Review of RoboCop (1987) by Noah Abraham G — 02 Mar 2013

I'm at a loss as to why anyone can hate this movie. I'm at a loss as to why anyone can dislike it. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how there exists a single person who isn't absolutely in love with it. There is no such thing as a perfect movie, and "RoboCop" is no exception. It has its fair share of flaws.

But what it does well, it does amazingly. And it does a lot of things well.

Peter Weller plays veteran cop Alex Murphy, who's been transferred to Old Detroit, a dystopian nightmare only slightly removed from the real world Detroit. He and his partner (Nancy Allen) get along pretty well, although their relationship is ended prematurely when their first patrol leads them to terrorist Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith), who ends up torturing and killing Alex.

Meanwhile, OCP (a company that is in charge of the city's police force) is trying their best to come up with the future of law enforcement. Senior President Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) wants drones, but the Old Man (Dan O'Herlihy) is more impressed by up-and-comer Robert Morton (Miguel Ferrer) and his RoboCop idea. And luckily for him, a recently deceased cop makes the perfect candidate...

The plot sounds like it could be one of two things: the premise for an cerebral sci-fi drama, or (more likely) a balls-to-the-wall action picture. So how delightful is it that the film decides to be a hybrid of both?

Now, granted, the film is an action movie first. Paul Verhoeven really delivers with the goods here, and if you ever needed proof that practical effects are better than CGI- this is it. But still, the film has a brain, and it knows when to use it. The character arc of RoboCop is a surprisingly heartfelt one about memory and identity. The film could have benefited from more scenes about Alex Murphy coming to terms with who he is, but perhaps not. The 102-minute running time seems just about perfect, and I felt a lot more invested in the few scenes we got than I was the entirety of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.".

Yes. I just said that "RoboCop" is a better movie than "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." And I don't even remotely feel ashamed for it.

The film is also really, REALLY funny. It's smart enough to play the concept straight, but self-aware enough to realize how silly it is. The film is an amazing satire as well as action picture, and it's a third layer that many films never even dream of achieving.

"RoboCop" is a remarkably ambitious film.

The acting is all top-notch, too, and the characters are all well-realized. There's a reason they cast big hitters like Gary Oldman and Samuel L. Jackson for the remake- they have pretty big shoes to fill.

Of course, the entire film would fall apart if everything about the titular character wasn't perfect, so it's fortunate that his entire being just sort of falls together. His design is perfect. He is played perfectly- with a lot of charisma, but never over the top. He is likable and sympathetic, and even before RoboCop discovers his roots, he has enough humanity to remain likable.

RoboCop, in short, is one of the greatest fictional characters of all time.

And what's a great superhero (is he a superhero? No one else thinks he is, but I feel like he should be considered one) without a great villain to go up against? Clarence Boddicker is such a villain- he's hilarious to watch, but consistently terrifying. A plot twist near the end could have nearly ruined his character, but I think a combination of deft handling (and a fantastic performance) helps him maintain his aura of menace.

I could talk about this film for hours; I really could. I haven't even mentioned the fantastic set design, and I've barely touched on the thrilling action. But I wouldn't be doing much service to anyone who hasn't seen it. You need to discover SOMETHING for yourself.

If you've not seen this movie, do me a favor and go watch it. I think it's on Netflix Instant. And it's incredible.

All I'm saying is I'd definitely buy it for a dollar.