Robocop Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1987

Robocop is a violent sci-fi revenge film that takes place in the near future, centering on a terminally wounded police officer that is converted to a cyborg by brilliant scientists. This cyborg, known as Robocop, is charged with keeping the streets of Detroit safe of crime, but eventually some of his human memories start breaking through. Haunted by the memories of his previous life, Robocop begins to piece together his past and sets out on a rampage of revenge to take down the brutal gang that nearly destroyed his humanity.

Robocop was so popular that it spawned two movie sequels, a television series as well as a comic book, but although some of the later entries in the Robocop mythos became lighter, more family-acceptable fare, the original Robocop was an extremely violent, dark revenge film.

Director Paul Verhoeven had to tweak some of his original ideas and footage in order to appease the MPAA and earn an R-rating, but even the censored version provides a very visceral look at a not too distant future where the police are besieged by an increasingly powerful criminal element.

Alex Murphy, an honorable cop and family man, (Peter Weller) and Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen) are partners in the Old Detroit police force, and one day while responding to a crime they pursue a vicious gang, led by the merciless Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith), into their hideout. Unfortunately Murphy is captured and brutally tortured by the gang. Terminally wounded, the OCP (Omni Consumer Products), a powerful Detroit-based corporation, decides to use Murphy as part of their new anti-crime initiative.

OCP scientists operate on Murphy and turn him into a cyborg – a robotic human hybrid. Bulletproof and nearly indestructible, Murphy is charged with protecting the peace and cleaning the crime-ridden streets of Detroit. But while their plan appears to be working well at first, the OCP underestimated the humanity that remains within the cyborg, known as Robocop.

Murphy starts becoming haunted by increasingly potent memories of a life gone by, happy memories such as those of his wife and child as well as painful memories such as his death at the hands of the sadistic street gang. With his newly recovered humanity, Robocop sets out on a mission of revenge that finds a conspiracy extending far beyond the street gang he previously encountered right into the ranks of the OCP.

The battles in this movie are excitement-filled affairs, whether Robocop is exchanging hails of gunfire with human opponents or confronting immense assault robots. In addition the gritty backdrop really emphasizes the anarchist state that society has fallen into.

Peter Weller puts in a fantastic performance as Alex Murphy, a caring and dedicated cop and family man that sees his life forever destroyed. Few actors could have done better reflecting the torment Robocop feels as his humanity slowly comes forward. Although Weller gets the MVP for this film, the rest of the actors certainly put forth impressive performances also.

Nothing falters in this grisly science-fiction action movie. The pace, performances, special effects, atmosphere and even small injections of dark humor and satire blend together to create one of the 80's most memorable movies, a movie that is just as pleasing today as it was over 15 years ago.

Movie rating: 8 stars

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