RoboCop (1987)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writers:

Edward Neumeier (written by) &
Michael Miner (written by)

Release Date:

17 July 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Part man. Part machine. All cop. The future of law enforcement.

Plot:

In a dystopic & crime ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg with submerged memories haunting him.

Plot Keywords:

Robocop | Memory | Gang | Police | Future

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Peter Weller	...	Officer Alex J. Murphy / RoboCop
Nancy Allen	...	Officer Anne Lewis
Dan O'Herlihy	...	The Old Man (as Daniel O'Herlihy)
Ronny Cox	...	Richard 'Dick' Jones
Kurtwood Smith	...	Clarence J. Boddicker
Miguel Ferrer	...	Robert Morton
Robert DoQui	...	Sergeant Warren Reed
Ray Wise	...	Leon C. Nash
Felton Perry	...	Johnson
Paul McCrane	...	Emil M. Antonowsky
Jesse D. Goins	...	Joe P. Cox (as Jesse Goins)
Del Zamora	...	Kaplan
Calvin Jung	...	Steve Minh
Rick Lieberman	...	Walker
Lee de Broux	...	Sal (as Lee DeBroux)

Runtime:

102 min | Germany:78 min (cut version) | Norway:98 min (cut version) | USA:103 min (unrated director's cut) | Finland:91 min (heavily cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2004) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | West Germany:18 (cut) (video premiere) | Germany:18 (re-release) (JK/SPIO) (uncut) | Australia:R | Italy:T | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (video rating) (1989) | Finland:(Banned) (1987) | Germany:16 (cut version) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (re-rating) (2004) | Canada:18A (Ontario) (re-rating) (2004) | USA:R (certificate #28646) (edited for re-rating) | USA:X (original rating) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1988) | Spain:13 (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (also director's cut) (2002) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:14 | Malaysia:18SG | Hungary:16 | Italy:VM14 (DVD rating) | India:A | Finland:(Banned) (cut) (video rating) (1987) | UK:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M (theatrical rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:(Banned) | Iceland:16 (cut) | Ireland:18 (director's cut) | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M (video rating) | New Zealand:R18 (director's cut) | Norway:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | Singapore:M18 (director's cut) (uncut version) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Building One, Studios at Las Colinas - 6301 North O'Connor Road, Irving, Texas, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The entrance to the OCP building in the movie is actually the front entrance of Dallas City Hall with extensive matte work (by Rocco Gioffre) above to make the building appear to be a giant skyscraper.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During Robocop's demonstration at the firing range, his gun does not fire, despite his having squeezed the trigger.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Slimey Lawyer: Attempted murder? It's not like he killed someone. This is a clear violation of my client's civil rights.
Bail Bondsman: Make it aggravated assault and I can make bail in cash, now.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Red Dwarf: Built to Last - Series IV (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Show Me Your Spine

Underrated, Misunderstood, Ingenious

It's a shame that this movie is usually snubbed by shoving it into the "action" category. Sure, there are lot of legendary action sequences to be found, but RoboCop is a LOT more than that.

Next time when you watch it, try to shift your focus from the cyborgs, explosions and gore towards the writing. From the main theme of criticizing the modern money driven society (a topic still relevant today, and will most likely be so in the future as well) all the way to the smallest bits of dialogue, the writing is nothing short of outstanding. RoboCop is simply the most intelligent "action" film to come out of Hollywood, ever. Unfortunately, the cleverness is hidden "between the lines" of comic book action. No wonder so many people fail to see this film for what it really is.

Amazing cinematography, solid performances (especially from Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer), memorable musical score.. The list is endless. Granted, the stop motion effects of ED-209 look quite old today, but you have to remember we're talking about a movie made in 1987. RoboCop has its faults, like the rather embarrassing toxic waste scene, but they are easily forgiven compared to all the good things.

You must be thinking "What is this guy on? It's just a dumb little action flick about a cyborg!" .. Relax, take a deep breath and watch it again. I like obscure art films as much as the next guy, but I'm not going to dismiss such greatness just because it comes wrapped in cartoon violence. I'm not saying RoboCop is art, the best movie ever made or the most important film of the year/decade/millennium. But it definitely deserves to be regarded higher.

My only question is: How could Verhoeven succeed so well with this movie, and fail miserably in ALL other Hollywood titles he has worked on?