I'm going to do something a little different here. The majority of my reviews have basically just been one movie. However, with the release of the 2014 remake of Robocop, I'm going to review both of them in one post and then compare the two to see how well the new film stacks up against the old one. I know there are people who felt that it was blasphemous to remake Robocop. Mind you, they did the same thing with Total Recall. Both films were originally directed by Paul Verhoeven. So....on with the show.
ROBOCOP(1987)
Robocop opens as newly transferred Alex Murphy(Peter Weller)is assigned a partner, Officer Lewis(Nancy Allen). Their first call has them chasing down bank robbers lead by notorious cop-killer Clarence Boddicker(Kurtwood Smith)and Emil Antonowsky(Paul McCrane). They end up at a steel mill in which Murphy attempts to arrest one of the criminals, but ends up being blown away by the gang. The film cuts to a first-person perspective in which OCP officer, Bob Morton(Miguel Ferrer)appears at the camera. But we soon learn that Alex Murphy has somewhat survived, but most of his body has been replaced by robotics, transforming him into Robocop.
I don't think anything really needs to be said about the story here. It's a good story, but there's so much more to this movie than the story. It's everything else. Robocop has been known as one of the most as probably the most violent action film in 1987 and it shows. It's extremely bloody. So much so, that the MPAA threatened to give the film an X rating, because it was so violent. Alex Murphy's attempted murder is particularly brutal. He loses his hand first, and then his whole arm, and the criminals just empty their guns. This was back in the day when there was no such thing as CGI blood. It was all done with practical effects and squibs. It was pretty spectacular. Now, let's get to Robocop himself. The character was designed by Rob Bottin, the man who did the visual effects for John Carpenter's The Thing. Robocop became one of the most iconic characters in cinema. Not just for the way he looked and moved, nor just the gun that he carried, but it was the performance of Peter Weller that really sold it.
Let's look at the cast, shall we? This is an amazing cast. You have Peter Weller as Alex Murphy/Robocop, who brings humanity to the machine. And as a result we have a character that is both iconic and sympathetic. He's fantastic. Next, we have Nancy Allen as Officer Lewis. Believe it or not, she's not a love interest. Her character is a tough-as-nails cop who's more than willing to beat the crap out of a suspect if need be. But Allen brings a sensitivity to the role which contrasts with her toughness. Let's look at the villains: Oh, what a rogue's gallery we have here. At the top is Dick Jones played by Ronny Cox. This guy is a scheming and manipulative high-ranking official at OCP. You know this guy is totally corrupt and willing to do anything to stay on top. Kurtwood Smith is a revelation as Clarence Boddicker. He chews the scenery like it's nobody's business. At times he can be pretty funny, but most of the time, the character is a complete scumbag, and yet he nearly steals the show whenever he's on the screen. Paul McCrane plays Emil Antonowsky, Boddicker right hand man. There's absolutely nothing likable about this guy. McCrane is really good at playing characters you love to hate, and his character's demise is oh, so appropriate.
Action-wise, this is an amazing movie. It's blood-spattered violence is also peppered with car chases and explosions and awesome one-liners. The visual effects are for the most part, still pretty good. Some of the blue-screen work is pretty obvious, by today's standards. But the other thing that still stands out is the ED-209 robot. Animated through stop-motion techniques this is a seriously one big bad machine.....that doesn't know how to use stairs, which is actually pretty funny. The other thing that really stands out about this movie is the iconic score by the late Basil Poledouris. It's one of those music scores that you would instantly recognize. It's amazing. Overall, this is a fantastic movie that still stands up nearly 30 years after it was released. The film has had comics, sequels, tv series and video games, it got quite a following. It generated controversy because it was so violent, but it also poked fun at American consumerism, as evidenced by the random commercials. There's no other way to say it: This movie is awesome. Despite some dated visuals, the film still gets a 10/10 from me.
