Review of RoboCop (1987) by Nathan C — 21 Sep 2012

"Robocop" is an enthralling and inventive flick!

A Detroit cop is killed in duty by a renegade group of thugs. He is brought back by this megacorporation, bent on removing Detroit of crime and creating a utopia in its place. He is a nearly indestructible crime-fighting machine able to comply with his purpose, but along the way, he not only is urged to fulfill his quest for vengeance against the ones who killed him, but he also starts to feel again.

This movie is... just amazing on all fronts. It works very effectively as the ultraviolent action thriller that it's made out to be. It's also very satirical in its sci-fi aspects and darkly humorous criticisms of an extremely Reagan-like society put on overdrive. Not to mention, it also has a surprising amount of heart and depth, as depressing as it may be. And it's all thanks to the brilliant direction that it works on so many levels. Stunning visuals, fine performances (especially by the villians), and an emotional score really enhance things. The unusual mix may come off as over-the-top at times, but at least it packs a visceral and intellectual punch.

Granted, it's not a perfect movie. The story is rather standard, but the concept and how the story is integrated makes up for it immensely. The stop-motion effects, which were considered groundbreaking for the time, may come off as dated compared to today's CGI, but it doesn't hurt its age. And it doesn't always work well for everyone because the movie boasts excess, especially in its graphic violence and campy gags. But that's fine because the movie pokes fun at excess... much like fighting fire with fire, huh?

Overall, this sci-fi/action hybrid is, unabashedly, a classic in its genre, amongst the ranks of "The Terminator". I just hope to God that the remake doesn't undo for me what this film did.