RoboCop (1987)

Robocop, born of technology is a cyborg, half man/half machine. The future of Law enforcement is here, and he's kicking ass.

Alex Murphy was the unfortunate candidate chosen to be robocop after he was brutally massacred by a gang of scumbag criminals. And the robocop program was brought in, after the E.D. 209 (An all robot killing machine) proto-type failed so disastrously.

Alex Murphy, now Robocop is effectively dead, but he still has a memory, and sets out on a quest to avenge his own Death, by finding the scumbags responsible.

With some quite horrific violence (E.D. 209 and Murphy scenes mainly) and some brilliant action, Robocop is character that you will warm to, as he fights crime on a personal level.

Solid entertainment 8/10

Fmovies: Robocop is an unbelieveable experience. I haven't watched the film since 1988 and the other day I recieved it on DVD. So I eagerly popped it in the player and BOOM!!! The only way I can describe Robocop is ultraviolence. The film is so over the top and out of control. The film speaks of a future where big companies will run the governmental defense. Those times are upon us more and more everyday. Paul Verhoeven has made one of the most important science fiction films ever made and it's a brillant piece of cinema.

"RoboCop" is a surprisingly impressive action film about a young cop (Peter Weller) who is killed by a gang of cruel criminals and is brought back to life with both human and robotic characteristics. Now he is cleaning up the city of Detroit and going after those who brutally murdered him when he was 100% human. This film is ultra-violent in every sense of the word. Anyone under the age of 17 should be strongly cautioned before seeing this film. However, the violence makes the film realistic and more exciting. Paul Verhoeven does some of his best work as a director. The screenplay is very smart for an action film and all the actors give bravura performances. Peter Weller will always be remembered as the original "RoboCop". Ronny Cox, Nancy Allen, Miguel Ferrer, and an incredibly evil Kurtwood Smith all do the best work of their careers. An impressive film from the action genre. 4 stars out of 5.

RoboCop fmovies. Paul Verhoeven's career in recent years has been wildly uneven, but back in the 1980s he rocked! His movies 'Spetters', 'The Fourth Man' and 'Flesh & Blood' are all brilliant and worth tracking down. His next movie, his first Hollywood one, could have been a complete disaster. Verhoeven initially passed on it without reading the script and wasn't experienced in working with special effects or a fan of science fiction. Thankfully his wife insisted he make the picture and the end result was a triumph. Apparently this was a very tough shoot for all concerned but the bottom line is what is on screen, and it really works. Few movies if any have managed to juggle SF, action and grim satire in such an entertaining and original fashion. Verhoeven was blessed with an excellent script, a well chosen bunch of actors, and a great behind the scenes team, and added to his own vision 'RoboCop' turned out to be one of the best movies of the 1980s, whatever the genre. Peter Weller ('Buckaroo Banzai') pulls off a difficult job - making the audience care about a guy in a monster suit. Probably the best performance of its kind since Boris Karloff in James Whale's 'Frankenstein' back in the 1930s. Nancy Allen ('Dressed To Kill'), Kurtwood Smith ('12.01 PM'), Ronny Cox ('Deliverance'), Miguel Ferrer ('Twin Peaks'), and the rest of the supporting cast are all first rate, and everything about this movie is perfect. Verhoeven stumbled with his next movie 'Total Recall', and apart from 'Starship Troopers' has pretty much failed to fulfill his potential, but 'RoboCop' remains a classic SF/action movie and a fantastic way to end a great decade of work.

In a futurist Detroit, crime is high and the police are run by a massive private company, keener to reduce running costs than reduce crime. When their new police robot ED209 develops a glitch, they turn to a prototype that blends human tissue with high-tech circuitry. Meanwhile Police officer Murphy and his partner Lewis are out gunned by criminals leaving Murphy mortally wounded. OCP take Murphy's body and use it to make Robocop. However Robocop is so successful that he is targeted by criminal Boddicker. Boddicker turns to his shadowy partners in crime, while Robocop struggles to deal with human memories and a programming system that seems designed to control him and keep him in the dark.

Verhoeven's first US film was to set the mould for how the rest of his career would pan out - extreme violence and very little idea of restraint. However this is one of his best films and has much in common with one of his other best (Starship Troopers) - ultra-violence, funny black humour, great action and tonnes of satirical digs at modern life. Here the plot revolves around the creation of Robocop and his fight against crime that goes right to the top. This is complimented by the sub-plot of him trying to rediscover his human side. This is full of great action scenes and eccentric villains.

The black comedy is funny, although sometimes you feel bad laughing at so much violence, but the sideswipes are the best. Verhoeven takes digs at TV with his advert filled news broadcasts, at privatisation by showing the crumbling police stations and the huge corporate towers and at heroism by showing Robocop creating just as much mayhem and destruction as the criminals he pursues. His strength however is the action scenes and the sense of tension he creates - I'll don't think anyone can forget the sheer terror of ED209's `glitch'.

Weller is good - cast because of his strong jaw and ability to project emotion through a suit of armour - and he does manage to bring out the human side. Allen is good but a but dry. The real support comes from the eccentric, and well known villains and corporate bosses. Ronny Cox, Smith, Ray Wise, Perry, O'Herlihy and Miguel Ferrer are all great in various capacities. Criminal or greedy corporate leader - it's hard to tell which is which at times.

A classic bit of sci-fi. Verhoeven has sadly not had a moment as fine as this since and has recently had problems being excessive in Hollywood - the land of excess! This is a landmark film that may not be to everyone's taste.

It's a shame that this movie is usually snubbed by shoving it into the "action" category. Sure, there are lot of legendary action sequences to be found, but RoboCop is a LOT more than that.

Next time when you watch it, try to shift your focus from the cyborgs, explosions and gore towards the writing. From the main theme of criticizing the modern money driven society (a topic still relevant today, and will most likely be so in the future as well) all the way to the smallest bits of dialogue, the writing is nothing short of outstanding. RoboCop is simply the most intelligent "action" film to come out of Hollywood, ever. 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.. The list is endless. Granted, the stop motion effects of ED-209 look quite old today, but you have to remember we're talking about a movie made in 1987. RoboCop has its faults, like the rather embarrassing toxic waste scene, but they are easily forgiven compared to all the good things.

You must be thinking "What is this guy on? It's just a dumb little action flick about a cyborg!" .. Relax, take a deep breath and watch it again. I like obscure art films as much as the next guy, but I'm not going to dismiss such greatness just because it comes wrapped in cartoon violence. I'm not saying RoboCop is art, the best movie ever made or the most important film of the year/decade/millennium. But it definitely deserves to be regarded higher.

My only question is: How could Verhoeven succeed so well with this movie, and fail miserably in ALL other Hollywood titles he has worked on?