RoboCop Reboot - Part 7

[Supernova]

Very weird theatrical experience for me with this reboot. I remember liking it while watching it because there were good ideas but 10 minutes after I left the theater I couldnt remember much.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Shame they dropped the ball with this. It had so much potential, but that's what happens when people in charge forget the very essence of what made the character so great: his struggle with his humanity.

They did address that in the movie, there was a while sequence were he was more robotic because they took his humanity away, but after the visit from his wife the human part came back despite them not thinking that was possible. His humanity was taken away but in the end won through against the programming they instilled within his brain.

 

[KevanG]

I like the classic better but the new one isn't bad.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I like the classic better but the new one isn't bad.

I doubt the first will ever be beaten by any new RoboCop property, but I liked the re-boot a lot and I am glad it went in its own direction rather than rehashing the original, which is still awesome BTW.

 

[Saint]

They did address that in the movie, there was a while sequence were he was more robotic because they took his humanity away, but after the visit from his wife the human part came back despite them not thinking that was possible. His humanity was taken away but in the end won through against the programming they instilled within his brain.

Yes, they did indeed include the "reclaiming his humanity" subplot--though, in my opinion, it was presented in a wildly inferior form, such that they might as well not have bothered.

In Robocop, Murphy gradually remembers pieces of himself, but must come to terms with the fact that he has lost much of his former self (and I'm not talking about the physical losses), as well as the fact that he is limited by what he has become (for example; he walks into OCP knowing he cannot simply choose to shoot Dick Jones, and has a plan to work around it).

As a character arc, coming to terms with his greatly diminished self and his new limitations is much more satifisfying than what happens in Rebootcop. In Rebootcop, Murphy's brain chemistry is tampered with, but he overcomes this tampering because he wants to, and then he later overcomes his programmed limitations (when he shoots Sellars) because he wants to. Not only does it make no sense, it's also pretty trite and unengaging as storytelling goes.

In the end, Rebootcop is still Murphy, just in a sweet robot body. In Robocop, regardless of what he says at the end, the audience understands that Robocop can never truly be Murphy again (something Robocop 2 touches on quite well, in one of that movie's few strong points).

I should say that I rather enjoy Rebootcop as a superhero movie; I just find it to be deeply flawed as a Robocop movie.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Yes, they did indeed include the "reclaiming his humanity" subplot--though, in my opinion, it was presented in a wildly inferior form, such that they might as well not have bothered.

In Robocop, Murphy gradually remembers pieces of himself, but must come to terms with the fact that he has lost much of his former self (and I'm not talking about the physical losses), as well as the fact that he is limited by what he has become (for example; he walks into OCP knowing he cannot simply choose to shoot Dick Jones, and has a plan to work around it).

As a character arc, coming to terms with his greatly diminished self and his new limitations is much more satifisfying than what happens in Rebootcop. In Rebootcop, Murphy's brain chemistry is tampered with, but he overcomes this tampering because he wants to, and then he later overcomes his programmed limitations (when he shoots Sellars) because he wants to. Not only does it make no sense, it's also pretty trite and unengaging as storytelling goes.

In the end, Rebootcop is still Murphy, just in a sweet robot body. In Robocop, regardless of what he says at the end, the audience understands that Robocop can never truly be Murphy again (something Robocop 2 touches on quite well, in one of that movie's few strong points).

I should say that I rather enjoy Rebootcop as a superhero movie; I just find it to be deeply flawed as a Robocop movie.

While I will never argue with the fact that the original did things better I do disagree with some of your points, he doesn't simply overcome the brain tampering and shoot sellers simply because he wants to, it is his humanity winning out against what they had programmed into him. Its another way of conveying the originals main theme of the indestructibility of the human soul.

 

[Saint]

While I will never argue with the fact that the original did things better I do disagree with some of your points, he doesn't simply overcome the brain tampering and shoot sellers simply because he wants to, it is his humanity winning out against what they had programmed into him.

Thematically, yes, this is what it is--but execution matters, and as far as the film communicates the only reason he's able to do this is because A) he wants to, or B) magical qualities of the "soul," which is not significantly different from option A. I find both explanations to be extremely unsatisfactory, but I understand if the second option appeals to some.

By contrast, in Robocop, the humanity of Murphy survived, damaged, in a way that did not magically overcome what had been lost, or the limitations that had been imposed upon him.

 

[Warhammer]

Ewww, you actually complimented Robocop 2, the movie that completely negates Murphy's character arc in the firsr film. Shame on you, my man.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Thematically, yes, this is what it is--but execution matters, and as far as the film communicates the only reason he's able to do this is because A) he wants to, or B) magical qualities of the "soul," which is not significantly different from option A. I find both explanations to be extremely unsatisfactory, but I understand if the second option appeals to some.

