Arka Mukhopadhyay
Despite its distinct kitsch sensibility, ‘Chappie’ is a movie made with love and care. Helmed by Neill Blomkamp of ‘District 9’ fame, 2015 venture ‘Chappie’ is partly a dystopian science-fiction, partly a heist movie, and a somewhat existential tale that makes the audience wonder what it means to be conscious. Set at a future time when law enforcement has become automated and robots keep order in civilian life, a group of criminals abducts a police robot. These robots cannot be hacked, but these criminals are lucky to have a sentient robot – the first of its kind.
Still an impressionable child in terms of its consciousness, the eponymous robot now must navigate through the alleys of a hostile world. Big names like Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, and Dev Patel deliver stellar performances to keep the action interesting, and the original score by Hans Zimmer adds another lofty touch to this gritty and futuristic epic tale. The movie’s ending is seemingly well-rounded, as it retains its optimism till the final minute while keeping faith in humanity. If you cannot quite comprehend the final moments, let us break them down for you. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Chappie Plot Synopsis
In an alternative universe, 2016 marks the introduction of the world’s first robotic police force in Johannesburg. The robotic police called “Scouts” is the flagship product of security company TetraVaal. CEO Michelle Bradley runs the company with an iron fist while cutting down the budget every year. The soldier turned TetraVaal engineer Vincent Moore seeks to invest in a next-generation robot called Moose but is dissuaded by Michelle. On the other hand, prodigious programmer Deon Wilson makes a breakthrough by computing nascent consciousness. Scout 22 takes a hit during an operation and is issued to be crushed to metal scraps.
However, Deon goes against the direct orders of Michelle and installs the consciousness file on the system of Scout 22, making it sentient. Small-time gangsters Ninja, Yo-Landi, Amerika, and Pitbull attempt a heist with little success in a separate incident. But they owe 20 million rands to mafioso Hippo, and Hippo wants hi payment within seven days. Yo-Landi comes up with the idea to steal the “remote” that controls the robots, and the goons rush to capture Deon. Under pressure, Deon activates Scout 22, now at the disposal of the gangsters. After being rechristened Chappie, the sentient robot must meet with the hostility of the world.
Chappie Ending: Is Deon Dead or Alive?
Deon installs the Guard Key in the hardware of Scout 22 to make him conscious. Vincent tracks the location of the Guard Key and comes to Deon, asking for the key. However, the key is not with Deon, as he left the key in the robot’s body. Deon comes around to give Chappie an early lesson but is astonished to see that Chappie has easily acquired the hood language. Deon tries to instill some moral value in Chappie.
Then Ninja, in an attempt to initiate Chappie in the ways of the world, leaves him helpless before a bunch of street kids. The kids think Chappie to be a cop and injure him to a great extent. Chappie escapes, only to be picked up by Vincent and his associates. After retrieving the Guard Key from Chappie, Vincent applies a firmware update on the central server, effectively jamming all the Scouts.
Deon tries to talk Chappie out of his criminal ways, but Chappie shortly gets deactivated, along with the other Scout robots. All hell breaks loose on the streets while Deon takes Chappie to the TetraVaal workshop. Deon does not let Chappie take the new body parts from the robot, but Chappie takes the neural helmet to transfer his consciousness to a new body. Deon scours through the log files to find flaws in the robots and finds out about the upgrade.
A confrontation between Vincent and Deon ensues, but in the meantime, the news of a rogue robot performing a heist takes everyone by surprise. They must decommission Chappie, and with the Scouts out of order, Vincent convinces Michelle to take the Moose out. Without a better alternative, Michelle greenlights the mission. After a thoroughly gruesome face-off, Vincent and the robot kill Yo-Landi and injure Deon.
Although hesitant to cause harm, the death of his mommy makes Chappie go into rage mode. With the help of Ninja, Chappie inflicts a fatal blow to the Moose. Vincent is devastated to find his robot destroyed. After taking care of Vincent (Chappie beats him to unconsciousness but falls short of assailing him), Chappie goes out to find Deon a new body. Deon does not make it, and his body indeed dies after a while. But Chappie transforms Deon’s consciousness to the test robot, and Deon lives to see another day – albeit in a body made of titanium.
Is Yo-Landi Dead or Alive?
Yo-Landi is undoubtedly the most empathetic among the gangsters. Yo-Landi gains Chappie’s trust, and a maternal relationship takes form between the two. Yo-Landi reads Chappie a bedtime story about a black sheep and emotionally invests in him. In a sweet gesture, Chappie makes a doll after his mother. However, Yo-Landi breathes her last in the fight with the Moose, which paints the story with a tragic note.
However, Chappie has backed up Yo-Landi’s consciousness in a portable drive. In the final sequence, we see a female robot being constructed in a facility. Although it is not clear whether TetraVaal owns the facility, the robot certainly looks like Yo-Landi. When she opens her eyes in the penultimate scene, it becomes clear that she is alive after all. However, she has the same fate as Deon – losing her human body and transferring her consciousness to a robotic body.
Is The Moose Destroyed?
Vincent is the movie’s villain whose plan is to promote his robot, “the Moose,” over the original “Scouts.” To prove his worth, Vincent applies firmware in the mainframe, which corrupts all the operational Scouts. In the meantime, the story of Scout 22 turning rogue takes the media by surprise. Vincent banks on this opportunity to test out the sole specimen of “the Moose.” After Michelle gives him the nod, Vincent brings the mammoth out in the streets and looks for Chappie.
Near Chappie’s home, a final battle ensues between Vincent and the gangsters. Chappie and the others give Vincent’s robot a fatal blow, and after causing much destruction, the robot is finally neutralized. We can be sure about the robot’s destruction, but that is not the end of the story. The incident makes the city’s authority question the credibility of the robots, and they discontinue the Scouts. In the aftermath of the incident, the human police force is reinstated in the city.
Read More: Will There be a Chappie Sequel?
