RoboCop Reboot - Part 6

[Shikamaru]

Alex Murphy's death in the original wasn't just violent for the sake of violence. It served a purpose. Not just to show the destruction of violence, but to also show what little there was left of Alex Murphy. Not little as in physical body parts, but as in the quality overall. That was what remained of a good cop after coming in direct contact with Detroit's worst type of criminals. It becomes even more degrading when OCP starts rebuilding him.

"Cut off his other hand."
"Really? Can we do that?"
"He's legally dead. We can do whatever we want to him."

The new film feels like it toned down the whole essence of Robocop overall just to appeal to a wider and younger demographic. Not just with the car bomb, but with the film film overall. Detroit itself looked cleaner and more polished than it does today. It never felt as if robots were that desperately needed on the street.

Speaking of Alex Murphy himself, I found this Alex really bland and generic. He was nowhere near as likeable and as sympathetic as Peter Weller's version. I think him knowing he was Alex Murphy and his family being present is what took away from that. In the original, his whole life was gone. He had no memory of who he was nor did his family even know he was alive. In this film, he kinda just gets his life back except with a cool new armor body and a more famous reputation. If memory serves me right, everyone at the police station still called him Alex (at least his close friends did).

 

[DarthSkywalker]

At least see The Lego Movie.

Everything awesome!!!!

 

[Senator Pleasury]

ROBOCOP

I saw the movie and thought it was very good.

Problem is that it'll be always compared to the original and this is far more generic and less groundbreaking, not to mention less brutal. And, s some of you say, it's funny to think a modern Robocop movie can't be as brutal as one that was made 25 years or so ago.

One thing that killed the movie for me was the music. Using the theme from the original when this is a complete different thing, time and age, or that "cool" song for Robocop's first confrontation came out cheap to me. Also the theme for the ending of the movie that killed the mood the movie left, which was good. It was like if the movie said "Okay, I am just a generic action movie, nothing really valuable here." And it wasn't the case.

The acting was also good, Kinnaman, Oldman, Keaton and the rest of the cast were surprisingly good. But good old Sam Jackson repeating himself for the umpteenth time was bearable until that very last scene in which he had, HAD to go all "m*****f*****" and "s***" and ruin his character.

(BTW, it was funny to see "Batman" and "Gordon" working together. Specially Keaton suggesting that the usual Robocop look should be changed to black. )

Overall a good movie on the verge of being just a generic action movie that, thanks to someone's decision, felt more generic than it really is.


3.5/5

 

[Senator Pleasury]

Alex Murphy's death in the original wasn't just violent for the sake of violence. It served a purpose. Not just to show the destruction of violence, but to also show what little there was left of Alex Murphy. Not little as in physical body parts, but as in the quality overall. That was what remained of a good cop after coming in direct contact with Detroit's worst type of criminals. It becomes even more degrading when OCP starts rebuilding him.

"Cut off his other hand."
"Really? Can we do that?"
"He's legally dead. We can do whatever we want to him."

The new film feels like it toned down the whole essence of Robocop overall just to appeal to a wider and younger demographic. Not just with the car bomb, but with the film film overall. Detroit itself looked cleaner and more polished than it does today. It never felt as if robots were that desperately needed on the street.

This. Very much.

 

[bullets]

The scene where Murphy gets to see what's actually left of him was so emotionally disturbing in a great way. Hard-hitting stuff. And guess what, it didn't need gore or an R-rating to reach that edge!

That was a great scene. I don't think this film needed to be rated r to work. It had other issues imo, but more Gore wouldn't of fixed them.

 

[dark_b]

the acting from Kinnaman made it disturbing. everything that was in the scene was IMO PG. brain and lungs looked like plastic toys wrapped in a clean glossy plastic glass.

Kinnman was fantastic

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

That was a great scene. I don't think this film needed to be rated r to work. It had other issues imo, but more Gore wouldn't of fixed them.

I agree, its been 2 weeks since I saw the movie now, and though a few others have stayed with me as well, THAT scene has been the most prominent in my thoughts.

