RoboCop Reboot - Part 4

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

Right hence why I said it has a lot of good to it, but a GREAT film it is not, it's enjoyable that's for sure but the story is just kind of meh.

 

[DyeLorean]

The robot from Robocop 2, with the stop motion animation, still give me goosebumps. Honestly, I think is frightening as hell.

 

[BH/HHH]

I'm pretty sure when Orion owned both franchises they had no idea what they could've achieved with it, by the time T2 came out the Terminator franchise had been sold off and was such a huge hit I don't think they even felt it was necessary at that point.

But hey we did get a crappy video game based off the idea, I remember wanting that game to be good so badly but it sucked.

Yeah and that's a real shame. I think instead of Robocop and T3 years later had we got a a Robocop vs Terminator film to cap off bit franchises would have been great. I'd have loved to have them get a Paul Verhoeven back for it.

I love, LOVE Robocop 1, but better than The Terminator? No, not for me, both are in my top 10 of all time, but Terminator is in the top 5 and i dont think Robocop would be for me personally, love both though.

Robocop 2 was always a decent sequel, its not as good as the first movie, but its much better than the 3rd in every way possible. Plus, the fight between Robocop and Robocop 2 at the end is still great, even with the dated effects.

Each to their own like I say I just think Robocop us a better film but nit by much.

Right hence why I said it has a lot of good to it, but a GREAT film it is not, it's enjoyable that's for sure but the story is just kind of meh.

I read that in Millers original script that Cain was a psychotic cop called Kong which might have made more sense that they used in for the next Robocop than using a drug lord.

 

[Travesty]

But hey we did get a crappy video game based off the idea, I remember wanting that game to be good so badly but it sucked.

The game was a lot of fun. One of the best Robocop games ever developed.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

That's not really saying much haha I remember being disappointed as a kid playing it, it would be super rad if they made a modern Robocop game, but I doubt seeing that happen.

 

[Binker]

I have a debating question to throw out here: do you guys think that Robocop was just not a franchise character? As in, after R1, his story is done once the movie is over.

 

[BH/HHH]

I have a debating question to throw out here: do you guys think that Robocop was just not a franchise character? As in, after R1, his story is done once the movie is over.

I think everything was just right in the first film, the big difference between the first and second? It's all in the villains, Dick Jones and Clarence Boddicker were so entertaining. The sequel lacked this aspect, and the 3rd basically became a parody. Orion should have just got Verhoeven to do it after he'd wrapped on Total Recall. I think he'd have delivered a better sequel and if he'd stuck around for the 3rd we could have maybe had a great trilogy.

As much as I'm not solid on the trailer for the reboot I hope it's good, Michael Keaton looks great in it and Kinnaman looks pretty good too. I do feel Robocop should be an 18 film not a PG-13 thing and that does worry me as I feel that was one of the worst things about the 3rd one. It seems that they want To do something that's gonna sell toys, I just hope they haven't got lost in the film by making something to sell products (I.e. Batman & Robin) and still deliver a good film. Fingers crossed its good.

 

[samsnee]

I have a debating question to throw out here: do you guys think that Robocop was just not a franchise character? As in, after R1, his story is done once the movie is over.

Robocop 2 basically ignored the ending of the first one. He was back to being a robot.

 

[Saint]

Robocop 2 basically ignored the ending of the first one. He was back to being a robot.

What makes you say that? I would argue that Robocop 2 dealt with the fallout from the ending of Robocop quite directly. The best example is the sequence with his wife--he clearly knows he's Murphy and has those feelings, but he does what he feels is best and puts on a show so she can move on. Later, he directly challenges Faxx when she tries to tell him he's not Alex Murphy.

In terms of his behaviour, you're right--I'd say the performance is more "robotic" than the end of Robocop, but given that most of the material is Robocop "on duty", it makes a level of sense. I recently saw a clip of Weller talking about how, as we all know, Robo's voice changes in the final act of the film, since of course he's regained his humanity. However, he also notes that when Robo is confronting Dick Jones in the final scene, the voice has reverted back to the more robotic tone--then when he tells them his name is "Murphy," it's human again. So I think there's a precedent for Murphy taking on the more robotic tone and mannerisms depending on context.

I would say that dealing with the fallout from the ending of Robocop was one of the things Robocop 2 did a passable job of. Murphy knows who he is, it's just that in the grand scheme of things there's very little he can do about it. He has to accept his new reality. It's absolutely true that Robocop 2 treats this problem as an "afterthought"--in many ways, it simply lacks the heart of the original, despite it's best intentions--but I don't think it contradicts it.

 

[Binker]

If anything was wrong with the sequels, maybe it would be not using Miller's version of Robocop 2 (and 3). Granted I have not read the comic that adapts those scripts, nor have I finished reading the script to Miller's Robo 2, but I think the differences between using Miller's take(s) versus the final products are clear. Besides, one major thing about Miller's 2 was that it's actually Robo 2 & 3 combined. Now if you think about that, once you have that knowledge, you start to realize how Robo 2 and Robo 3 didn't quite make sense. Because in Robo 2, cops are on strike, and in Robo 3, there not, but there are these mercenaries OCP hires because of their Delta City plans. In Miller's Robo 2; cops are on strike, and because OCP wants Delta City, they hire these mercenaries to do that job. See what I mean? Plus, just from the writing of what I got from the script, it didn't feel like how Robo 2 ended up as, but was more like a continuation of Robo 1. And there are the changes like how Miller resolved Murphy's family and such. I just want to have access to an alternate universe and see, like many other movies, what Robocop 2 (and again, 3) would've been if Orion used Miller's version.

