RoboCop Returns?

[david icke]

The stiff movement was apart of the whole deal. If he was near invincible and moved like a cat then it would be difficult to put him in any real danger from the toughs he faced in the first one. Even Superman's got kryptonite.

I liked the slow moving tank aspect of the original Robo, but for a change in a remake I would like to see some more mobility.
He can still be blown up, taken apart, have his programming messed with, and last but not least, grabbed by those big magnets you get in junkyards!...all weaknesses he had in the original movies that did not have anything to do with his mobility.

If he was more mobile, you could have him leaping across buildings, and stuff, all sorts of cool comic book action. If he takes enough bullets he gets damaged too, as we saw in Robocop1 when his targeting was off.

 

[Mister H.]

^ Leaping across buildings? No thanks.

I don't think he should really be able to do anything superhuman, other than take ungodly levels of punishment. I like that he was a kind of slow, lumbering, nearly indestrucitble badass. That seems pretty plausible to me. I'm guessing if we were introduced to a real life Robocop he would operate similarly.

 

[david icke]

^ Leaping across buildings? No thanks.

I don't think he should really be able to do anything superhuman, other than take ungodly levels of punishment. I like that he was a kind of slow, lumbering, nearly indestrucitble badass. That seems pretty plausible to me. I'm guessing if we were introduced to a real life Robocop he would operate similarly.

Ok, a cyborg cop leaping across buildings would be a terrible idea in a sci-fi action movie, what was I thinking, thanks for putting me straight on why that is a bad idea.

I think they took the solid tank Robo to the point where they couldn't do much more with it action wise, I don't want to see another movie with him just walking slowly through a building taking pot-shots at perps. They need to do something different, or else what is the point in a remake?

and I would guess that if we ever got to the point of being in a technologically advanced world where a Robocop could exist, the tech would be there for the cop to be more mobile than in the original movie. It would have to be, the cop would be taken apart as soon as he went out on his own, all you have to do is get his gun out of his hand and slam a couple of cars into him. In real life that slow moving Robocop would be very vulnerable, there is a suspension of belief needed for the movie in regards to the slow moving Robocop.
edit: Not to mention the fact that any criminal commiting a crime where deadly force was not justified would be able to just run away from him easily.
So the concept of a slow moving Robocop would only be good for certain situations, he would be next to useless going out on patrol night after night, as most situations cops run into do not require deadly force, or at least should be able to be handled by a cop without them immediately reaching for their gun.
But, in a movie that is fine, as of course you just put Robo into situations where a sub-machine gun is always needed.

 

[ChickenScratch]

He doesn't need to be fast to apprehend criminals, he's got a gun, he can kneecap them from a good distance. The dude's a walking tank, I think they should keep his weakness (the slow movement).

 

[david icke]

He doesn't need to be fast to apprehend criminals, he's got a gun, he can kneecap them from a good distance. The dude's a walking tank, I think they should keep his weakness (the slow movement).

Mister H brought up the notion that a real life Robocop would probably be that slow, and at that point in the conversation when i said the thing about perps running away, I was merely pointing out that he would be next to useless in real life, as of course you cannot justifibly knee cap someone with a gun for any sort of crime.
but, in a movie he can be put into situations where use of a gun is justified.
and on the point of the movies, i was saying that i think they pushed it as far as they could with the types of action a slow-mover could be used for, so if we wanted to see something a bit different action wise in a new one, there would have to be some more mobility.

 

[Mister H.]

I never said he shouldn't be more mobile, just that I don't care to see him leaping from rooftops. I think that would be corny and superhero-ish.

He can shoot the eye out of a bird, has no existence outside of his duties, and is nearly impervious to gunfire. Those should be his strengths. Like ChickenScratch said, Robocop shouldn't be too superhuman. That would be boring. He's not fighting aliens or supervillains, he's fighting crime.

 

[david icke]

I never said he shouldn't be more mobile, just that I don't care to see him leaping from rooftops. I think that would be corny and superhero-ish.

Well, it depends how it was done, I was just thinking if they gave him robot legs, and they were pretty strong and mobile, why shouldn't they be strong enough to make leaps across buildings, at a stretch. I don't mean like Spider-man, just the ability to go a few metres more than the world's greatest track and field star.

He can shoot the eye out of a bird, has no existence outside of his duties, and is nearly impervious to gunfire. Those should be his strengths. Like ChickenScratch said, Robocop shouldn't be too superhuman. That would be boring. He's not fighting aliens or supervillains, he's fighting crime.

Yeah, I don't want him to be too invincible either, he should still only be able to take so much punishment, bullets, knocks, explosions etc, before he starts malfunctioning.
But he should be able to take care of situations that only one cop would be unable to handle, otherwise what is the point of having a Robocop? So if he sees a situation that cannot be handled by just shooting someone, but he is across in another building , he could take a wee run and a leap and crash in through the window in time.

