Reviews of RoboCop

Tin man! Solid gold!

Posted : 1 year, 3 months ago on 6 September 2008 06:14 (A review of RoboCop)

''Nice shooting, son. What's your name?''

''Murphy.''

In a dystopic & crime ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg with submerged memories haunting him.

Peter Weller: Officer Alex J. Murphy / RoboCop

''Come quietly or there will be... trouble.''

Director Paul Verhoven, the director of Total Recall and Black Book unleashes a truly original concept in the form of a normal Policeman cruelly butchered by criminals only to be revived as a super-cop cyborg. Initially his memory is lost but as the film goes on he gradually gets it back, and begins to remember the people who hurt him and memories of his lost family resurface.

Next time when you watch Robocop, try to shift your focus from the cyborg, loud explosions and over the top gore towards the actual writing. From the main theme of criticizing the modern money driven societies of Western Cultures, (a topic still relevant, and will be in the future as well) all the way to the smallest segments of dialogue, the writing is nothing short of perfection. RoboCop is simply the most intelligent "action" film to come out of Hollywood in the 80s. Unfortunately, the cleverness is hidden between the lines of comic book action. No wonder so many people fail to see this film for what it really is.

Amazing cinematography, solid performances (especially from Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer), memorable musical score, etc...
The list is limitless. Granted, the stop motion effects of ED-209 look quite old today but the concept and visuals of this metallic beast is astounding for the late 80s. RoboCop has its faults, like the rather extreme toxic waste drenching scene or unrealistic nature cue OTT violence there, but who cares when it's so much fun in a gory graphic way. All I know is I never tire of watching Robocop.

For me, one of the best scenes of RoboCop comes at the very end. An old man asks the robot, "What's your name, son?" The robot cop turns his head, sports a wan smile, and says, ''Murphy." Then as he turns to start to walk away the camera cuts to black and the theme song roars in as we read the bold print on-screen that says, ROBOCOP.

The final word being RoboCop is the ultimate in cyborg films.
It's an extraordinary journey of a man trying to find himself when all is taken from him unfairly, also an action film that starts and never loses momentum.
In a time when every single action film out there presents us with overblown budgets, mediocre acting, sloppy writing, amateurish directing, horrible sub characters, and nothing but special effects. RoboCop is a solid undying reminder that at one time, big comic book flicks were not always just of the Action genre but also ones of depth and hidden meanings rolled into the mix, Robocop is one of the finest examples out there.

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Simply an awesome action flick!

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago on 9 July 2008 11:35 (A review of RoboCop)

Bob Morton: "What are your Prime Directives?"
RoboCop: "Serve the public trust, protect the innocent, uphold the law."

RoboCop was released during a generation dominated by a studio obsession with futuristic science fiction action flicks. Prior to the release of RoboCop, James Cameron accomplished success with a low-budget old-school sci-fi action film flaunting muscle-bound actor Arnold Schwarzenegger portraying a killer robot in The Terminator. Even before that, there was Blade Runner and Star Wars - so it's safe to assert that sci-fi was the prominently triumphant genre throughout the 70s, 80s and beyond. Orion, the studio that distributed The Terminator, was more than happy to tackle another science fiction action film featuring an unstoppable cyborg...and found satisfaction when the script for RoboCop fell into their lap. The film's screenplay effectively masquerades as your customary superhero film in the same vein as Superman. Underneath it's possible to ascertain a far more complex multi-faceted production that wears several of its inspirations on its sleeves. This includes references to Frankenstein, Dirty Harry, Judge Dredd and Metropolis among many others. With a few similarities to formerly familiar films, the charm of this wonderful action flick continues to elevate.

It's the ideas that swirl around underneath all the action and killing (of which there is a lot!) that make this film interesting. Nevertheless it's an awesome action romp that still works well on the simple level of a superhero who is wronged, transformed, and ultimately rededicated to foiling evil. And of course, some of the robots and weapons are pretty fun - like those enormous cannons that the thugs employ to shoot up the city. The RoboCop firearm is just badass as well! Practically every aspect of the film remains virtually impeccable decades after the initial release.

