These Two Chappie TV Spots Emphasize The Softer Side Of Robotics
South African director Neill Blomkamp is back with his follow up to 2013’s Elysium, which left many audiences flat, with the robot-centric actioner Chappie. The studio dropped a slick new poster over the weekend, and now, with less than a month to go until the March 6 release date, Sony Pictures Entertainment is back with two brand new TV spots.
This first video emphasizes the true gentle nature of the title character. You see the tender side of Chappie, he’s scared, nervous, kind, open, and all together childlike. That’s the approach they’re taking towards artificial intelligence, portraying him as what is essentially a wide-eyed child seeing the world for the first time. This provides the opportunity to show the sense of wonder as he experiences life.
On the other hand, you also see the less than enthusiast reaction some have to his presence and the intolerance he meets. New things are terrifying to most people, and when they see something different, something they don’t yet comprehend, their initial reaction is all too often to lash out violently, like tossing a Molotov cocktail at a robot that just wants to hang out and be awesome.
The second spot its very similar to the first, showcasing the heart of the movie, and that there is much more to the character than just being a cool looking robot. Also, the action takes a more central role here, and you’re reminded just what a skilled visual director Blomkamp is. The guy has some serious chops, even if you do think Chappie is the bastard child of RoboCop and Short Circuit (not necessarily a bad thing).
Here’s a synopsis:
Every child comes into the world full of promise, and none more so than Chappie: he is gifted, special, a prodigy. Like any child, Chappie will come under the influence of his surroundings – some good, some bad – and he will rely on his heart and soul to find his way in the world and become his own man. But there’s one thing that makes Chappie different from anyone else: he is a robot. The first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. His life, his story, will change the way the world looks at robots and humans forever.
There’s a lot more going on here than just this. Chappie began life as a part of a mechanized police force, and there’s competition between rival inventors played by Dev Patel and Hugh Jackman. Sigourney Weaver shows up as some kind of tough as nails official of some kind, hinting at some sort of institutional corruption. South African rap-rave duo Die Antwoord Yo-Landi Vi$$er and Ninja even play crazy South African rap-ravers. That should be fun We’re not sure what it all adds up to, but we’re damn curious to find out.
Chappie opens everywhere March 6.
