Robocop 3

Back for all audiences.

Hello fellow connoisseurs who still read. Previously I had promised a review for "Aliens" and guess what? I didn't keep my word, bad dog, bad dog. Anyways, let's just say such review will be here sooner than later due to some unexpected infatuation: Robocop! My favorite childhood cop. A few weeks ago my wife asked "hey, why don't we watch Robocop again?" so, what started as only watching the original film, ended up in revisiting the whole trilogy plus the infamous TV series from 1994 & 2001. The final installment in the trilogy came three years after Robocop 2 & the tone producers had us used to (you know, good old bloody gory violence) in the first two films was gone forever. Which, in my case was an excellent thing as I could finally go to the theater and be a part of Robocop 3 premiere (I was still an underage kid, and boy, I went on my own to watch it!) 

Robocop 3 (1993) picks an unknown number of years after the events of part 2, Cain's gang and his Nuke Drug has been obliterated and Robocain has been defeated by our hero. The Old Man from the previous two films is gone (either died or resigned after the events of Robocop 2; the movie doesn't say) and is replaced by the "CEO" (Rip Torn). The Delta City Project inaugurated in the previous film is falling behind schedule and OCP incurs in debt, leading to its takeover by the Japanese corp. of Kanemitsu. Meanwhile, they adopt increasingly forceful methods to get back on track by hiring mercenaries called "the Rehabs" led by Robert McDagget (John Castle) to evacuate areas for demolition and send the locals to "correctional facilities". A band of freedom fighters spring up, Robocop and Anne Lewis track them down after seeing a little girl joining them in an abandoned church. Unbeknownst to them, the Rehabs have tracked them down, and orders them to leave the building to them. Robocop and Anne Lewis refuse, but when Anne gets seriously injured (and dies a few minutes later), he quits the force and joins the rebellion, while undergoing structural repairs in his programme.

The Detroit riot.

Why is it whenever they add a kid in a film, the story sucks?

Robocop 2 may have shocked some viewers for its excessive violence, but it is better than this one. The storyline is more coherent than the last film in the sense that all main ideas make it to the end but it's too simplistic. While Part 2 was ultra-violent and gloomy, this one went into the opposite direction. Sure the absence of the first two films' graphic violence would make it more appealing for kids, but this movie just has little to make up for it; it starts off very promising but it gets sillier as the it progresses, culminating in a ridiculous fight between Robocop and the Samurai, which is a far cry from the excellent finale between Robocop and Robocain in the the second movie, giving the impression that the filmmakers have run out of money by that point.

However, Robocop 3 still has some worthwhile moments to spare it from becoming a candidate for MST3K. Most of the action sequences save the aforementioned fight are well-staged and creative, and the film has some creative use of CGI. Robocop's new gadgets-- the jet-pack and his cannon-- are worthy additions, and our hero still knows how to make an entrance (diving from the highest level of a parking lot and dropping down 10 storeys below).

Peter Weller, however, did not reprise the role, most likely because he has grown tired of having to walk into that baggy costume for hours and hours on end and sweating buckets in the process, and he's replaced by Robert John Burke. Burke is a worthy successor to Weller, mimicking his movements down to the smallest details, but it just doesn't feel the same without him.

Can you fly bobby?

I've been upgraded to Windows 3.1!

Now I won't say that Robocop 3 is the mega disaster that a lot of reviewers call it. I mean Robocop 3 lost the benefit of being an eighties action film so granted the violence and foul language would be toned down because suddenly the political correctness of the 90's was in full swing. So that meant making Robocop more family friendly. They also lost Peter Weller from the lead which I didn't realize how great he was as Robocop until he wasn't him anymore. I have to wonder if screenplay writer Frank Miller was angry at the creators of Robocop so he spun this tale as a cruel prank because Miller is no slouch at writing, he is a legendary comic writer (Batman,300, Sin City, X-Men, etc.) and the story for Robocop 3 borders on ridiculous. All of the dark gritty atmosphere is pretty much gone from the original film, the tongue in cheek political humor is gone as well despite some off attempts to do exactly that. And it is true what reviewers have said that Robocop has suddenly become a complete weakling. He spends so much of the film repeatedly falling on his robo butt and trying to get back up. He's lost all of his cool factor, all of his heavy hitting super hero instincts.

