At the beginning of the movie, Johannesburg police force artificial intelligence* engineer Deon (Dev Patel) announces that one of his robot cops has crossed the line to become a thinking and feeling being. This is too much for hard-line* engineer Vincent (Hugh Jackman), who believes that the manmade soldiers are there to obey orders and not think for themselves. They have helped bring down the violent crime rate in the city. He’s also made a giant new crime fighter named The Moose, which his boss, Michelle (Sigourney Weaver), refuses to activate.

    Chappie, a man-size robot made mostly of what looks like gunmetal, is learning and imitating* everything he sees and hears like a child.

    Then, much time is spent in the company of three punks* who know little but how to shout threats* and wave weapons. Owing debt to a local crime lord, stupid Ninja and motherly punk Yo-Landi (played by the self-same Ninja and Yo-Landi Visser of the rap group Die Antwoord), along with Yankie (Jose Pablo Cantillo), manage to kidnap* Chappie — whom Deon has just begun to teach about the human world — with the idea of using the robot to steal money.

    Chappie is pulled this way and that by people for whom he fills different roles: For Deon he’s the invention of a lifetime; for Ninja and Yo-Landi, he’s the child they’ll never have; and for Vincent, he’s the representation of what he hates, a sentient* being rather than an unthinking soldier made to follow orders.

    When The Moose is finally put into use, its destructive power seems rather less impressive than expected.

    With the partial exception of Visser, whose punky appearance nicely melts into motherly concern and warmth, the actors are limited by unlikable characters. No one’s any fun here, even in their bad guy roles. With the exception of the police office, most of the action takes place in unsavory* sections of Jo’burg, and the film at times sports a wan* video look, especially in certain daytime exteriors*.(SD-Agencies)