In the not-too-distant future, artificial intelligence has been assimilated into the police force in order to lower crime rates. These robots have no feelings, thoughts or emotions; they simply do what they are programmed to do — namely, enforce the law.

“Chappie” tells the story of one of those bots that gets a program uploaded into his hard drive that gives him consciousness like a human, and he has to be brought up like a child. The twist is that he’s been hijacked by criminals who want to use him to pull off a heist, but the scientist who made him is simultaneously trying to teach him to be an upright member of society.

No one does the dark, gritty science fiction film like Neill Blomkamp. If you’ve seen either of his first two films (“District 9” or “Elysium”), this film’s tone will feel familiar. Normally, sci-fi has a tendency to present a world with little to nothing in common with ours. However, Blomkamp has found a way to present outlandish concepts that feel not too far removed from our own world, especially because he deals with issues prevalent in our culture today. Also, his habit of presenting the premise at the beginning in the form of a newsreel is a great way to draw you into the world of the film, and the visuals are convincing as ever.

Sharlto Copley brings “Chappie” to life. The use of performance capture here is astounding, and Copley’s performance is great. Given that Chappie starts as a blank slate and can learn very fast, he essentially acts the entire maturing process of a human as a robot.

The members of the South African rap group Die Antwoord, Ninja and Yo-Landi Vissar, are two of the main characters, playing versions of themselves. By no means are they any good at acting, but their antics as gangsters were believable enough that you are never drawn out of the experience. Additionally, their music combined with Hans Zimmer’s score makes for an incredibly unique soundtrack.

Still, there were two big letdowns with “Chappie.”

First, Hugh Jackman has proved that he is a spectacular actor, but his mullet-sporting character here is poorly written. He is concerned because he does not believe that artificial intelligence can be trusted to make the right decision in the difficult moral situations that policemen face. This is an extremely reasonable concern to have in the world of “Chappie,” but Blomkamp gave up any credibility or interest we would have in this character’s beliefs by making him a complete psychopath. What could have been a great villain ended up being one-dimensional.

Secondly, this is Blomkamp’s least focused movie to date. “District 9” dealt with the tough subject of apartheid, while “Elysium” handled health care and immigration. “Elysium” got criticized for being overly preachy, so I understand why he toned it down with “Chappie,” but he toned it down too much. First, it’s an exploration of the nature vs. nurture debate. Simultaneously, it’s a metaphor for the Biblical story of Adam, with his “Maker” telling him to not commit crimes because he knows what’s best, while Ninja tempts him with the lie of eternal life. Unfortunately, this metaphor falls apart in the last 30 minutes by turning into a statement on police brutality, revenge, forgiveness and comparisons between human and bot consciousness. This isn’t to say the ending is bad — it’s ridiculously entertaining — it just felt hollow compared to the first two-thirds of the film.

The character of Chappie is what drew me in to this movie. He is exceptionally likable and, somehow, adorable, and most of the movie felt like a heartfelt coming-of-age story for him (it?). You can’t help but relate on some level when he begs, “Why do humans do this?” when things start to get bad.

It could have benefitted from a more rationally written villain and picking one issue to focus on rather than five or six, but overall, “Chappie” still packs a punch.

“Chappie” may not be the director’s best work to date, but Blomkamp has proven that he knows how to make a meaningful sci-fi film that both awes and moves.

_Pass the Popcorn if:_ You like Blomkamp’s style. Thought-provoking movies intrigue you. You are a psychologist. You’ve always wondered what Hugh Jackman would look like with a mullet.

_Pass it up if:_ The thought of a human-sized robot acting like a child scares you. You think everything Blomkamp makes has to be as good as “District 9.” You can’t stand Die Antwoord (which is completely understandable). Product placement takes you out of a movie.