I love the Robocop movies, the first two anyway, ok, the first one, but i end up putting on the second one when i want more, ....but i just think that scene with the kind spraypainting on his back says it all, yes, he was screwed up in that scene mentally, but it showed that someone could just walk up to him, smack him in the face with a basketball and as long as they kept out of arm's reach(easy since he is slow), there would be jack he could do about that, except shoot the basketball, meanwhile someone else has a bag of crap handy they are going to drop on him from a window and another guy has a hot potato he is going to hit him in the face with.
I just want him to be a bit more believable if he is going to be going out on patrol like a regular cop in the movies. He should be able to handle *any* situation a normal cop would. Otherwise his design is best to be deployed like a tank for special occasion.
and as I said, I think they pushed the avenues of action for a slow moving Robocop to the max in the old movies, so for something new he defo needs to be able to move at the speed and mobility of a normal man. Otherwise he is handicapped in a lot of potentially interesting situations you could put him in in the movies.
Ok, maybe necesitty is the mother of invention, and my vision is blurry on the potential of the slow tank formula, but I can't imagine much more they can do with him that hasn't already been done.
So, for me, ideally, he would be as mobile as a normal man, but with some added strength, which could be put into the legs for those all important jumps over to another building.

 

[ChickenScratch]

Mister H brought up the notion that a real life Robocop would probably be that slow, and at that point in the conversation when i said the thing about perps running away, I was merely pointing out that he would be next to useless in real life, as of course you cannot justifibly knee cap someone with a gun for any sort of crime.
but, in a movie he can be put into situations where use of a gun is justified.
and on the point of the movies, i was saying that i think they pushed it as far as they could with the types of action a slow-mover could be used for, so if we wanted to see something a bit different action wise in a new one, there would have to be some more mobility.

Well since it is a movie and all conflict will be plot based if he is going after a criminal he will be guilty and deserve being knee capped. Was there a single innocent runner in any of the Robocop movies? Real life no, but this is a sci-fi movie, I don't think they would waste valuable screen time showing grey areas and innocent victims ... unless of course that was apart of the story, then it would also be plot driven and serve a purpose his shooting the person.

 

[carrrnuttt]

Mister H brought up the notion that a real life Robocop would probably be that slow...

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The biggest limitation currently in robotics and human-like movement is the instantaneous and massive processing that even the slightest but instinctive movement entails. It's easy to design a robot that mimics a human, but massively harder to create a processor that can compensate for the surprising unpredictability of its movements. Now with something like Robocop, that's taken out of the equation, since it's running (pardon the pun) with an actual human brain. So the hardware builders would be at liberty to duplicate and enhance the human mechanics as best as they could. As a matter of fact, they'd be behooved to do so, since you'd think that the more natural the movements, the easier the brain can cope with it. So since you're "limited" to basic human movements, I'd say build it that way, but "enhanced" instead.

 

[david icke]

Yeah, thanks for the robo-info, , I saw those guys on the news before, I definitely think they should start them off delivering newspapers and stuff like that before we give 'em a badge and a gun though. Imagine one of those things running up your street delivering newspapers, lol, i would not leave the house.

 

[Mister H.]

Supercool

 

[Robo]

Sorry, I am the FNG here, but I found this site doing research for a project that features the only actual surviving Robo suit, worn by Peter Weller. It is a treasure and a rare artifact of film history, but it still looked great on camera.
Now that Aronofsky's RC project seems to be going nowhere, perhaps I can interest Sony in our screenplay! (Who am I kidding...)
Anyway, if you would like to see this video please click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RoPWg0QhMU
Witness the return of a legend.

 

[B.A. Baracus]

When and if the new robocop film gets made some things should remain such as his movements, i dont want robocop running and jumping like Batman. The suits gotta be a physical suit no CGI (except in certain scenes)

The idea of Robocop moving like a panther, sleek and agile is just wrong, it takes away from the character.

If it aint broke dont fix it and so much of the original Robocop anit broke.

Daniel Craig for Murphy/Robocop too.

 

[david icke]

So i was watching Robocop again today, and was thinking I was wrong about changing his movements that much, it is a part of the character, that tank aspect, so much so that it would just feel like a different character if you had a Robocop running about like those GIJoe suits.
But, I dunno, maybe just a little more mobility in there, he could maybe run this time if need be, just as fast as a normal man, but keep the same kind of Cyborg Cyclops/JudgeDredd look and the big tank feel of his presence.

 

[Spider-Who?]

i wouldn't want him being able to leap over buildings or do crazy 1080 spins while doing cartwheels, but i agree that in the 21st century, we need a robocop that is a little more advanced than what the original movies portray.

At the VERY least, get rid of that godawful robot walk. Not saying that he should walk with a swagger, but damn, is it corny.

I would hope that they update the suit, too. Stick with the overall aesthetic that we're familiar with, but make it look more like metal (less like plastic), toss in some cool whirring doodads with a post-production cgi touchup. Make him look more like a robot than a guy in a plastic suit.

