"Nice shootin', son. What's your name?"
The 'Old Man'
"...Murphy"
Robocop
 |
| Dead or alive, Robocop gets his man... |
Synopsis:
In a near-future dystopia, Alex Murphy is a cop and family-man ruthlessly blown to pieces by a gang of armored thugs, led by the vile Clarence Bodicker. However, unethical mega-coporation OCP uses Murphey's untimely death as a way of completing their flagship Ropocop program. Murphy, now in the guise of the aforementioned Robocop becomes a hero and media darling as the unstoppable law enforcement officer, single-handedly turning the tide against the criminal underworld. But when memories of his past life as Murphy, which OCP thought had been permanently erased, come flooding back, Robocop sets out to bring Bodicker and his gang to justice- a mission that brings Robocop in direct confrontation with senior OCP officials...
Script: 2/2 - Subversive, cynical, dark and exciting.
Pace: 2/2 - a slick rollacoaster
Acting: 2/2 - believable across the board, frighteningly so
Asthetic: 2/2 - slick, shiny and bold, despite a meager budget
Intention: 2/2 - easily surpassed its genre limitations, breathtaking cinema
Final Word: 10/10
Not sure this comes across, but I absolutely love this film! Not entirely sure what I can say that I haven't up above.
Robocop works on almost every level; it's visceral, it's darkly funny, it's thought provoking, it's thrilling, it's surprisingly moving- so much more than just sci-fi action. Robocop marked irreverent Dutch film director Paul Verhovan's first English-language film, and this is him at his subversive, witty best- casting an outsider's eye on subjects ranging from privatisation, capitalism, the media to human identity. But, putting aside lofty intentions, Robocop is equally enjoyable as a simple, balls-to-the-wall action film- if that's your pleasure. For me, it's got everything you could want, all wrpaed up in one breathtaking package. Such a shame the franchise lurched into the abyss, I felt like this world had so much more to offer. Still, Robocop has more than stood the test of time, even predicting some of America's present-day turmoils...
It's near impossible to pick a stand-out performance. Relative unknown Peter Weller takes center stage as Murphy aka Robocop, bringing a mythic amount of pathos and depth to what could have so easily been a nothing-role. Kurtwood Smith swaggers and swears throughout as the sadistic Bodicker (easily one of the most scary screen criminals in cinema history), and Nancy Allen, playing against type, makes for a plucky sidekick as Robocop's partner Officer Lewis. Miguel Ferrer shines brightly as Morton, the charismatic and ambitious yuppie responsible for Robocop's creation, turning what was probably intended to be a minor villain into an (oddly) likeable character. And lastly, Ronny Cox (who till this point in his career had only ever played 'nice guys') stands-out as Dick Jones, a villainous and corrupt OCP boss-man.
But be warned, even by today's bloody standards, Robocop can be pretty violent, despite it's comic-book leanings.
