Chappie Review

Chappie is the new sci-fi film by Neill Blomkamp. It stars Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, a rap group from South Africa (more on them later), and Sharlto Copley as Chappie. The film is set in the near future. Android robots are being deployed to control crime in Johannesburg. The creator of this program is Dev Patel, and he is working on making a robot that actually has a consciousness. A robot that can have emotions and morals. This robot ends up being Chappie. Hugh Jackman´s character on the other hand is the creator of the Moose program. This are huge robot but they are controlled by humans via a neuron helmet back at the base, and he isn´t getting the funding he needs since Dev Patels´program is already working With this two characters the film presents two different stand points. Letting humans continue to do the work with technology aiding them, or letting technology take control over the situation in a more efficient way since they don't really have morals and won´t get emotional over any situation at all.

You would think the movie would actually have Dev Patel and Hugh Jackman going at it with their ideologies. That´s not the case. Here´s where the rap group I mentioned comes in and basically ruin what could have been a very different movie. They play gangsters, and they need to do a heist to pay off this other gangster or they will get killed. So they get control of Chappie to help them do this. Since Chappie is like a kid, everything that he is told is what he will learn. The gangsters basically teach him to fight, how to talk, and how to steal. So firstly this gangsters are extremely annoying. You just want them off the screen, but the movie focuses mainly on them. This whole plot derails the movie completely and also affects action scenes later on in the movie. When the action is going on you don´t really care if anyone gets killed because the people get screen time are basically huge ass holes for having what´s basically a kid do the dirty work for them. The action is entertaining but you just don´t care for the people involved, so there really is no tension when things are blowing up. And if you are at least expecting a lot of action to entertain you, just know that there are really just 2 action sequences in the whole movie. Jackman´s character is potrayed as an ass hole too, even though he does have some pretty valid points and it would have been interesting to have his character be more than just the bad guy. The only characters that you really care for are Patel and Chappie. Sharlto Copley as Chappie is really the best part of this film. All of the body language and the way he speaks really makes you feel for him when bad stuff happens to him. You forget he is a robot and actually feel like he is just a kid, which is pretty impressive.

Another strong point are the visuals in this film. Blomkamp really knows how to shoot a movie, specially action sequences, and it keeps showing in this film. The visual effects are also amazing, and every single robot looks like it´s actually there. The acting is also good, except for our annoying rap duo. This really could have been an interesting movie if it wasn´t for the weird plot choice Blomkamp chose to follow. I hope that he gets his shit together for Alien 5, because if this movie tells us something is that he is not headed in the right direction as a writer at least. 2/5

Whiplash Review

This is a truly amazing movie. Whiplash stars Miles Teller who plays a student jazz drummer. His dream is to become one of the all time greats, but first he has to face an abusive teacher played by J.K. Simmons. Most people think Whiplash is a movie that mostly revolves around music. I found it to actually be more of a psychological battle between Miles Tellers' character and J.K. Simmons' character. J.K. Simmons begins to really push Miles Tellers' character to the edge until he can't take it anymore, and so begins a battle of wits to see who will ultimately outwit who. 

First of all I have to say that Miles Teller was fantastic in this movie, specially since he can actually play the drums which really makes him perfect for the role. J.K. Simmons though is the absolute stand out of this movie. Imagine his character from the Spider-Man movies, completely bald and with the ability to curse now. That is basically his character in this movie and he is absolutely fantastic. You really do feel afraid of this guy at times, plus the insults that come out of his mouth are brilliant too. 

One of the great things about this movie is how it shows Miles Tellers' character having to struggle with various relationships.  His family doesn't understand why drumming is important to him. They would rather have him do something else like sports or having a regular job. Anybody who has a passion for any art form knows that explaining your love for your art to other family members is really hard, and most of the time they won't understand. It also shows how you can lose a ton of things just for the sake of being the absolute best in your craft. 

But the best thing by far is the way J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller clash in this movie. The conflicts are very serious since you have two characters that feel really strong about their opinions, and when they start going at each other you really see some very intense scenes and acting. The editing is brilliant too. It really makes the whole film very fast paced and exhilarating, specially when Miles Teller is playing the drums. It switches from Miles Teller to his double (for the harder parts) seamlessly. You really won't notice when it's him or when it's not him. 

This is a movie that absolutely must be seen in a movie theater since the sound is really freaking amazing. It definitely is not the same as watching it on a computer or a regular t.v. The ending of the film was absolute perfection in my opinion. If you love music, watch this movie. If you have a passion for art, watch this movie. If you love amazing acting, watch this movie. Whiplash really is an amazing movie. 5/5  

Kingsman: The Secret Service Review

It's been a while since I saw a ridiculously fun movie. Kingsman is directed by Matthew Vaughn and it is a spy movie, but it's not like the ones we see nowadays. It's an homage to the old ones. You have the main villain with an impediment of sorts (this time being Samuel L. Jackson with a lisp). An over the top villain who is missing limbs and instead finds them replaced with weapons (this time being blades instead of legs). You also have the gadgets and much more. What makes this movie so awesome is the fact that it also points out the cliches that all these types of movies suffered. It is very self aware of what it is and doesn't try to be serious like most films try to be now.  

The basic plot of the film revolves around the Kingsman, a secret organization who consider themselves the knights of the modern age. They are all gentlemen, dress extremely well, and can also kill anyone with virtually anything. So after one of their own dies, they are forced to find a new member that will help them stop a multi-billionaires evil plan. The main cast includes Colin Firth, Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson, and the main star is Taron Egerton who is relatively a newcomer. Taron Egerton really surprised me since he actually makes his character feel like a relatable person who is going through a ton of different problems in his life. Colin Firth was also fantastic, specially since he did most of his own stunts which for his age is quite impressive. He also managed to play someone that is actually going through issues of his own, and not just the bad ass super spy in the movie. Samuel L. Jackson nailed the over the top villain role, and it was awesome that he added the lisp to his character. It really makes his character feel like an old school villain (without ever over doing it).

The best thing about the movie though is Matthew Vaughn's directing.  You can tell he loves old spy movies, but he also pokes fun at the stupid stuff in them. For those that don't know he also directed Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class, so you already know that this guy really knows how to make a really stylish action movie. Everything is shot extremely well without any shaky cam or multiple cuts. You can actually see that the actors are performing their stunts which is a huge plus for a movie like this. The choreography was great too, so the action scenes end up having a really cool stylish look to them. Matthew Vaughn also implements the over the top violence he used for Kick-Ass which really adds to the experience, specially when our blade legged villain appears. 

The music is also fantastic, and it goes hand in hand with the action scenes. You can tell that Matthew Vaughn worked really closely with the composer so that the action goes in rhythm with the music. The film´s humor was also another plus. A lot of the jokes are really crude and would have probably failed, but the way they are delivered in this movie actually manages to make them work. 

I really can't find anything wrong with Kingsman: The Secret Service. It is incredibly fun, well acted, has amazing over the top action scenes, and is actually not a predictable movie at times. I do recommend everyone to check this one out. It was really fucking awesome. 5/5