P.S. just in case this is brought up later: Miller did an outline and a full script for Robocop 2. Both are different in terms of story, and his outline is actually more of an alternative version of the final product, believe it or not. When Orion rejected Miller's script, they hired a writer to make a script from the outline Miller did first. That explains the final product, and why Miller was credited. Since they used elements from his Robo 2 script for Robo 3, he was credited for that too. Just to clear all that up.

 

[Achille]

The original movie came on cable the other night. It still holds up today for the most part minus some of the stop motion stuff. I wish they would redo some of the special efx ala George Lucas Star Wars movies and remaster a new Blu-Ray copy. I would definitely buy that.

As for the new movie I ll most likely see it but will have very low expectations from it. Which might be a good thing if it actually turns out good.

 

[Terminator]

The thing that bothered me about Robocop vs Terminator was that Robocop existed in a modern setting. That doesn't work as a Terminator story. In Terminator, cyborgs and machines are the post apocalyptic future. Why would the chip in T1 be a big deal if there's already a cyborg police officer walking around? And a ground HK in the form of ED-209?

Perhaps in an alternative reality, Robocop & ED-209 are the products of a joint venture between OCP & CyberDyne. That makes more sense.

 

[DrDoom]

The original movie came on cable the other night. It still holds up today for the most part minus some of the stop motion stuff. I wish they would redo some of the special efx ala George Lucas Star Wars movies and remaster a new Blu-Ray copy. I would definitely buy that.

As for the new movie I ll most likely see it but will have very low expectations from it. Which might be a good thing if it actually turns out good.

The part I ALWAYS crack up at is when Dick Jones falls to his death, he has ridiculously long arms

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

The part I ALWAYS crack up at is when Dick Jones falls to his death, he has ridiculously long arms

I remember reading an interview with R. Cox, and he said that he owns the little stop motion figure they made of him for that VFX shot.

 

[Slushy]

The original movie came on cable the other night. It still holds up today for the most part minus some of the stop motion stuff. I wish they would redo some of the special efx ala George Lucas Star Wars movies and remaster a new Blu-Ray copy. I would definitely buy that.

I used to have the same complaint then I watched Robocop with "soap opera mode" turned on and Ed-209 looks fu**ing fantastic!

 

[titansupes]

The part I ALWAYS crack up at is when Dick Jones falls to his death, he has ridiculously long arms

Gah, I always hated that. One thing about the censored version - that shot is omitted.

 

[Dave McFly]

I have to say even after 23 years that stop motion fx used for Robocop 2 is still damn impressive!

 

[Terminator]

Redoing the special effects would be criminal. It wasn't made for 2013 so it shouldn't look like it was.

 

[Travesty]

I have to say even after 23 years that stop motion fx used for Robocop 2 is still damn impressive!

Yeah, it does look good. Some movie's stop motion still looks damn impressive. I watched The Gate about 2-3 weeks ago, and I was surprised how well the stop motion looked. It had been over 20 years since I last saw that movie, too.

 

[Rockbottom]

This movie is getting no heat at all unfortunately and I really do blame it on the terrible or almost none existent advertising campaign.

 

[Teelie]

Other than a brief, initial bump with the trailer release, I haven't seen anything about it either. In fact I sometimes even forget it exists before coming back here.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

The poster made a small stir online but that was it really aside from the trailer.

 

[Maboroshi]

The part I ALWAYS crack up at is when Dick Jones falls to his death, he has ridiculously long arms

Robocop is an older movie now, but luckily most of the effects are good enough to not be distracting at all. They hold up really well, even if they look a bit dated. You can still watch the movie today and generally not be distracted by the effects, even if they are old. In fact, much of the stuff in the movie could be said to be superior in some ways to certain things today (like Muprhy's Robo makeup).

This is the one shot that does not get a pass and is in fact quite distracting to me. The one shot that pulls me out and reminds me that I'm watching a movie from the 80s.

I really wish it wasn't in the movie.

 

[jacobed]

This movie is getting no heat at all unfortunately and I really do blame it on the terrible or almost none existent advertising campaign.

Studios are smart they know advertising is expensive, why waste that money on lots of stuff now. No, no you wait until a month or two before the movie releases before you start releasing stuff and then a few weeks before is when you hit it hard. Tv spots left and right, posters, stills. There'll probably be a trailer around Christmas time and then it'll be steady all of January.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Robocop is an older movie now, but luckily most of the effects are good enough to not be distracting at all. They hold up really well, even if they look a bit dated. You can still watch the movie today and generally not be distracted by the effects, even if they are old. In fact, much of the stuff in the movie could be said to be superior in some ways to certain things today (like Muprhy's Robo makeup).

This is the one shot that does not get a pass and is in fact quite distracting to me. The one shot that pulls me out and reminds me that I'm watching a movie from the 80s.

I really wish it wasn't in the movie.

Yep, that is the only bad shot in the movie, but the rest of the stop motion effects still look damn good, and dont take me out of the movie at all like a lot of bad CGI does these days. The 1st movie, and even the sequel, hold up still pretty damn well.