This film was not screened for critics locally, so we took a look at the trailer.

Film: Chappie
Opening Date: March 6
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley (as robot model)
Necessary Info: Tale of a police robot that get re-programmed to think for itself; directed by Neill Blomkamp, who brought us the penned-up-aliens tale District 9



Sample dialogue: “I am conscious. I am alive. I am Chappie.”

Trailer Analysis: Has a real E.T. feel, with soaring music, and the robot Chappie doing cute things while learning to be “human.” Feel-goodness reinforced by statements like “Anything you want to do in your life you can do — write poetry” and “You taught us so much more than I could ever have imagined.” Later, Chappie is shot at, but the vibe is still heartwarming because surely THOSE PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NON-HUMAN BEING CHAPPIE IS!

Based on these 2:04 minutes, should you go? I’m a big fan of movies about robots that go bad, so this isn’t a must-see for me. The actual film may not be as schmaltzy as this trailer, but what’s here doesn’t bode well for a thoughtful cautionary tale about artificial intelligence.