 

[Webhead2006]

well i do wonder what is going to happen with robocop, will the new studio coming in to help mgm out want to give it a go. or will it ultimately just stay nowhere for another period of yrs.

 

[Superfreak]

i was saying that i think they pushed it as far as they could with the types of action a slow-mover could be used for, so if we wanted to see something a bit different action wise in a new one, there would have to be some more mobility.

absolute nonsense, if you were a student in my class, I'd kick you out.


The problem is not with Robo, it's the villain. Plain and Simple. What a remake has to deliver, is a villain that trumps Robo's sloth

 

[carrrnuttt]

What a remake has to deliver, is a villain that trumps Robo's sloth

 

[mikeboydus]

I would prefer a more realistic take on Robocop. One that is faster, stronger and more agile.

Petman by Boston Dynamics which is being developed for the US military, can currently get up to 4.4 mph

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The final product will look humanoid with also the ability to move, jump, and run just like a human.

I would likely use Boston Dynamics as a consultant on the film. I would make Robocop's base design an endoskeleton like Petman but then place that endoskeleton in a powered armored exoskeleton.

I also would prefer a design that uses black and is easily identifiable as police. Compare to this Ironman/Robocop mix:

 

[Dave McFly]

that's actually damn cool, bonus points for having a black ford taurus as a cop car (the new 2009/2010 model).

 

[david icke]

absolute nonsense, if you were a student in my class, I'd kick you out.


The problem is not with Robo, it's the villain. Plain and Simple. What a remake has to deliver, is a villain that trumps Robo's sloth

Well, when I resurected the thread today it was to semi-retract what I was saying before, about not keeping the slow tank Robo, but still, I do struggle to think of new ways he could be utilised in action if kept in that manner.
It's all very well saying, 'he needs a new kind of villan', but to me that is not really countering or suggesting a solution to what worried me, about a potential repeat of previous action. In other words, I don't hear any bright ideas of yours teach, in regards to new ways he could be used in action, so I'm not sure this class is teaching me anything. I have in fact proposed solutions in regards to increasing mobility, whereas you have only offered a vague notion with no description.

edit: I mean, we already got a bigger, stronger, more powerful, adaptable and very agile robot villan at the end of RC2 who trumped 'Robo's sloth', and the thing is , he will be handling mostly normal crooks during the movie, we can't just sit through him walking slowly, taking bullets and targeting crooks perfectly again, there has to be different moves in robo's oevre this time to keep it fresh. I think they were struggling with that in RC2, and that's why they put him on a motorbike for that big action scene with Cain. same with the Jet-Pack in 3.

and in the few Robocop comics I have read(Robocop vs terminator, and I only have issue 1 of the first robo series, i thought it was crap), he does come across a bit more agile in there.

 

[mikeboydus]

One thing that could help with the villain aspect is to add cyberterrorists and cybercriminals.

I would make Clarence Boddicker the head of a crime syndicate that uses traditional gangs but also mobile hackers, imagine deckers from cyberpunk. Instead of monitors they use head mounted displays like those being developed for the US military's future force warrior program. They could cause all kinds of havoc by hacking or virally infecting transit systems, traffic lights, power grids, etc. Maybe they could even hack or infect Robocop's car or even components of his own body, like sending false sensory input.

I think I would add a new enemy as well: private military contractors contracted by Dick Jones when Boddicker's Syndicate fails to take out Robocop. Instead of Boddicker being armed with the "Cobra" anti material rifles I would arm the PMCs with the rifles and new drones based on the ED-209. Armed VTOL drones similar to the Bell Eagle Eye would also be a nice addition.

The Bell Eagle Eye:

 

[carrrnuttt]

and in the few Robocop comics I have read(Robocop vs terminator, and I only have issue 1 of the first robo series, i thought it was crap), he does come across a bit more agile in there.

Not that I disagree with the rest of your post, I just thought I'd clarify that in the RoboCop vs Terminator comics, [BLACKOUT]Robo's body that showed up in the future (and was shown for most of the story) was a Terminator body that he made to look like his old body.[/BLACKOUT]

(Blacked out for those that haven't read the series.)

 

[Dave McFly]

Not that I disagree with the rest of your post, I just thought I'd clarify that in the RoboCop vs Terminator comics, [BLACKOUT]Robo's body that showed up in the future (and was shown for most of the story) was a Terminator body that he made to look like his old body.[/BLACKOUT]

(Blacked out for those that haven't read the series.)

actually his body did not show up in the future, his memories and personality was downloaded in the present (well future to us) and was used to make Skynet 'self aware' and over the many years he later uploaded it into a modified Terminator Endoskeleton body .

 

[carrrnuttt]

actually his body did not show up in the future, his memories and personality was downloaded in the present (well future to us) and was used to make Skynet 'self aware' and over the many years he later uploaded it into a modified Terminator Endoskeleton body .

That he modified to look like his old body.

Read my post again.