RoboCop (2014) is a straight-up reboot and retelling of the original RoboCop (1987). Once again, a Detroit-based cop is murdered and used for an experiment in modern policing by the shadowy corporation OmniCorp, to promote their own interests rather than to truly protect the public it supposedly serves. The hero is Alex Murphy/RoboCop (Joel Kinnaman). He is a good cop and family man. Murphy patrols the streets of Detroit with his partner, Jack Lewis (Michael K. Smith), in the year 2028. When Jack is wounded early in the film, Murphy starts to investigate since he is not the sort to let that kind of thing go unpunished. The responsible parties know this and set out to get Murphy before he can do the same.
Once the Faustian bargain is struck, Murphy is transformed into RoboCop. From this point on, the path of the original film’s plot is essentially followed with broad strokes, but there are still enough divergent elements to make the ride an enjoyable one. Updating the effects helps this re-telling seem more contemporary than the original. But, at its heart, this is not really an effects-driven movie. It is about the power of the human spirit to overcome anything that is put in its way, much like the 1987 film was.
As a fan of the original, what is most interesting about the current incarnation are its tone, approach, and updated politics. There are a couple of lines of dialogue that are clearly recycled, yet the tone here is more adult and less cartoonish. The humor is smarter and much sparser. The ability of the director to approach such a violent film and get a PG-13, rather than the original’s R rating, and still have a more adult movie is truly impressive. This is not a watered down version of RoboCop, there is plenty of mayhem with just a pinch more gravitas.
The same themes are explored here – greed, corruption, and privatization. However, the issue of gentrification is replaced by more militaristic concerns. This issue is a nice addition to the background of the story and should hit home for most audiences. The theme of the film is rammed home by the Pat Novak character, portrayed with some amazing moments of satire by Samuel L. Jackson.
Joel Kinnaman in “RoboCop.” © 2013 – Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.
There are only two real problems with RoboCop. First, there is an inevitable issue with re-making a fan favorite that so closely parallels the original that is always a tough sell. It almost feels like a reimagined superhero film where you have to get past all the origin back-story to get to the new stuff and then ultimately feel a bit let down at the end. There isn’t any new stuff. No new plot points – just a variation, a well done variation but not as satisfying. Secondly, there were a couple times that the point of view effectively jumps to a first-person shooter. The point of view from Murphy’s robotic perspective also makes sense and works. However, the shots done on a shaky-cam were just unnecessary and distracting and did not work. Thankfully they were few and far between.
Overall, RoboCop was really well done. The film has a great tone and a solid take on updating the original. The actors were all excellent and seemed dedicated to the subject. But perhaps a sequel will take the chances and add to the RoboCop franchise in ways that this film was not able to do.
Steven Gahm
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