little ‘bot was depicted not just as a machine, but also as a creature that was capable of feeling and expressing emotions.
We recall that beautiful film now, because another movie on a similar theme is currently on view in theaters, so comparisons may be helpful.
The new movie is “Chappie,” the pet name given to a man-size robot that is one of many such “living” machines, made specifically to do police work on Earth in the future.
Brilliant nerd
The other police robots aren’t capable of emotion, but their creator, a brilliant nerd named Deon Wilson (Dev Patel), has made some key changes in Chappie’s makeup that enables him to think and feel.
So far, so intriguing. But, this sort of “new technological Adam” theme could make the consequent movie a sci-fi bore, so the production adds another layer to its storytelling that provides a lot of texture and color to the proceedings:
Chappie soon finds himself in the crass company of a motley gang of low-life criminals. Unlike his maker, who has programmed him to be good and principled, they want to use him in their criminal schemes, and force him to be as “baaad” as they are!
Too much texture
Definitely, this colorful conceit makes the film not boring—but, it also adds too much texture, and turns out to be a major distraction.
Another lapse is the film’s propensity for excessive and illogical coincidence, handily bringing its key characters together in an instant, as if they were the only people figuring in the movie’s scenario. This is too easy and pat to be believable, so the film’s credibility is implicitly compromised.
Having said all that, however, we end up still liking “Chappie,” because it opens up a brave, new world of dramatic discussion at this point in human history, when robots are starting to become a part of our day-to-day existence and activities.
Artificial intelligence
As inventions related to artificial intelligence become more advanced and sophisticated, the time will soon come when scientists will add original thought and feeling to our robots’ skills.
How do we relate to them when that happens? So many exciting and confounding possibilities present themselves in this first film about the romantic love of a human for a robot, and vice versa. So, “Chappie” is good to watch, because it sets the stage for filmic “discussions” on that dauntingly new topic.
Yes, some of the movie’s developments are too far-out and loopy to be taken seriously
—but, when all is said and done, Chappie does think, feel and love, so what are we humans prepared to say in response—or in retort?