So here is why Robocop 3 is NOT the disastrously horrendous film that some make it out to be. First of all it ends the trilogy with a final big battle between OCP and the Detroit Police Department which essentially brings OCP down. It also brings back some of the familiar faces from the series and gives closure to the story on Lewis although her and Burke just don't have the chemistry that her and Weller had as partners. The story is decent enough and simple enough to follow but it just doesn't hold up to the previous two films. The entire aspect of Robocop flying is so ridiculous and they surely had to know that it was ridiculous. If it ain't broke don't fix it and they do fix the unbroken recipe which essentially ruins the series. It is true that Robocop 3 was a fall from grace and this film felt like the quality of a TV Movie which is maybe why all future Robocop installments hit Television. A rather bland disappointment.  

Robocop 3 (Super Nintendo)

Robocop 3 (NES)

All in all, a sequel for the fans of  Robocop only. Casual Sci-Fi fans skip this unless you've already watched the first two films that built our robo hero character with far greater justice than the final piece in the trilogy. Still, we can't be that hard on it, many things were going on during the creation of the sequel. This film was wrapped in 1991 (only a year after the sequel) but due to Orion (the production company) having some substantial financial issues that eventually led them to bankruptcy, the film was on hold for a couple of years. 

The PG-13 is not a random choice. it was deliberate as the film producers wanted to establish Robocop in a kids friendly world (beyond "Robocop Ultra Police" the awful cartoon which spawned the very first wave of Robocop action figures) so that they could ask their parents for the cool Robocop 3 merchandise (mostly action figures, weapon accesories and vehicles) In addition, Peter Weller grown tired of the character and didn't give a shit about reprising his role anymore. Also, Nancy Allen felt the exact same way about her character, and the only way she would reprise it was under the condition that she died in the first half hour of the film (she got away with it)

Here's the movie trailer:

Here the Robocop action figure TV ad:

 

Robocop 2

He's back!

RoboCop 2 is probably the most under-rated and most harshly criticized sequel in history (tying with Predator 2, which came out the same year). Because of a few missing elements from the first and a slightly more cartoonish approach to the violence, the critics and public alike were not pleased and opinions and feelings toward the franchise nosedived with the just plain awful RoboCop 3.

Don't con yourself out of a good movie though. RoboCop 2 still has the same savage sense of humor, cynical social commentary and character pathos of the first film. It's a hyper-realistic vision of an America populated by gun-loving psychos, a democracy owned by big business and the poverty-stricken addicted to drugs dealt to them by peddlers believing themselves to be the second coming of Christ.

Far-fetched could be the typical way of describing it. Completely-over-the-top would be more appropriate. Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner chucks in as much sadistic violence, deafening gunfire, endless destruction and loss of human life that the film just begs you not to take it so seriously.

I so loved the promo art for the film!

There were some cool cardboards out there in video rental stores.

Some of the blame was placed on writer Frank Miller for the film being more cartoonish than the original. I don't think this is very fair. I read Miller's original script when I was in high school and it is rather different and, dare I say, unfilmable. RoboCop 2 himself was not Nuke Lord Caine, the psychotic hippie with delusions of Godhood. He was called Kong, a psychotic cop who pretty much killed everybody he came across. Sgt. Reed and the Old Man died too, and there wasn't much humor. Screenwriter Walon Green was hired to doctor the script and much of what appears on screen is actually his work. Frank Miller's original ideas are pretty much just left as the framework for the whole movie and some of his story was recycled into RoboCop 3 (don't blame him for that one either). Miller was obviously upset with this but was still a good enough sport to appear in the film (keep a lookout for him playing Doctor Frank), though he vowed not to work in Hollywood again for fear of being taken advantage of. Until Robert Rodriguez promised to make good on his Sin City graphic novels.

Verhoven may be gone but Irvin Kershner tries hard to deliver the same mix of mirth and magic and actually does get it right. Basil Poledouris' brooding score is also gone (it returns in RoboCop 3) but new composer Leonard Rosenman creates a wonderfully heroic and upbeat theme that suits the film more than Poledouris' moody, tormented score to the first.

Call for back up Murphy!

I told you!

There have also been many complaints that the humanity of RoboCop and his relationship with Lewis was neutered along with too many other ideas fighting for screen time. I get why most would be annoyed by this but you have to remember that films need to be economic when it comes to length. If every single idea was fully explored and fleshed-out RoboCop 2 would have been 4 hours long. In my opinion each thread has just enough for keen viewers and fans to appreciate. Lazy viewers only see what they want to see and I feel that this has led to many of the negative reviews the film has been met with (which usually comment on how "offensive" the character of Hob is-sheesh, gimme a break). And don't give me that the "humanity" of the first film is gone. Murphy has not resigned to being a machine. He lies to pacify OCP. Pay attention to the very last line of dialogue in the film if you want proof.

