Filmmaker Neill Blomkamp stirred things up earlier in the week by publishing unseen concept art from his previously-unheard-of Alien project. With xenomorph devotees the world over mourning the loss of a movie we’ll likely never see, you can’t deny the fact that when Blomkamp’s interested, he throws himself all in. With that in mind, we can turn to a movie that is on its way – Chappie. While it doesn’t include any acid-blooded extraterrestrials, it does bear more than a passing resemblance to several schlocky 80s flicks.
Ahead of its arrival into cinemas, Sony has dropped a new trailer. This time permitting us a better glimpse at the film’s human component, there’s still no mistaking who’s the central figure: Chappie, the robot. Equipped with artificial intelligence, Chappie believes himself to be unique as he begins to question his life’s purpose. His job as a police ‘bot throws a spanner in the works when it comes to who he can trust. Some of those humans he’ll interact with on his journey are given a wider berth in this latest preview, namely Sigourney Weaver and Hugh Jackman, who are both stellar as smarmy, uncaring types.
As pointed out by Collider, this latest cut looks like a blend of Robocop (there’s even a towering ED-209 copycat) and Short Circuit. Hopefully it will turn out a lot grittier than both. We’ll find out what awaits the sentient ‘bot and if the film holds up when Chappie opens in theaters on March 27th.
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.