ROBOCOP(2014)
RoboCop opens in the Middle East as machines and robots are patrolling the streets pacifying the local population. Leading them is a man named Rick Mattox(Jackie Earle Haley)when they are attacked by suicide bombers. We cut to a television program hosted by Pat Novak(Samuel L. Jackson). Later, the film cuts to Detective Alex Murphy(Joel Kinneman)attempts to arrest a local gun and drug dealer. The drug dealer escapes and has Murphy's car bombed at his home. Suffering massive injuries, Murphy's wife, Clara(Abbie Cornish)allows OCP to outfit her husband with a top-of-the-line mechanical suit, while keeping Murphy's brain, lung and heart intact. Everything else is completely mechanical, and turning Murphy into an unstoppable one-man army known as Robocop.
Okay, this new movie takes a few different turns from the original. One: This one allows Murphy to keep his memories and emotions intact, allowing Robocop to retain his humanity. Two: His family plays a much larger role. While the story definitely takes a different turn, it's still about the main character who becomes the iconic character. However, the suit was redesigned to allow for less robotic movements in this day and age, and it's black. It's still has that helmet with the slot, however. So, it's not entirely different. I know people were up in arms over the whole thing, but think about it. The old suit was appropriate for it's time, but would come off as completely clunky and ludicrous today. So, some redesigns had to happen. He also carries two guns, instead of one: A taser gun which looks like the original Robocop weapon, and a sub-machine gun. Both of which come out his legs. So, it's still good. His bike is actually really cool, though.
Let's talk about the performances. Overall, not bad. Joel Kinneman was a solid choice, especially once he becomes Robocop. Abbie Cornish is the sympathetic wife, and she's not too bad. Michael Keaton plays the head of the OCP, Raymond Sellers. He's a scheming business-man. Keaton was pretty good here, but not memorable. Neither was Jackie Earle Haley as Mattox. The character was nothing more than a mercenary. Samuel L. Jackson was actually fairly entertaining as Novak. It's pretty amusing to see Jackson with a full head of awful hair. The real standout in this movie is Gary Oldman as Dr. Denett Norton. He's simply fantastic and easily the most sympathetic character in the film. With the exception of Gary Oldman, there really is no one here that stands out. The villains are....blah.
What about the action? It's got some pretty good action in it, but a lot of it is CGI-laden and it's painfully obvious at times. The one thing I should mention about this new Robocop is that it is rated PG-13. And that's where people start having problems with it. It's slick, no doubt about it, but it's bland at the same time. The action is nearly bloodless. So, what about the suit? Oddly enough, I kinda like it, it's a little more contemporary and a bit more practical than the older one. The helmet comes down when the character needs it to, so we do get to see Murphy's face more. But when it comes down it's not bad. Unfortunately, they took Robocop's iconic weapon and turned it into a wimpy taser. But he does get a second weapon though, a fully-automatic sub-machine gun, so that makes up for it.
Overall, it's not a terrible film. It's actually surprisingly competent. However, by making the film PG-13, they alienated many of the core audience of Robocop in order to reach the masses. The original film was made for a specific audience, not everybody. This new movie, while slick, lacks the soul and grit of the original. It just doesn't come close to what the original film was. It's still a fun ride, and Joel Kinneman isn't bad as Robocop. Robocop(2014) gets a 7.5/10.
Now that I've covered both movies it's time to compare the two. Both movies were controversial, albeit for different reasons. The original Robocop was controversial for it's extreme violence and brutality. The new movie was controversial because they redesigned the suit and made the film PG-13. The original film had a memorable cast of characters. The new one? Gary Oldman....and Samuel L. Jackson's crazy hairdo. The 1987 suit? Silver and black, and looks more robotic with an awesome pistol. The new one? ALL-black and less robotic with a helmet that comes up and down and holsters two weapons. Both win. Overall, there's no competition here. While the new film certainly is fun and has some good things going for it, like the new suit and Gary Oldman, the original 1987 flick is the clear winner here. Why? It doesn't try to be more than what it is. It was also a statement on American capitalism and consumerism. The new movie? It's well-made and slick, but it's too slick and not grimy or violent enough. This is what happens when you take an R-rated movie and make it PG-13. If you have to choose a movie, go for the original. It's far more honest in its intentions. The original Robocop is a must-own film. The new movie is a rental at best, but not nearly as bad as everyone says it is. So there you have it. Two reviews in one!
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