Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Chappie’ Due June 16
In the near future, crime is patrolled by an oppressive mechanized police force. But now, the people are fighting back. When one police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. As powerful, destructive forces start to see Chappie as a danger to mankind and order, they will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo and ensure that Chappie is the last of his kind. Vitals: Director: Neill Blomkamp. Stars: Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel, Sigourney Weaver, Sharlto Copley (voice), Yo-Landi Visser, Ninja. 2015, CC, MPAA rating: R, 114 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $31.338 million, Sony. Extras: “We Are Tetravaal” featurette in which Weaver, Jackman and Patel discuss their characters and on-set experiences. Blu-ray adds alternate ending; extended scene “A Very Bad Man”; eight featurettes: “Chappie: The Streetwise Professor,” an inside look at Chappie and casting Copley to play the robot and his performance via motion capture, “Arms Race: The Weapons and Robots,” offers deeper look at the real-world firepower tech and the design of the “Scout” robots and “Moose,” “Bringing Chappie to Life: The Visual Effects,” “From Tetra Vaal to Chappie,” an in-depth exploration of the scriptwriting process, the early concept design work and other aspects of pre-production, “Keep It Gangster,” a behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating an authentic South African gangster world, “The Reality of Robotics,” “Jozi: Real City and a Sci-Fi Setting,” “Rogue Robot: Deconstructing the Stunts and Special Effects”; “The Art of Chappie” photo gallery.