It was great stuff.

 

[Paradox1]

That scene was disturbing as hell, Padilla was right when he said unlike other superheroes, nobody wants to be Robocop not even him and that scene pretty much summed that up perfectly.

 

[hippie_hunter]

The Lego Movie being such a big success was not unexpected at all. It has been the talk for months now. Where did you get the idea it was?

While the LEGO Movie was expected to be successful, it has been going above and beyond Warner Bros.' expectations. It made double what Warner Bros. expected on it's opening weekend and its holds have been absolutely fantastic.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

While the LEGO Movie was expected to be successful, it has been going above and beyond Warner Bros.' expectations. It made double what Warner Bros. expected on it's opening weekend and its holds have been absolutely fantastic.

All studios lowball their opening weekend, so that when it opens above it is a "success". That is why "Into Darkness" was such bad news. It came in under studio predictions. The truth with Lego is the bigger sites had the predictions for opening weekend, and each weekend since right.

 

[Rowsdower!]

the acting from Kinnaman made it disturbing. everything that was in the scene was IMO PG. brain and lungs looked like plastic toys wrapped in a clean glossy plastic glass.

Kinnman was fantastic

Agreed. I thought all the performances were great, especially his. The actors, IMO, made up for the weaker aspects of the film.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

I just got back from seeing this with my 21year old cousin that loves the original. You know what? I totally enjoyed this, once I realized that they were not going to ape Verhoeven in style. I liked the social commentary and action, but most of all I liked that it was character driven. It's not a copycat of the '87 film, but then again, it didn't have to be in order to be a good film. Seeing it now also makes me think that those that were critical of the Robocop look were just way off. All the pissing and moaning about it just seems like willful disliking of something now to my eyes. Was it perfect? No. Was it a good reboot? Yes.

 

[Senator Pleasury]

I just got back from seeing this with my 21year old cousin that loves the original. You know what? I totally enjoyed this, once I realized that they were not going to ape Verhoeven in style. I liked the social commentary and action, but most of all I liked that it was character driven. It's not a copycat of the '87 film, but then again, it didn't have to be in order to be a good film. Seeing it now also makes me think that those that were critical of the Robocop look were just way off. All the pissing and moaning about it just seems like willful disliking of something now to my eyes. Was it perfect? No. Was it a good reboot? Yes.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

That scene was disturbing as hell, Padilla was right when he said unlike other superheroes, nobody wants to be Robocop not even him and that scene pretty much summed that up perfectly.

Yeah thats what I liked about the scene, it was totally what Padilha which cant be said for some other scenes. You could tell which scenes were totally his and which ones had studio interference in them.

I just got back from seeing this with my 21year old cousin that loves the original. You know what? I totally enjoyed this, once I realized that they were not going to ape Verhoeven in style. I liked the social commentary and action, but most of all I liked that it was character driven. It's not a copycat of the '87 film, but then again, it didn't have to be in order to be a good film. Seeing it now also makes me think that those that were critical of the Robocop look were just way off. All the pissing and moaning about it just seems like willful disliking of something now to my eyes. Was it perfect? No. Was it a good reboot? Yes.

Pretty much sums up my feelings perfectly. Its why I hope this is the start of a new franchise, but we will have to see with the numbers.

 

[chintai80]

if a franchise is or isn't going to built off this, i still plan to get the blu-ray for this. i hope it comes with a boatload of extras.

it's been a week since i saw this and i'm still thinking about the movie. and it wasn't the action, it was the philosophical ideas and the acting that gets to me.

 

[X Knight]

saw this last night.

and surprisingly, I liked it a lot better than I thought I would.

 

[TheBeastWithin]

I just got back from seeing this with my 21year old cousin that loves the original. You know what? I totally enjoyed this, once I realized that they were not going to ape Verhoeven in style. I liked the social commentary and action, but most of all I liked that it was character driven. It's not a copycat of the '87 film, but then again, it didn't have to be in order to be a good film. Seeing it now also makes me think that those that were critical of the Robocop look were just way off. All the pissing and moaning about it just seems like willful disliking of something now to my eyes. Was it perfect? No. Was it a good reboot? Yes.

