Saw this today. Overall, I really enjoyed it. It's damn near impossible to refrain from making comparisons to the original, but I admire the way that this film didn't simply attempt to be a carbon copy of that film. It truly goes in its own direction and that might rub people wrong, but if you just wanted to watch the original again, then why don't you do just that? And while this one won't be remembered as a classic the way that film was, I still thought that the 2014 version of Robocop is a very solid film.
The strongest aspect of the film, IMO, is the performances. All of the actors did a great job with their roles, particularly Joel Kinnaman as Alex Murphy and Gary Oldman as Dennet Norton. By doing reverse-Robocop and having Murphy aware of his condition before gradually having all his emotions removed, I truly felt for the man. Some fans have complained that the "unmasked" version of Murphy in this film lacks the gripping and disturbing appearance of Peter Weller in the original when he removes his helmet. Certainly a fair criticism, BUT... when we get a glimpse of what is left of Murphy's real body... I'd say its even more disturbing. Of course, none of that would matter if Kinnaman didn't absolutely nail his role. But he certainly does. He doesn't come off much like Weller at all and that's fine... I'm glad he went his own way with the character. He's a bit more badass and confrontational than Weller was, and it works to the film's advantage.
Oldman also turns in a great performance as a man trying to do some good despite corporate a**holes pulling the strings. While the original Norton was just an arrogant weasel, Oldman's version is a guy you're constantly hoping will do the right thing.
Abbie Cornish also stands out as the widow just barely holding it together. I wish she had been in it a bit more but she made the most of her role.
The always excellent Michael Keaton's villain is really less of a villain and more of a corrupt opportunist. Although he's not as loathsome as Dick Jones or as vicious as Clarance Boddicker, by the end, you still want to see him go down. His henchman, Maddox, is a bit more of an obvious prick, and the ever-reliable Jackie Earle Haley makes this minor character someone you really grow to hate as the movie goes on. Samuel L. Jackson, Michael K. Williams, Jay Baruchel and Jennifer Ehle also do some solid work.
In terms of the story, I think it works pretty well. It hits many of the same beats as the original, yet it's not entirely predictable in it's structure. I do think it could have allowed for more action sequences, however. While I certainly applaud Jose Padiha for allowing the film to breathe with a number of great character-building scenes, I also feel that we could have gotten a little more Robocop-on-patrol action. Also, much like the original Robocop, we are again introduced to the nightmarish ED-209 robots... and then the film does very little with them. Aside from the intro scene in the Middle East and the climax, they're barely in the movie.
Speaking of action and special effects, sadly, most of the action sequences and visuals aren't anything special. They're not "bad" per se... but in a post-Matrix, post-Inception, post-Iron Man era, we want to be wowed by sci-fi action and unfortunately, Padilha seems a little out of his depth in that regard. I also think using the all black suit for the majority of the film was a mistake. It's not terrible but the silver suit looks SO much better. That's not just me being nostalgic over the original, either. The silver suit in this version was BETTER than the one in the original (IMO). It's a shame they didn't stick with it through the entire film.
So, overall, I would say this Robocop film is worth seeing. It's a good, but not great movie. Could it have been a great movie? Perhaps. It's a shame that the film isn't doing better at the box office because I think there is some great potential for a sequel.
7/10
