Paul Verhoeven’s “RoboCop” (1987) felt like a frenzied masterpiece, positively cracked when it first came out.
Once audiences have gotten over the B-movie moniker (surely no one at Orion Pictures thought we’d take the title seriously, right?), the movie itself, the journey of a tortured hero, gets through. Taken into science fiction and presented as an uncompromising, modern popcorn journey.
It begins in a not-so-distant future, in which people are obsessed with television, surrounded by outbreaks of violence and at the mercy of corporations with too much access. In other words, like today. No date is given for installation and is not required.
The future is here.
Peter Weller’s Officer Murphy is a “transitioner from Metro South,” who is immediately put on the road and teamed up with Aggressive Officer Lewis, played by Nancy Allen.
There is nudity at this station, a precursor to Verhoeven’s “Starship Troopers” (1997), as well as a commentary on the inner political nature of the force. Upon hearing of a strike, Sergeant of the force. Reed (played by Robert DoQui) announces, “We are policemen, not plumbers. Police officers are not on strike.”
It’s a minor twist (“RoboCop 2” actually depicts the final assault of the police) but at its core – it’s a system that aims to control the humanity of those who serve it.
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The worlds of working-class criminals and heavily armed/armed cops coalesce as Murphy and Lewis go after Clarence Boddicker (a great Kurtwood Smith) and his gang of sick guys. his loyalty. The hierarchy of rich men in suits, who hire monsters like the Boddicker to carry out their evil deeds, has become level with Murphy’s entry into this crime chain starting from the top floor of the Omni Consumer Products headquarters.
It’s worth noting that officials call the shootings and meetings in their boardrooms as exciting as the action taking place at street level. If there is a worthy comparison, of a protagonist struggling to maintain his true identity and self, while sharks in suits cause chaos and corruption, this really fit the 1987 hit TV series, “Max Headroom”.
Change the OCP with Channel 54 and police Murphy with investigative reporter Matt Frewer and both have similar concepts and themes. Of course, while “Max Headroom” is a late 80s TV standard, Verhoeven’s extreme R-rated vision goes much further.
Murphy’s death, a painful scene, is similar to that in Sam Raimi’s “Darkman” (1990).
Aside from teen killer movies, few adult films are as violently violent as “RoboCop,” although even the initial quality makes the film controversial and resonant. to some critics, has become part of its legend.
Looking at it today, it’s a mix of Officer Alex J. Murphy’s vibrant reincarnation with blood and explosions, forged with rich humor and authentic cinematography. Verhoeven’s assault on big corporations, consumerism, and the way corrupt organizations can control and direct law enforcement, remains barbaric and worthwhile.
FAST FACT: The 2014 “RoboCop” Remake Is Considered commercial failure despite grossing $5 million for the original film at the US box office.
The POV about Murphy’s reincarnation is engaging, very funny, and has great cinematic storytelling. So does the sad set piece, where Murphy revisits his old home and has flickering memories, revealing how much he’s lost. Tons of shows are presented with great humor and creative visuals, though the movie’s human core never dissipates.
Once Murphy reincarnated and was literally rebuilt as RoboCop, he succeeded in an instant, “cleaning up” the crime streets of Old Detroit, by leaving behind rubble, glass, and debris. crumbling and dead bodies behind.
Survivors must be grateful as he marched. It’s a great response to “heroes” like John Rambo and Paul Kersey. Murphy’s new identity as RoboCop is a human tank, all brutal and impersonal, with the man’s consciousness inside the original metal kept in a sedated state.
However, we knew something was up due to an unexplained “(Directive 4 CLASSIFIED)” warning appearing ominously in Murphy’s enhanced vision.
Verhoeven’s storytelling and aptitude for action sequences are always present.
The fake news broadcast that opens the film includes a quick shot of the Challenger space shuttle disaster, as well as parodies of board games and hospital ads that reflect the era in which the film was created.
Perhaps the biggest ’80s artifact here is related to “TJ Lazer,” which looks closer to “Captain Power” or “Lazer Tag” than anything William Shatner has ever made. However, instead of assuming this is outdated, perhaps it’s time to consider that “RoboCop” takes place only in an alternate 1987, where the hopes and limitations of futurist ideas are met. fall together.