Filmed once again in Texas, Houston this time, you really have to feel for Peter Weller walking around in that Robosuit. It must have weighed a ton and he'd be sweating bucketloads inside. There is a particular scene in the film where Murphy is tortured into near-death/destruction that is very hard to watch. But it does lead to him getting a brand-new makeover and those crazy new directives put into his head. The bit where he lectures the Little League kids and scolds the youngsters playing by the leaky fire hydrant (after quoting some very suspicious philosophy) is hilarious.

Enter Robocop 2.

I'm gonna add you some fingering/fisting upgrades to your program.

RoboCop 2 is a great movie. Despite harsh criticisms of the script and story and some slightly dated stop-motion effects it's a brilliant sequel that lives up to expectations. Do listen to the nay-Sayers. I don't know what kind of film they were expecting.

Now let's go behind camera and check some awesome Robocop 2 trivia:

Paul Verhoeven's no.

After the success of RoboCop (1987), director Paul Verhoeven and the original screen writers were approached for a sequel by the studio immediately. According to Verhoeven, he wasn't yet ready to make a sequel and wanted to wait until a proper script was written. He felt going forward so quickly would make it feel like he was attempting to cash in on a product. The studio did not agree, and hired Frank Miller to quickly write a new script and implement his own ideas. Ultimately the film failed, and Paul Verhoeven stated that had the studio gone with his ideas, it was far better than what was presented. 

Smoking kills.

The scene in which RoboCop opens fire around the head of someone who is smoking, after which he says 'Thank you for not smoking', was actually licensed and run as a public service announcement ahead of several different films in many non-smoking movie theaters during the summer movie season that year.  

Detroit goes bankrupt.

The City of Detroit is depicted as being cash-strapped where OCP owns the entire metropolitan area - as life imitating art, the City of Detroit filed for Chapter 9 Bankruptcy on July 18, 2013 with an estimated $18 - $20 billion debt. 

Violence? what violence?

Comic book adaptation.

Robocop, the comic book.

 

Although the producers loved Frank Miller's original version of the script, they quickly realized it was unfilmable as written. The final screen version was heavily rewritten and bears only a superficial resemblance to Miller's story. In 2003, Miller's screenplay was adapted into a comic book series titled, appropriately, "Frank Miller's RoboCop".  

Date East Arcade.

When RoboCop is in the Arcade, the majority of the video games are created by Data East. Data East was the creator behind the RoboCop video games. 

Robocop VS Frank Miller VS Irvin Kershner.

Peter Weller criticized the script, saying it lacked the spine and the soul of the original. Weller tried to convince Frank Miller, Irvin Kershner and the film's producers that the third act needed a morality angle instead of being just a shoot 'em up. The producers felt the battle between Robocop and Cain was sufficient.  

V for Vendettacop.

Alan Moore was originally offered the chance to write the film but turned it down. 

The Nintendo NES official videogame.

The spectacular arcade videogame.

Deleted Scenes.

Many scenes were deleted from the movie for various reasons: . Robocop walking through police station locker room where he sees a naked police woman showering and, after looking at her for a few seconds, walks away.

Robocop's hallucination scene after he is dismantled by Cain's men, where he dreams of visiting his own grave. . A few scenes with Cain that explained his character more, including a scene where he and Angie visit Dr. Faxx to discuss robotics, thus planting the seed for the most likely candidate to donate to Robocop 2's construction. In the same deleted scene, Cain confronts a Robocop mock-up in the OCP's reception area.

An extended scene where the store keeper who got robbed by the baseball team kids screams at Robocop for letting them get away, with Robocop grabbing him by the throat, saying a few words about the storekeeper's "harsh value judgment" then dropping him on the floor.

A scene where Robocop finds out that Cain is inside the Robocop 2 cyborg, interfacing with Dr. Faxx's computer and going through her files.

Rated X.

Also, just like with first movie, some scenes were cut down to avoid an X rating by MPAA. Although one workprint version is available that includes some of the deleted scenes, there was never any uncut version of the movie with all deleted scenes.  

Overall, Robocop 2 as a standalone movie, may have its flaws, but when watched as a part of the Robocop Trilogy it looks and sounds way better. Despite the fact, that the trilogy doesn't not begin an official plot that would be ended by the third film, the whole idea of OCP, a powerful & mean corporation running a bankrupt city crowded with crime, remains throughout the three films.  Another stand out point of this sequel is the fact that they worked with actual comic book authors! Frank Miller & Alan Moore (who didn't take the offer) are perhaps two of the most respected men among the Comic Book/Graphic Novel circles. 