RoboCop is set in a not-too-distant, non-specific futuristic time frame. The charm of the film is that no specific time period is disclosed. It could be 100 years into the future, or virtually present day. The film's central location is the city of Detroit that is falling apart as a consequence of crime. Police officers are unhappy with their work conditions, and a strike is in negotiations. A private organisation, Omni Consomer Products (OCP), eventually seizes control of local law enforcement to ensure security on the streets. Technicians at OCP begin developing a robot that can uphold the law and work diligently. Subsequent to a disastrous prototype, the technicians instigate a new program - the RoboCop program (therein lies the title) - as a follow-up to sustain the philosophy. When policeman Alex Murphy (Weller) is sadistically slaughtered by a street gang (one of the most brutal executions in film history), OCP technicians use his deceased corpse to manufacture a perfect cop with mechanical limbs and superhuman capabilities...a machine completely impervious to bullets and explosions. The results are highly successful as RoboCop begins abolishing crime in the city. However, RoboCop begins remembering some of his past memories and commences a rampage aiming for a goal of retribution.

Dutch director Paul Verhoeven contributes stellar direction to the production. Originally the director wasn't interested in taking the reigns until his wife talked him into it. Verhoeven seized RoboCop with escalating enthusiasm, seeing the film as a way of making keen annotations regarding the conditions of things in the USA from the perspective of an outsider. He conveyed an unyielding impression of pace and economy...with a few hundred litres of fake blood to compliment the action scenes. In addition to the ingenious creative concepts contributed by Verhoeven, there's the remarkable Ed Neumeier script that takes an enthralling look at a dystopian society of the future. Unfortunately, the film's marginal weakness is in the script. The film will surely be scoffed at by today's audiences. In tradition with typical 1980s action flicks such as those executed with Stallone or Arnie as the film's primary acting talent, the one-liners are badass but laughable. One of the film's principally stand-out features at the time was the work of gifted Rob Bottin who contributes special effects that still retain their 'wow' factor. Sure, some of the stop motion techniques look dated but they are still mighty impressive. The RoboCop outfit looks inspirationally spectacular. If that's not enough, the score by Basil Poledouris is truly wonderful. The theme is awesome! It sincerely delivers the correct messages and constantly portrays a sensation of exhilaration during the action scenes. Memorable themes are persistently absent from movies nowadays, and so it's revitalising to take a look back to when movie music meant something.

RoboCop is supported by an amazing cast! Peter Weller instantly perfects his role from his first line delivery. When Weller is placed underneath the elaborate outfit, all we see is his lower face. The filmmakers were apparently seeking someone with a strong jaw-line. This goal is achieved...and the altered, more mechanical voice sounds fantastic and perfectly suited to the corny lines assigned to the character. Kurtwood Smith is also very impressive as the film's central villain. Like many other aspects of the film, his performance will probably be regarded as laughable. Still, he seems evil and he does evil things. This is the period of the 80s action films in question!

Overall, RoboCop quickly earned a place among my all-time favourite action films. It's an extremely fun action flick that, despite all its predictability, delivers an engaging portrait of a futuristic superhero kicking arse and unleashing a one-man war on the bad guys. A commendable facet of the action scenes is that we can no longer criticise the appalling aiming of those firing at the hero. Instead RoboCop is hit several times...but of course cannot be wounded by bullets or weapons so he is able to continue his tremendous killing spree. It's a rare event to witness an action film of this stature anymore: instead the studios opt for watered down violence and kiddie action scenes to aim for a mainstream audience. RoboCop is everything one could desire from a hardcore science fiction action film. There's awesome production design, abundant action and plenty of opportunities for corny lines to surface while violence unfolds. In a sense it's a futuristic western that also borrows elements from other famous films. This is simply an awesome movie that is worthy of multiple screenings.

9.5/10

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Surprisingly gory

Posted : 1 year, 9 months ago on 28 March 2008 06:22 (A review of RoboCop)

I saw this movie around 18 years ago and then again, just recently. It's aged surprisingly well, despite the clunky, stop frame robot animation. The plot is pretty good, there's plenty of blood and gore (including a guy with his skin melting off his body) and crucially, not too much reliance on CG effects. I did not remember all the blood and gore. This movie is definitely not for kids younger than 13.

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RoboCop

Posted : 2 years, 7 months ago on 10 May 2007 10:15 (A review of RoboCop)

I just sat down to watch this movie again for the first time in at least a few years, and I still enjoy this movie just as much as I remember enjoying it in the past.

It is definitely an action movie, with lots of gunfire, blood, and some gruesome (yet funny at the same time) scenes.

It seems a bit dated now, 20 years later....but I think the cast is great, including Peter Weller, Miguel Ferrer, Kurtwood Smith, and Ray Wise.

If you are a fan of action movies, this is definitely one to watch.

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