chappie movie poster image

New Chappie movie got mixed reviews from top movie critics. Columbia Pictures (Sony) released their new action/sci-fi flick, “Chappie,” into theaters this weekend, and all the reviews are in from the top movie critics. It turns out that they fell pretty mixed on this one, giving it an overall 40 score out of a possible 100 across 37 reviews at Metacritic.com.

The movie stars: Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Ninja and Yo-Landi Vi$$er. We’ve added blurbs from a few of the critics,below.

Mick LaSalle from the San Francisco Chronicle, gave it a 75 score, saying: ” It’s a good sci-fi action movie, too. Far be it from me to give this movie the kiss of death by making it seem too serious for its core audience. Chappie is everything it has to be — but it’s everything it should be, too.”

Bill Zwecker over at the Chicago Sun-Times, gave it a 63 grade, stating: “This is a well-meaning film with a good idea that unfortunately stumbles on its way to its less-than-satisfying end.”

Tom Russo from the Boston Globe, gave it a 63 score. He said: “Chappie boasts so many entertaining elements, particularly the lead motion-capture performance by Blomkamp’s go-to guy Sharlto Copley, its shortcomings don’t sink the movie.”

Claudia Puig from USA Today, gave it a 63 score. She said: “Chappie is meant to inspire questions about what it means to be human, and at times it does. However, director and co-writer Neill Blomkamp doesn’t explore its intriguing premise deeply enough.”

Manohla Dargis at The New York Times, gave it a 60 grade, saying: “Even at his shakiest, Mr. Blomkamp holds your attention with stories about characters banding together to emerge from a hell not of their own making, a liberation journey that just isn’t the same old, same old when a director was born in South Africa.”

Kyke Anderson from Entertainment Weekly, gave it a 50 score, saying: “When we’re first introduced, he’s an overwhelmed infant, and by the time the credits roll, he’s John McClane. Is that an accurate representation of how artificial intelligence can evolve? Absolutely. Does it make for compelling drama? Not particularly.”

Joe Morgenstern over at the Wall Street Journal, gave it a 50 grade, saying: “The technology is seamless, the movements are eloquent and the problem may be my own misprogramming, but the robot still looked to me like a man in a robot suit.”

Graham Fuller from the New York Daily News, gave it a 40 grade, saying: “Chappie is as subtle as a sledgehammer. The latest sci-fi action spectacle from “District 9” and “Elysium” director Neill Blomkamp is also sprawling, bombastic, deafening, ugly and ultra-violent.”

James Rocchi over at TheWrap, gave it a 40 score, saying: “It’s too bad that neither the philosophy nor the pyrotechnics on-screen in Chappie can distract you from your own sinking feeling that you’ve seen almost all of this before.”

Peter Travers from Rolling Stone, gave it a 38 score. He stated: “Blomkamp and his wife and co-writer, Terri Tatchell, stack the deck. Instead of awe, we get “E.T.” – aww.”

Michael O’Sullivan from the Washington Post, gave it a 37, saying: “Despite Blomkamp’s efforts to make some kind of commentary about the human soul, which the auteur bolsters with his trademark social consciousness — a tone of preachiness that, after three films, has worn out its welcome — the movie exhibits precious little humanity.”

Todd McCarthy from The Hollywood Reporter, gave it a 30 grade. He said: ” With unappealing one-note characters, retread concepts and implausible motivations, Chappie is a further downward step for director Neill Blomkamp.”

Justin Chang from Variety, gave it a 30 score as well, stating: ” Intelligence, artificial or otherwise, is one of the major casualties of Chappie, a robot-themed action movie that winds up feeling as clunky and confused as the childlike droid with which it shares its name.”

Peter Sobczynski from RogerEbert.com, gave it a 25 score, saying: “An exhausting slog through overly familiar cliches that is nowhere near as profound or touching as it clearly thinks it is and is utterly lacking in the kind of intelligence and artistry that it so often pays lip service to in the dialogue.”

Lou Lumenick from the New York Post, gave it a 25 grade, saying: “Short Circuit” meets “RoboCop” — with asides to “WALL-E,” “E.T.,” “The Road Warrior” and many other better movies — in Chappie, an interminable, violent, incoherent and wearying R-rated sci-fi action comedy.”

Kenneth Turan from the Los Angeles Times, gave it a very bad 20 score, claiming: “Chappie is a movie about the evolution of artificial intelligence that’s as dumb as a post. It also marks the continuing devolution of the work of director and co-writer Neill Blomkamp.”

Lastly, Michael Phillips at the Chicago Tribune, gave it the worst grade of all with the dreaded “0.” He said: “A misjudgment from metallic head to titanium toe.” Stay tuned. Follow us on Facebook by Clicking Here. Follow us on Google Plus by Clicking Here. Follow us on Twitter by Clicking Here.

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