I like this film so very much, and it is unfortunate the amount of bad press it has received. I can see how folks may be turned off by the story, the underdeveloped characters, and the somewhat gory conclusion, but for me this is a great mixed genre sci-fi film that isn't afraid to be both R-rated and cute at the same time.

Chappie the character is amazing. He's likable, well acted, and beautifully visualized with seamless special effects. The film around him, unfortunately, isn't as well developed. The movie takes cinematic shortcuts, skipping past important exposition to instead indulge in a fun montage. It gives Hugh Jackman's generic badguy character a couple of cheesy one-liners rather than a proper backstory.

Despite its flaws, I found myself caring about the main characters and sitting on the edge of my seat to see how it all was going to end. And as a futurist science-fiction nerd myself, I was pleasantly surprised by the ending, (an ending that has turned off most viewers for coming out of seemingly nowhere). This film is miles ahead of Elysium, and I suspect that if it was shot in the same documentary style as District 9, people might have been more responsive to it. In any case, I love Chappie, no matter how bad his move might be.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)