We witnessed the OCP meeting, where the security concept project created RoboCop, even though it was a nice fake; The silver color on the movie poster is not featured. Instead, we meet the clunky, insect-like, and lowly ED-209, who instantly malfunctions and turns an executive into a piece of meat in front of his terrified colleagues.
The intro ED-209 sequence (which gives us our first look at Phil Tippet’s incredible stop-motion animation) always generates laughter, but this scene left me baffled. Perhaps it was the roaring sound the ED-209 made (like a cougar made by Mattel), or the way the victim’s co-worker shoved him into the spot before being attacked, or the corpse death is smoking on the table afterwards. Its irony, okay, but also very barbaric.
Weller is a character actor who achieved instant cult status when he played the lead role in the fantastic film “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the Eighth Dimension” (1984). There is a level of difficulty off the charts regarding what Weller has to physically bring when playing RoboCop. Weller and Allen don’t overestimate their roles and create massive empathy by showing how vulnerable their characters are.
However, it was the villains who stole the show.
Miguel Ferrer’s hilarious and ruthless Morton (Vice President of Security Concepts) has been compared to Ronny Cox’s fearsome, good-only Dick Jones and the appearance of Smith Clarence Boddicker (who we know). wanted for the deaths of 31 policemen).
What a perfect trio of bad guys in the movie. Boddicker’s gang is grotesque and vile, which makes Murphy’s murder all the more unsettling. Other than that, there’s no music to soothe or edit how bad that sequence is.
FAST FACT: Verhoeven Says He considered Arnold Schwarzenegger played both Alex Murphy and later RoboCop, but the actor who played the part was too big for the suit they thought it would be.
Dan O’Herlihy, playing the Old Man who runs the OCP, is elegant but only slightly more sinister here than in “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” (1983), where he also plays a man. Old age has questionable powers.
Verhoeven’s films have sick humor, brutal violence, and a great story. It seems to take place in the same world as Verhoeven’s thrilling but equally thrilling but distant lecture “Total Recall” (1990).
“RoboCop” is filled with unexpected twists and turns, such as the odd battle between RoboCop and the ED-209 that is resolved by an annoying staircase beat. Or the nihilistic moment where toxic waste determines the fate of one of the film’s most despicable characters.
Gore is amazing, even today. I still wince when RoboCop kills a man by cutting his throat and a drop of blood falls on him. The score of Basil Poledouris offers an interesting but also very dismal march. RoboCop’s “thermometer” vision resembles the “Predator” POV, which was released within a few weeks.
No less the action here, Verhoeven’s film is the story of a machine that discovers that he is a man. It is also surrounded by spoofs of savvy and commercialized corporations. Note the 6000 SUX commercial in the movie – it’s funny but not really that far-fetched.
Likewise, the saying “I’ll buy that for a dollar” is quoted from the popular sitcom in the series; it looks ironic but will likely air right after “Keeping Up With the Kardashians”.
July 17, 1987 – RoboCop
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O’Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer
Budget: $13 million / Box office: $53.4 millionhttps://t.co/freR1HXmSs pic.twitter.com/qbdgi2wuQY– Retro80sRadio (@retro80s_radio) July 16, 2022
Despite its welcome sense of humor and loads of exciting action, the film is filled with painful and powerful scenes. Note the gruesome scene as Murphy’s officers opened fire on him, as the OCP pinned him down as fast as they could.
“RoboCop” is one of the best comic book movies not based on comic books and the best action/sci-fi movie ever. However, the weight of emotion in the film is why it’s more than just a popcorn movie.
When Murphy talked about the wife and son he lost, he said, “I can feel them, but I can’t remember them.” Like a sharp nudge to corporations and bureaucrats, “RoboCop” is rich with existential anguish.
The last time I watched it was with an audience at a midnight revival screening in Denver. Most of the packed audience had never seen it before. Their reaction to the final moment sums up what I love about the movie.
After dispatching the last remaining villains, someone said, “Good shot, son. What’s your name?” RoboCop turned, considered for a second, then smiled as he said, “Murphy.”
Someone sitting near me suddenly shouted, “You’re right!” The whole auditorium erupted in cheers.
RoboCop is aware of his rotten existence and for better or worse, has now found a more balance between machine and human inside the suit. A fitting ending and also a return for Alex J. Muprhy.
