Movie Review: Robocop

 

PLOT:

Detroit – in the future – is crime-ridden and run by a massive company. The company has developed a huge crime-fighting robot, which unfortunately develops a rather dangerous glitch. The company sees a way to get back in favor with the public when policeman Alex Murphy is killed by a street gang. Murphy’s body is reconstructed within a steel shell and called RoboCop. RoboCop is very successful against criminals and becomes a target of supervillain Boddicker.

REVIEW:

What did I like?

Foreshadowing. Given the current cultural climate, I was hesitant to review this movie. However, as it progressed, I started noticing some thing that were predicted in this version of the future. The decent of Detroit (obviously, it isn’t this bad, but it isn’t what it should be), corporations running things, cops being disrespected (stop randomly killing people and maybe they can get some of that respect back), etc. All of this makes this film much more relevant than just a sci-fi action flick.

Stop. I’m a huge fan of stop-motion animation. To me, it is leagues better and more pleasing to the eye than CG, although it is more time consuming to produce. The ED-209, a villainous counter project to Robocop is brought to life using this technique. This is a hi-tech killing machine in a futuristic world, but the contrast of stop motion is really intriguing. There is a scene where he falls down the stairs that wouldn’t have been as effective done in CG. The stop-motion director while not in the league of the great Rey Harryhausen, does a decent enough job of bringing this killing machine to life and keeping him a threat, while also a bit of comic relief.

Music. Every great hero has a memorable theme song. Superman, Batman, The Lone Ranger, Captain America, Spider-Man, Green Hornet, the Avengers, etc, all have theme songs that inspire the listener when they hear these strains. Take a second and hum your favorite or go listen to one and notice how you feel when you return. Robocop is no different, as he has his own that starts out dark and mysterious, only to grow into a triumphant pinnacle. The score for the rest of the film fits perfectly, as well. Nothing too over the top or distracting, just enough to compliment the scenes.

What didn’t I like?

Too close to being prophetic. I mentioned earlier how the foreshadowing this film has regarding today’s society was one of the things I liked. On the flip side, though, it may be a bit too close to reality. The major focus of this is the cooprotations. We are all well aware that it isn’t the politicians in Washington that run this country, but rather the corporations they have in their pockets telling them what to do. I believe this is a topic covered in one of the sequels, but the seeds of the corporation ruling things is clearly seen here, especially when they just barge into the police station and more or less demand the use of their resources and no one is to talk to or even look at Robocop.

Forgotten satire. Seemingly lost in the legacy of this picture is the fact it is actually a satire on how desensitized society was becoming towards violence. There are a handful of newsbreaks throughout the film and each time we see smiling anchors deliver the news that some unspeakable act of violence has taken place.There is also something to be said about corporate greed, but I’ve gone on enough about that in 2 topics, already.

Unlikable. The acting in this film isn’t great, but it isn’t horrible, either. For me, there is a lack of likable characters. Obviously, none of the villains need be liked, though for a time, Kurtwood Smith’s Boddiker was gaining a bit of sympathy. It seemed as if the creator of the Robocop project would be a likable guy, but he’s just as much of an ass as some of the villains. Robocop’s partner, played by Nancy Allen is close to being likable, but that’s because she’s seemingly the only female cast member. As far as Robocop himself goes…we don’t get enough time with Officer Murphy to tell anything, but he does seem like a genuinely nice guy. All that personality is wiped out when he becomes Robocop. To quote Obi-Wan, “he’s more machine now than man….”

Final verdict:

Robocop is perhaps the kind of movie we need now. A satire on how desensitized we have become to violence and corporate greed. A violent masterpiece that reminds us of how vile human beings can be (as if we didn’t already know that with these senseless killing done by police). This is a film that makes a statement, but is also a fun watch from beginning to end. I highly recommend!

5 out of 5 stars