Director Jose Padilha and screenwriter Joshua Zetumer’s RoboCop isn’t so much a remake of the Paul Verhoeven 1987 classic film of the same name as it is a mirror image of the original’s Alex Murphy story using some of the same characters and settings. RoboCop’s post-transformation relationship with his family is freshly explored while his quest to seek vengeance on those who mortally wounded him is more of a footnote. I miss the original’s spunk, attitude and R-rating, but there’s enough of a foundation in this new direction to warrant exploring the character in a second film.
Padilha’s RoboCop is an allegory for the intrusion of technology and padding of corporate pockets as it was in the original. In keeping with modern times, the emphasis is on drone warfare and the pros and cons this robotic technology offers to human security practices. The opening set piece involving two-legged and aerial drones stumbling into suicidal terrorists in the Middle East explosively sets the wheels in motion for Robocop’s assembly when a drone’s straightforward programming is unable to make a humane decision when confronted by a nonlethal threat.
Rather than newly created RoboCop (Joel Kinnaman) slowly discovering he was once a man, this new version awakens still very much Detroit police officer Alex Murphy and then must discover how to overcome programming that is able to suppress his memories and persona during combat. There is no robotic Alex Murphy voice, which doesn’t feel right, but an obvious change in demeanor when RoboCop’s combat protocols kick in and he’s able to quickly and efficiently put down dozens of hostiles with relative ease while forgetting he’s a person.
Zetumer’s script digs deep into the politics of this futuristic world that gives birth to RoboCop and presents some intriguing ideas. Drones aren’t allowed in the U.S. because a powerful politician fears they lack a human element and won’t make the right decisions. The technology used to bring RoboCop to life was developed by a pacifist scientist, Dr. Norton (wonderfully played by Gary Oldman as the only standout performance), who is bullied into using it for military use. Interspersed throughout the film are segments from a high-tech talk show, the Novak Element (hosted by Samuel L. Jackson) that present the evolving political moves in simple terms.
When the politics and action aren’t in play, the script gets bogged down when it spends too much time with Alex’s family both pre and post-RoboCop. As sentimental as a lengthy scene involving Alex seeing his wife and son as RoboCop for the first time is, it unnecessarily slows down the pace. Alex is the same man and misses his family; we get it.
RoboCop’s biggest detriment are memories of the superior original and likewise superior performances that brought the characters of Alex Murphy, Clarence Boddicker, Bob Morton and Dick Jones to life. It’s hard to measure up to a classic that left everything on the table in such a wonderfully satirical manner and delivered numerous quotable lines that stand tall to this day. The big line makes a cameo, but don’t expect any new quotes to escape.
High-Def Presentation
The RoboCop Blu-ray transfer is nothing short of excellent in terms of audio and video fidelity. RoboCop’s new black suit is a fitting test for black crush and detail retention, and it passes both with flying colors. Diverse settings from bright labs to dingy old warehouses are equally treated with great attention in the transfer to preservation of a natural look without details loss. There are no blemishes or detracting anomalies in the transfer to be found anywhere.
The character of RoboCop is identifiable as much with his look as the noises his suit makes with each step. These updated effects sound great, and are amplified when RoboCop takes on multiple Ed-209 units or fires his gun seemingly continuously during a handful of fight sequences. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix is sufficiently loud when the going gets tough, yet also handles the subtler sounds of RoboCop’s innards on display or swooshing holographic displays during the Novak Element with perfection.
Beyond the Feature
The HD bonus features on the RoboCop Blu-ray are a shade above flimsy and adequate enough for the film. Without the three-part making-of piece they wouldn’t be worth mentioning at all.
- Deleted Scenes (4 mins) – A total of five brief scenes are included.
- OmniCorp Product Announcements (3 mins) – These 10 product announcements were part of the marketing prior to the film’s theatrical release.
- RoboCop: Engineered for the 21st Century (28 mins) – This three-part behind-the-scenes look touches upon most aspects of making the film without self-indulgent back-patting, including what originally prompted Jose Padilha to pursue the remake. How it came about is unusual to say the least.
- Theatrical Trailers – Two trailers are included, along with a host of trailers for other Fox/MGM releases.
This new sanitized PG-13 iteration of RoboCop might have stood on its legs a little better had the R-rated original not been around to compare it to. The new spin on Verhoeven’s tale that puts family first simply doesn’t measure up to the original, but it’s a lot better option than a contiguous string of inferior sequels. The Blu-ray presentation is spot-on and when it comes to enjoying a cyborg law enforcement officer battling a battalion of ED-209s, there’s much enjoyment to be had.
