While Robocop was staring over a dystopian land, contemplating whether to fight crime or corruption, or both, Sherman knelt down behind him and Mr. Peabody made the augmented super-enforcer look stupid by pushing him over.

RobocopHe looks fierce, but it's all talk

That’s what happened. Alright that’s not what happened. But ‘Robocop’ was beaten by ‘Mr Peabody and Sherman’ over in the U.K as both films enjoyed – or endured – their debuts.

Perhaps it’s a bit harsh to call Robocop ‘rubbish’, but it certainly hasn’t lived up to expectations. Unless you expected it to be a forgettable, mediocre sci-fi mess. Then it’s right on the money. With a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Robocop missed out on being ‘certified fresh’.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it “A dumbed-down shoot-em-up frontloaded with elaborate but perfunctory new "satirical" material in which the movie loses interest with breathtaking speed.” Nigel Andrew of the Financial Times called it “Leadenly manufactured - or perhaps from binned leftovers of the alloy used for biomechanical policemen - RoboCop is the remake no one needed.”

Talking of Robocop, you've seen Samuel L. Jackson burn this reporter alive haven't you?

Oh dear. Anyway, back to the box office. My. Peabody and Sherman debuted in the top spot with £3.9m. Robocop languishes in second place with a total of £2.4m; not the start people wanted.

Robocop Joel KinnamanPeabody and Sherman are long gone, buddy

And with the Lego Movie still going strong in America – people will be flooding to the cinemas to see it this weekend after a week in the news – Robocop is set to struggle there, too. The sci-fi remake will probably pull in enough for a top 5 finish, but it’s difficult to see it setting the box office on fire.

Elsewhere in the British takings, The Wolf of Wall Street remains a strong seller with £1.6m, while fellow Oscar nominee, The Dallas Buyers Club raked in £1m.