And now for something completely different…..well, kinda different. In this day and age where one of the current trends in films is reboots or remakes of previously done material, it is ALWAYS a crapshoot as to whether the NEW incarnation of the material will match up to (rare), improve upon (even rarer), or totally fail to live up to (ultimately, the most common occurrence) the original product. In view of this, we have one of the latest attempts to do as stated above, and therefore I give you 2014’s version of “Robocop”.
Back in 1987 (yeah, I don’t feel too OLD or anything now…sheesh!!), director Paul Verhoeven gave us the original story of Detroit cop Alex P. Murphy (played by Peter Weller) who is unceremoniously shot to (literal) pieces during an attempted bust and is ultimately saved only by being encased in a metal suit and hence becomes Robocop, ushering in a new era of crime fighting and also drawing the attention of a really BAD guy in Clarence J. Boddicker (played SO well by veteran actor Kurtwood Smith). A HIGHLY violent and in your face film, Verhoeven’s vision still resonates as one of the classic action pieces of the late 80’s and was actually a well-executed movie given its premise and visceral approach.
Here we are in 2014 now, and this new version still keeps us in crime-ridden future Detroit circa 2028 where we are blasted into the reality of robots being utilized for military-based peace enforcement via a televised “news” show called The Novak Element, hosted by the over-the-top personality of Pat Novak (played wonderfully by the always entertaining Samuel L. Jackson (Sidebar: who is NOT this guy by the way, see here). Novak spouts about why is it that America seems to be the only place in the world that is, wait for it, ROBO-phobic. We see events transpire that cause concern about these non-human peacekeepers being on OUR fair streets, so enter the replacement for the Boddicker character via megacorporation OmniCorp, who builds the robots, and it’s not so ethical, money driven CEO, Raymond sellers (also a wonderful turn by Michael Keaton). With his small marketing/strategic staff (Jay Baruchel & Jennifer Ehle), they decide to attempt to convince the main scientist behind the robotics, Dr. Dennett Norton (the perpetually solid Gary Oldman) that it’s time to merge man and machine. Thus enters this film’s Officer Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman), who through an altered series of events, that most certainly ruins a lovely night with his wife Clara (Abbie Cornish), ends up prime for the process. From this point on, the film guides us through what we would expect….Murphy trying to cope with the initial shock of what has happened to him and what he has become (there is one CRAZY moment in relation to that discovery that was NUTS to see…very effective visually, though), to seeing his wife and child again, training to become combat ready (the black suit IS awesome!), and then heading out on missions. Once he overrides some protocols in the system and starts investigating his OWN murder, the powers that be at OmniCorp begin to realize Murphy may be more than they can actually control and start devising ways to correct the mistake. Of course, Murphy finds out about everything and the insanity ensues, leading up to the finale we frankly have known was coming the whole time.
On its own merits, this new version of Robocop is most certainly “lighter” overall that it’s parent (or parents, if we really HAVE to bring up 1990’s terrible “Robocop 2” OR 1993’s “3“), as warrants the film’s PG-13 rating. This I personally did not mind, as I like the fact that you CAN still have some good ole fashioned action and craziness without having to REALLY go overboard and having blood spraying everywhere constantly. It is definitely designed to reach a wider audience. One could argue that it would have been better to have another Boddicker-type character as an antagonist rather than the overly used “evil corporation and it’s twisted CEO” approach, but actually, it worked for an update to the story, and is even more feasible, given our current society’s reliance on technology and the HUGE CORPORATIONS that provide it. And the black armor was a great touch for a chunk of the film as well, and views of how Robocop sees things through his computer-enhanced brain via the helmet were cool to watch, especially in a couple of non-related fight sequences where speed and accuracy in firing one’s weapon is paramount. Keaton and Oldman do fine for the characters they play, but as usual, they aren’t STANDOUT roles by any means. They provide the support as villain and benefactor respectively that are needed for the story to move forward. Other than utilizing the Murphy character’s name, the name of the film itself, and the armor, this doesn’t bear much resemblance to the original. It was a fun ride, which is really what I wanted to get out of it anyway. Not spectacular, but good enough to at least warrant ONE viewing, even if you choose to wait until second run. And this story only takes place 14 years in the future from today, so we’d best be watching out for this scenario to become real soon. LOL
As always, this is all for YOUR consideration and comment. Until next time, thanks for reading!
When Peter Jackson decided to remake “King Kong”, one thing he realized was that the only way such a remake could possibly be effective, was to make it true to the original, using enough modern tech and effects to enhance things like the events on skull island, Kong’s rampage through New York and the empire state building, and of course, Kong himself. No overdoing the effects or visuals, just enough to enhance what had come before. This new Robocop should have taken a lesson from the 2005 Kong, in that it should have stayed true to the original story, including the villians–this after all–is what made the original 1987 film so successful. Clarence and Co were just as memorable as the title character himself, maybe more so, and this is definitely missing from the remake–in which most of the bad guys are faceless and nameless–and they all just get done in by Robo–with little or no gunfire. Likewise, another good effect from the original, was that Robo remembered just enough of his past life to convey a sense of loss/despair to effect the viewer without going into unnecessary detail as to how their going to cope when Robo/Murphy comes home–he can’t come home at this point–because, as far as the family’s concerned, he’s dead. And while he may remember them at some point–he knows himself that he can’t go home, because he’s not that Alex Murphy anymore. If Robocop 2 had any redeeming qualities, it was that scene where Robo/Murphy finally confronts his wife and tells her that “her husband is dead, and he’s was created as a remembrance of him”. It made no sense to go into detail on Robo’s family, and no sense to focus on Robo’s dilemna to great lengths–because it take away from the story effect that the original so greatly conveyed.