Here's the movie trailer:

Here the above mentioned deleted scenes:

Here the "thank you for not smoking" Theaters ad:

Here the Nintendo NES videogame adaptation:

And last but not least, the Official Arcade adaptation:

 

Robocop (2014)

Your move creep!

In a time where we are bombed by hundreds of unnecessary remakes in the big & small screen nothing seems to outdo the original source. We've had the Dukes of Hazzard, Knight Rider, The Bionic Woman, The A-Team, Spiderman to fill a very extensive list of boring updated versions that lacked the guts the originals all had.  Robocop is a classic, having felt much trepidation about the direction the remake was going in (a PG-13 rating for god's sake!) I went in with fairly low expectations but still something of an open mind as I really wanted this reboot to faithfully kick-start a new, successful Robocop franchise.

I was pleasantly surprised by the first hour of the film and how Murphy's quite horrifying physical transformation was depicted (there wasn't much left of him) and the emotional impact upon him. I particularly liked the first few scenes of him coming to grips with his new form and his little meltdown in the Chinese factory in which he was built. Unfortunately the film starts to take a significant nose dive at the point of Robocop's big public unveiling. A stupidly convenient plot device whereby the entire Detroit PD database including 17 years worth of the city's CCTV is uploaded to Murphy merely minutes before he's about to make his big appearance. This causes Robocop to overload requiring a change to Murphy be necessitated resulting in him then becoming more robotic and ultimately making an arrest for murder upon his big unveiling. This was a clumsily handled plot device done for the advancement of the plot but defied logic. Why give him a massive upload at such a crucial time? Others have pointed to a lack of a true antagonist and this is very true. Main criminal Antoine Vallon is utterly woeful compared to Kurtwood Smith's vile Clarence Boddiker and even Micheal Keaton can't hold a candle to Ronny Cox's performance in the original. There is also little chemistry between Alex and Clara Murphy both before and after his transformation. 

I used to be Batman you know.

So what? I was a jedi, a superhero and 100% muthafucka!

The film is best when it isn't trying to ape and nod towards the original. The use of Basil Poledouris' majestic music in Pedro Bromfman's new score is particularly jarring and poorly orchestrated. When I watched Man of Steel at about the 50 minute mark I realized I hadn't heard John Williams classic Superman theme but also realized that this was a new take on the Superman mythos that didn't need to borrow from it's predecessors. Shame this film didn't follow suit.

The effects are generally good but alas the Robocop/ED-209 battle is just a typical modern day CGI fest and has none of the weight of the same scene from the original. CGI is so overrated these days that it has become a dated cliché already.

Batman? Ironman?

Dead or alive you're coming with your children to this lame PG-13 version.

The film's biggest issue is undoubtedly caused by the constrictions of the PG-13 rating. Hearing arch criminals talk without any swearing pulls me out if the film and destroys any sense of realism. In one scene as Murphy approaches a drug factory to make a bust images of the classic drug factory shoutout of the original came to mind. Alas this version turns out to be a total anti-climax almost totally devoid of the carnage so required from such a scene. This follows on to Robocop taking down Vallon in a night vision shootout where men are shot but no blood, death or injury are shown in even any mildly satisfying manner. This shows clearly that gritty subject matter is not befitting of a teenage rating and similar target audience. Would something like The Wire work if it was aimed at a teenage audience? No. 

Behold the future!

And you want me to masturbate with this robo-hand?

There aren't any particular standout performances other than Gary Oldman who almost always delivers no matter the role or movie. Kinnaman is somewhat wooden in places but gives a decent enough performance even though at times he looks uncomfortable with the role. One aspect of the film that did nothing for me was Samuel L Jackson's character who opens and closes the film and offers his very one sided views throughout. If this is their replacement of the satire of the original they can keep it. It's ham fisted and provides little more than uninteresting commentary on the power of the media and plot exposition. It tells us nothing interesting that we don't already know and Jackson does his shouty thing to excess, especially at the cringe-worthy end.