What you said. Ditto.

 

[X Knight]

I just got back from seeing this with my 21year old cousin that loves the original. You know what? I totally enjoyed this, once I realized that they were not going to ape Verhoeven in style. I liked the social commentary and action, but most of all I liked that it was character driven. It's not a copycat of the '87 film, but then again, it didn't have to be in order to be a good film. Seeing it now also makes me think that those that were critical of the Robocop look were just way off. All the pissing and moaning about it just seems like willful disliking of something now to my eyes. Was it perfect? No. Was it a good reboot? Yes.

agreed.

to me, it was essentially a different movie than the original. so you really can't compare them. and different tone, too.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

You can compare them. It is a remake.

 

[Johnny Drama]

Speaking of Alex Murphy himself, I found this Alex really bland and generic. He was nowhere near as likeable and as sympathetic as Peter Weller's version. I think him knowing he was Alex Murphy and his family being present is what took away from that. In the original, his whole life was gone. He had no memory of who he was nor did his family even know he was alive. In this film, he kinda just gets his life back except with a cool new armor body and a more famous reputation. If memory serves me right, everyone at the police station still called him Alex (at least his close friends did).

I agreed with most of what you said, but the bolded part has me scratching my head. This newer Murphy conveyed the whole spectrum of human emotion and character traits. While I favor Peter Wellers Robocop, the reason I favor him is because he played the character LIKE a robot, devoid of personality. This one, conveyed everything from arrogance to anxiety.

Maybe that's something. Weller played both Murphy and Robocop as robots (Murphy to a lessar extent obviously), and Kinnaman played both roles as a human (Robocop to a slightly lessar extent).

 

[SofNascimento]

I thought the human side of this Robocop very good, the scene where he sees what's left of him was well directed and his reaction was precise. Latter when he talk to his wife and makes the camera zoom as much as possible to hide the machine parts in his face was also a nice touch.

He also has the machine coldness from the original Rocobop when he is drugged, it doesn't last much, but when you see his regaining his feelings it shows well the difference between the two. I loved the scene when he arrives at the police station and the "badcop robocop" part.

 

[X Knight]

You can compare them. It is a remake.

well, yeah......but just, to me, they felt like totally different films.

 

[X Knight]

also, did anyone here actually like the new black suit more than the classic suit??

hopefully the black armor will make a return, although it's doubtful.

 

[Shikamaru]

I agreed with most of what you said, but the bolded part has me scratching my head. This newer Murphy conveyed the whole spectrum of human emotion and character traits. While I favor Peter Wellers Robocop, the reason I favor him is because he played the character LIKE a robot, devoid of personality. This one, conveyed everything from arrogance to anxiety.

Maybe that's something. Weller played both Murphy and Robocop as robots (Murphy to a lessar extent obviously), and Kinnaman played both roles as a human (Robocop to a slightly lessar extent).

I disagree. I found Murphy really human and likeable even before his accident.

I don't know if it was the actor or the script or the overall execution but to me, this new Robocop didn't have much of a presence. I don't know why, but he just wasn't interesting. It felt more like a film trying to get certain messages/themes across through the name/brand of Robocop as opposed to a story about Robocop. The original got several messages and themes across as well, but Robocop himself was far more "felt".

I don't mean he didn't feel present in the sense that he didn't have screen time. I mean that, as I was watching the film, my mind was constantly thinking and wondering off to all things in the film other than Robocop himself. If anything, I felt Gary Oldman's character had a larger presence and was more interesting. I also feel the film is (unintentionally) told more from his point of view. I wish he would have been the main character instead.

 

[chintai80]

yup, really liked the human elements of kinnaman's robocop that all you guys have brought up.

i didn't find him to be bland at all. i thought he was a wonderful protagonist, and i was engaged with his story, probably more so than most other superhero movies lately.

and liking kinnaman as robocop is no way a knock against peter weller's robocop either. they're both vastly different characters. weller's performance is still great to this day.