Directed by:
Paul VerhoevenCinematography:
Jost VacanoComposer:
Basil PoledourisCast:
Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Robert DoQui, Ray Wise, Felton Perry, Paul McCrane, Calvin Jung (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
When an honest cop (Peter Weller) is killed in the line of duty, the embattled Detroit Police Department of the future brings him back to life as RoboCop, the latest in cyborg technology. Programmed to be the ultimate law enforcer, RoboCop's not supposed to remember his human past - but memories of life, love and family are flooding in, blurring the line between man and machine, even as RoboCop sweeps the streets of "scum." (Showtime)
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Reviews (8)
Another excellent sci-fi thriller which, together with Terminator, was and still belongs to the best of the 80s. It was also the first Paul Verhoeven film I’d seen, and I became an instant fan. RoboCop is literally packed with thrilling action scenes, but it also contains moments that bring you closer to the character of Alex Murphy, mostly focusing on the memories of his family. Fortunately, pre-1990 films didn't use so much of the now typical American melodrama, so these scenes work well. Another big plus is the cast. You’ll hardly find a nastier villain than Kurtwood Smith.
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RoboCop is a movie for fans of the action genre and a bloody spectacle without much appeal for other viewers. Craftsmanship-wise, it is decently executed, which is expected from Paul Verhoeven, who is experienced and skilled. In some moments, it has a slightly cheesy tone, but again, that is not surprising from Verhoeven. Overall impression: 40%. A film that draws on nostalgia and a teenage audience's perspective.
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Cleverly humorous, 80s-style simple, one-sided in tone, markedly satirical, and excessively over-the-top in Paul Verhoeven fashion. And yet, despite all that, it is somehow irresistible. The idea of an almost unbeatable police officer, whom the viewer will passionately support, is surprisingly well-executed, aided most by Peter Weller's perfectly grim expression and the brilliantly straightforward heroic musical theme. And it is exactly the exaggerated social satire that gives all the action a slightly higher dimension.
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Meat and metal classic. Verhoeven reinforced the action time with a bloated can with his favorite news shots, which, from the point of view of the whole, are actually completely unnecessary, but in addition to the classic spectacle, they construct a rather disturbing storyline of the collapsing world of the future. Motives such as the abuse of the police by the private sector and tensions between owners and unions do lag behind, but they also functionally complete the atmosphere. It's straightforward, but it digs so hard with its brutality and foresight that one still feels the slight stomach vibrations from the time when he devoured it like a child in silent amazement.
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Admittedly, I would have preferred to see this in the hands of James Cameron, but then RoboCop would have lost its unique atmosphere that only this Dutch pervert can evoke. The plot fills the traditional B-movie template of the 1980s, but Verhoeven's sense of characters, relationships, healthy (almost comic book) exaggeration, and brisk pacing elevate this film fully into the A category. Even though the special effects have aged, viewers don't have to hide their smiles indulgently at the crucial moments (the action, the atmosphere), but instead still fully enjoy this unique spectacle.
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Gallery (118)
Photo © Orion Pictures Corporation
![RoboCop - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/159/717/159717159_71367f.jpg)
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