f13.net

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXwichuGW28

Looks like what bloggers are saying: A dark Short Circuit. Not sure about Die Antwoord, but I do like Neill Blomkamp.

Well that was a surreal collection of appearances. I can't help feeling this will have the same problem as Elysium - the trailer makes it feel REALLY PREACHY and heavy-handed.

If nothing else the Indian character is actually being played by an Indian this time.

Oh come on, he's as Indian as Ben Kingsley!

I'll watch it.

Blomkamp's films take a very hard Structuralist perspective in its subject matter. District 9 was excellent commentary on apartheid, but Elysium almost seemed comical in its preaching about inequality in social classes, with an ending that I thought was gob-smacking stupid and idealistic ("Free Health Care for all!")

I expect that the film examines how much environment has an effect on the development of a person as an argument for stabilizing conflict regions and raising the living standards of the poor. Not a bad socialist argument.

But robot sentience as a premise is where this film and others like it are a non-starter for me. I get that it's meant to explore "What would happen if humanity created a new sentient life form?", racism, slavery, etc. etc.

But if and when it happens? I'll be Hugh Jackman. Because then I get to be Hugh Jackman.

Trailer 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyy7y0QOK-0)

Hugh Jackman with a mullet? What's not to like?

Dark short circuit now with more Robocop and I,Robot?

Die Antwoord and Heatbeeps vs. ED-209 and Wolverine?

BE THERE.

I'll still watch it.

Geez, did I really write all that? I forget that suspension of disbelief is required to get to the point of the film and its commentary. I'm looking forward to when this comes out.

Edit: Trailer revealed way too much of the story, you can predict where things are going to go.

i'm in just for the Briareos "ears".

THAT'S what he reminded me of!

Not this?

(http://i.imgur.com/C6b7q4G.gif)

No, not a veritech, though I do see the resemblance.  The police motif and articulation is closer to Appleseed though.

(http://www.taillefoot.com/ala/images/appleseed14.jpg)

After Eyslium I'm pretty burnt on this guy. I don't care for his soapbox if he is going to ham up his sfy-cred to make a mute point.

 :psyduck:

Kids these days, with the spell check.  And no context checker.

Maybe it's an attempt cunningly suggest the guy should shut up?

I'm trying to figure out how it's a moot point, anyway. What is Human, what is Alive & Machine who gains sentience are common tropes in SciFi.

Then there's the whole, "Oh, this isn't just a pie-in-the sky 'what if' discussion anymore, is it." point that keeps getting closer.
http://www.sciencealert.com/watch-scientists-have-put-a-worm-s-brain-into-a-lego-robot-s-body-and-it-works

Small aside, thought that "From the director of District 9" on the poster with no mention of Elysium was telling about how that movie did. If that is his tagline on the next poster, the vector of his career will seem less optimistic.

Movie comes out this week. No reviews on it yet.... which... is usually not a good sign.

I feel like that happens with all of Blomkampfs (spelling) shit.

Earliest review for District 9 was Jul 30, 2009. District 9 opened wide on Aug 14.
Earliest review for Elysium was  Aug 1, 2013. Elysium opened wide on Aug 8.

No reviews culled on RT yet for Chappie.

http://io9.com/neill-blomkamp-admits-he-f-cked-it-up-with-elysium-1688313659 (http://io9.com/neill-blomkamp-admits-he-f-cked-it-up-with-elysium-1688313659)
At least he admits it. Not expecting much from Chappie. Feels a retread of familiar ground.

I kind of feel like someone else should be writing his films. It's a shame. They look absolutely awesome.

There's been so much advertising for this movie I'm already sick of it.

Its funny how one movie can burn all your sfy cred. District 9 will basically be this guys Matrix.

Ouch.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chappie/

I don't listen to RT critic reviews for stuff like Sci-Fi or Fantasy anymore, only the audience rating. So many critics are in love with bloviating and treating film as if it's the highest form of media that they'll tank reviews on what is an otherwise fun movie because it's not 'high art' or 'high concept' enough. Blockbusters avoid this because they're blockbusters, but this one I'm not sure on.  The 67% audience review is encouraging but I'll give it more than the test audiences to even-out.

Just use it as a tool. It's not like the metric is 100% or 0%.

And there are plenty of huge movies that get great reviews, IE Guardians of the Galaxy.

This dude's career arc is shaped like a playground slide.

Good thing he's doing the next Alien movie!

With Sharlto Copley as the Alien Queen.

He really, really needs to partner up with a strong screenwriter who can write to his visual style. I think he has a good visual sensibility but his instincts for storytelling are kind of shit.

I watched it tonight and left with the feeling that someone had a checklist of random ideas that sounded cool in a boardroom and the script was written specifically to conform to those checklists.  Any kind of consistency and common sense goes right out the window at several points in the movie seemingly to make these various moments come to pass.