By contrast, in Robocop, the humanity of Murphy survived, damaged, in a way that did not magically overcome what had been lost, or the limitations that had been imposed upon him.

Again I am not arguing the first movie didn't do it better, it did. But I am glad the re-make chose to do it its own way rather than a poor re-hash of the original, and I thought the visit from his wife and the images of his son forcing his humanity to fight back and ultimately win was a good way to go.

The characters humanity won through despite all of the programming they inserted in him because ultimately omnicorp wronged him and his family suffered for it. I would love to see a sequel some day with Padilha back myself.

 

[rogue trooper]

http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/robocop/249003/robocop-reboot-sequel-plans-not-dead

 

[titansupes]

It's funny, there was a commercial for the original TV last night, and I thought "I wonder if anything will happen with the sequel to the new one?"

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I actually really enjoyed the reboot and have come to like it even more on repeat viewings. I would love for a sequel to be made as I really liked the world they set up and liked Kinnaman as RoboCop a lot as well.

 

[titansupes]

^ It was a really cool action movie from when he becomes Robo onwards. I thought they handled the "stripping of humanity" aspect of it well, too. While it doesn't hold a candle to the original (by a long shot) I'd be happy to watch a sequel.

Though I have no idea where a sequel would go, exactly...

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

^ It was a really cool action movie from when he becomes Robo onwards. I thought they handled the "stripping of humanity" aspect of it well, too. While it doesn't hold a candle to the original (by a long shot) I'd be happy to watch a sequel.

Though I have no idea where a sequel would go, exactly...

I never expected it to better the original, very few movies do for me. But I enjoyed it for what it was and liked the stuff you mentioned. It had some really cool action scenes with some emotional heft added with the family, etc. It is an under rated reboot IMO. A sequel could go lots of places, they could follow RoboCop 2 or go their own way. Dealing with OCP and their reaction to the first movies events, and of course how the country feels about robots, etc. There are lots of sequel ideas they could use really.

 

[MadVillainy]

It's not getting a sequel unless it did really well in merchandising and Blu Ray/Rental sales.

I think that guy is just talking like they always do.

This wasnt terrible it was just below average. I wouldnt even say it was a bad movie, just nothing interesting about it to me

 

[Rowsdower!]

I'd be up for a sequel. I liked some of the things they did in the first one and Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman and Abbie Cornish were all very good. I think the film's biggest problems were 1. mediocre action sequences and 2. not enough cool tech. Those two things could be easily fixed in a sequel, though. Just have Robo in the silver suit full time, give us more ED-209 stuff, and give us more big action set pieces. None of that should be too hard to do, especially since we've gotten all of the "shock of realizing you're now only partially human" stuff out of the way.

 

[DyeLorean]

Just have Robo in the silver suit full time

Yeah, the first time he goes running through the lab is just perfect. Wish they had kept him in that suit the entire film.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Yep if a sequel happened the silver suit would be a must, it looked great in the few scenes it was in. And yeah more Ed-209 also, that sequence at the end was great!

 

[Galactus123]

The movie was ok but I would have done many things differently. I wasn't impressed at all when watching the battle with ED-209s near the end. CGI just looks so fake sometimes. It's hard to explain. It was nothing compared to the original.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Yeah, the black suit he had throughout most of the film just looked cheap and rubbery. The silver one was fantastic though. I thought the ED-209 fight towards the end was cool but it needed to be longer, especially considering how anti-climactic the final confrontation was. Also, the way he took out the head criminal guy about halfway though (Vallon, I think) was really lame.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Yeah the head criminal guy was just a non factor in the end, nothing on Clarence Boddicker which is a shame. I did love the ending and opening action scenes though, 2 best ones in the movie for me.

Would be happy to see Padihla return if there is a sequel.

 

[BH/HHH]

I would love a sequel to the Robocop reboot whilst not a patch on the original was a damn site better than all the sequels/TV shows put together. They should cast Ray Wise as the villain in the second one, be a good comeback for him especially as he was in the original.

 

[LostSon88]

They need a Clarenece Boddicker type villain for a sequel...

Who eventually becomes a machine himself and goes mad. Think of it as a hybrid of what they did in Robocop 2.

 

[Cobblepot]

I remember Clarence Boddicker, but who was the villain in this?

 

[LostSon88]

That drug kingpin guy that Robocop simply walked into his warehouse and killed.

Then again, I guess you could say that ultimately Michael Keaton was the villain, but even then he wasn't that bad. Just a sleezy businessman.