I'll buy that for a dollar! (Robocop (DVD))

Member Name: Wolfzilla

Product:	Robocop (DVD)
Date:	11/06/08 (107 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Effects,Acting,Score,Gene rally a great movie

Disadvantages: Maybe a bit too violent for some viewers

Without a doubt one of those movies that everyone I know saw as a child, but really shouldn't have,Robocop was Paul Verhoeven's 1987 ultra-violent Sci-Fi action masterpiece that went on to spawn two sequels, a cartoon,TV series,videogames and countless toys. When shown on TV, this was without a doubt one of the most blatantly butchered movies, and even as a kid I could tell it was horribley cut.

Set in the future, we meet Detroit Cop Alex Murphy(Peter Weller), he has been a cop in a fairly nice neighbourhood, but he gets transfered to the nasty area of town, and to a precinct that has seen more dead cops of late than arrests. Here we meet his Sergeant, Reed(Robert DoQui), who assigns him a partner in the form of the force's best female officer, Anne Lewis(Nancy Allen).
Straight away the pair are called into action on a bank robbery, and they are in pursuit of a gang of deadly criminals lead by the sadistic Clarence Boddikker(Kurtwood Smith). They chase the crooks to an old metal works, where instead of waiting for backup, they charge in, and in the ensuing shootout Murphy is brutally murdered at the hands of the gang before Lewis' eyes.

The police are owned by a huge company named Omni Consumer Products(OCP), run by a chap known only as 'the Old Man'(Dan O'Herlihy)., OCP have been developing a revolution in the way of law enforcement, a robotic police officer come tank named the ED-209. The man behind the project is high flying company man Dick Jones(Ronny Cox), who is none too amused when the ED-209 goes haywire on demonstration and kills an employee before the Old Man's eyes. OCP have a contract with the military, and they can't sell them faulty units, so the Old Man is none to happy with this 'glitch'. Up steps executive Bob Morton(Miguel Ferrer), who gives him plans for an alternative 'Robocop' project, that he can have up and running very quickly if he gets the approval. The Old Man just wants some sort of mechanical cop to show, so he gives him permission to begin work, much to Dick's anger.

The Robocop project is not designed to make an out and out robot, but a Cyborg. The next cop brought in to hospital is a certain Mr.Murphy, on the brink of death. Murphy is reborn as a fusion of man and machine in the Robocop, with none of his memory, or his emotions left. In fact, all that resembles Murphy is his face and his strong sense of duty to justice.

Robocop is unleashed onto the world and proves to be a roaring success, criminals can't handle him, and the world can't get enough of him. Dick Jones, as it turns out, has been working hand in hand with Clarence, and he hires him to kill Bob, a task which he completes with glee.
Within Robocop, flashes of Murphy's memories are returning, initially via dreams, but certain things spur his memory on, and as he pursues justice, in the face of a police strike, it becomes clear that he will need to find the balance between his humanity and his indestructable machine body to stop Boddikker,Jones and make sure justice is served.

I've summarised the plot, but you get the gist of it. Robocop's plot is actually, and this is a real rarity for an 80s action movie, one of the most outstanding things about it. The film is set in the dystopian future ever so popular in Sci-Fi movies, so how does it set itself apart? For a start, the entire point of OCP is one of satire from the notoriously satire merchant Verhoeven. People who want to laugh at Robocop are undermined by the fact there is comedy, in the form of satire element to it intentionally.

Verhoeven also enjoys these religious style themes, and you can see Robocop regaining his memory and personality as his soul, a soul that is strong and good, will always prevail, even against the toughest odds.
On the subject of the comedy elements, Verhoeven uses them perfectly to contrast the extreme violence of the movie. No punches are pulled in terms of the shootouts and such, and I don't mean they are exaggerated by the actors, blood flies, and to be honest I respect them for it. There is nothing more stupid than an action movie where hordes of people are killed and not a drop of blood is seen.
The movie captures a real comic book feel, which also sort of makes the violence more watchable, while it's gruesome, and the effects used are incredible, you also don't ever get the feeling it was intended to be disturbing, and you are never disturbed by it, due to the all action nature of proceedings.

The acting in Robocop is also of a brilliant standard. Weller is superb as the tortured Murphy, and really conveys his transformation from man to machine and back again wonderfully. The supporting cast is also of the highest calibre, with attention required to be drawn to the always great Ronny Cox,Miguel Ferrer and Kurtwood Smith, who all seem to be loving themselves in their roles.

In terms of sound, the effects of Robocop and the ED-209 walking are excellent, they genuinely sound like machines in motion, the powerful score from Basil Poledouris is of the highest quality, it really does give Robocop a superheroic quality,and gets you behind the character.

I don't care what anyone says, the effects in Robocop are excellent, especially when you consider it was the 80s. The suit Peter Weller is encased in looks awesome, the blood effects are over exaggerated enough not to be disgusting, but realistic enough to be applauded, and the stop motion used for the ED-209 is wonderful, all in all, I have no effects gripes about Robocop. Even the designs of the characters and weapons are spot on, and the movie is a joy to look at.

In general, Robocop is a brilliant movie that I would recommend to anyone. For some reason it never garnered the same street cred as movies like the Terminator or Aliens, and I really do wonder why, it's a majestic example of how wonderful 80s action movies can be,how exciting Sci-Fi can be and generally how good a director Verhoeven is on his day. Providing the idea of pretty extreme violence doesn't turn you off, I really don't see a reason why you wouldn't like Robocop, it's truly one of the few 80s Action pictures that goes beyond being 'entertaining' and into the realms of being excellent.

Summary: Providing you're not a pacifist, you should see Robocop