I wholly embrace the need to make this reboot from a fresh angle to that of Verhoven's original but Sony MGM have played it way too safe with something that would clearly play better if it were aimed at an adult audience. I genuinely believe that an R rated movie, devoid of such tight restrictions would have been a far more satisfying experience. The original Robocop franchise died when they aimed at a younger demographic. Hollywood greed I fear has caused a repeat of this mistake. It's not a bad film per se, it's just painfully average and therefore unable to get out from the vast shadow of its forebear and like the Total Recall remake, it tries too hard too often to remind you of the original whilst offering nothing new to compete with it. I doubt there's even a harder cut tucked away for home release and even if there was there are plot issues that damage the film as much as the tame approach. Other gripes include a lack of clarity as to Omnicorp's role (if any) in Murphy being blown up, and plot threads not being followed through to any satisfying conclusion such as Murphy's relationship with his family. The best bits revolve around Murphy's initial awakening as a cyborg which are very well done indeed. 

This is the homage suite.

Michael Bay's Transformers?

Alas there's not really that much else that's in any way as memorable as the 1987 classic it's based on. As an example of how modern Hollywood has become all about excessive studio control above creativity and maximizing ticket sales at the expense of a film's overall artistic quality then this film succeeds. In all other aspects it's a bit of a wasted opportunity really. This is Robocop without what made Robocop an interest movie/comic book: Cyberpunk ultraviolence. Watch at your own risk...

Anyways, here's the movie trailer:

Robocop

Your move creep!

Robocop is one of those movies that inspires debate, as well it should. The director, Paul Verhoeven (who later became an even bigger player with films like "Total Recall" and "Basic Instinct") has definitely indulged in extreme violence and has no qualms about presenting violence as an object of fun. But I would defend it even if its only virtue was its action sequences because those elements are handled so well. There's a number of imaginatively staged action scenes, and it never devolves into an arcade-style shooting gallery like so many 80s actions films do. The action is compelling because of Verhoeven's style and because he's given the characters enough substance that we care about what happens to them, including at least a half dozen interesting villains.

A lot of discussion has revolved around whether or not this film deserves to be called satire. Those looking for Moliere-like pearls in Verhoeven's modestly amusing commercial interruptions are understandably disappointed. This isn't the kind of movie that you can look at or objectify in order to access its ideas on an intellectual level. It's a different kind of beast: it must be entered into, it must fulfill its function as an action narrative first and foremost and it carries its ideas like a wedding train dragged by a semi-truck… a prominent after-thought. At any rate I feel it's closer to camp than satire, one of the first camp action films of the 80s style I would argue ("Remo Williams" being another, now largely forgotten). It's a good drinking movie, and this most recent time when I watched it my friend and I were laughing and yelling so much that we probably missed half the dialog. But I don't think we missed much of the point. If it was a satire, Robocop wouldn't emerge as such a serious figure invested with pathos and personality. The movie itself is best enjoyed in my opinion as a joyride with some interesting commentary about America's relationship to violence thrown in by way of farce; you wait for each villain to meet his fitting end and watch the carnage pile up. The villains are all so easy to hate, and all the actors playing them are having a lot of fun. Ronny Cox is fantastic as the corporate heel, but I've always enjoyed Kurtwood Smith the most. Really this is a very well-cast movie all around. I love the scene where Miguel Ferrer has his coke party interrupted by Smith with his bomb and his video. It's easy to underestimate the kind of skill Smith shows when he's so funny and obviously has his tongue in cheek but still manages to be convincingly sadistic and evil. Honestly, a comparison to Vincent Price in his heyday is not unwarranted.

Starting up!

Bad guys are so fucked.

Peter Weller for his part is adequate and it's a difficult role so that's no insult. I didn't care for Nancy Allen in the movie but I can't really put my finger on the reasons. I guess she just came across as very tentative. I think it was a small mistake for Verhoeven to have her play it in a more grounded mode; his butt-kicking females are more fascinating but he does always have problems directing female heroes (see "Showgirls" and "Total Recall" for example).

I think this is a pretty intelligent movie with some layers to it. It's better as science fiction than you would at first suspect, mining Frankenstein territory in a number of scenes – particularly where the callous nature of the creator is shown ("lose the arm") and when the police force turns on Robocop like the mob of angry villagers in Whale's film version. In Shelley's time perhaps a single scientist was a suitable object of terror, but by choosing corporate monster-makers the writers of this film gave the story a far more prescient object for paranoia. Indeed, even since I last saw the film in the late 90s, the film's central premise has become even more relevant due to America's misadventures with corporate security forces in Iraq. 

the Meanest Fucktards.

Just chillin' watching some youtube videos.

This time around I noticed all the elements of Western parody in the film. