This may come as a shock to quite a few of you, but I’ve never seen the original “RoboCop.” Much of my familiarity with the character comes from comic books, the “Alpha Commando” animated series and the merchandise that was sold back in the heyday of K.B. Toys.
Review Score: 4/5
As such, I’m coming at this from a fresh perspective, more or less expecting something that’s somewhere between “The Dark Knight” and the “Iron Man” films, which is pretty much what I got.
In a not-so distant future, robots are being implemented for use as law enforcement and military patrols in countries all around the world except for the U.S. In an effort to sway public opinion and overturn a law that prevents the technology from being used on U.S. soil, the CEO of robotics corporation, OmniCorp, played by Michael Keaton, decides to combine man with machine by creating the world’s first cybernetically enhanced police officer.
At the same time, Detective Alex Murphy, played by Joel Kinnaman, is attacked with a car bomb while pursuing a lead on a notorious gangster who’s dealing in weapons stolen from the police department, leaving much of his body destroyed, making him the perfect candidate for the procedure.
As I mentioned before, the story is somewhere between “The Dark Knight” and “Iron Man” in terms of its tone.
The film attempts to make a commentary on real world issues, such as the use of drones and the “evils” of capitalism. At the same time, it attempts to maintain a black and white morality when it comes to the overall theme of man vs. machine.
For the most part, the actions scenes are pretty well executed, save for the last moments, where we start with a fight scene that takes place almost entirely in the dark and ends with a predictable stand-off with the “antagonist,” for lack of a better term.
Overall, don’t go into “RoboCop” expecting high art or sheer spectacle as it doesn’t really deliver on either front. It’s an entertaining action film that has some teeth, but it doesn’t really accomplish much else. While not the worst film in theaters right now, it kind of blends in amongst the other action films that have come out thus far.
“RoboCop” gets a 4/5.
YouTube: Studio Ghost
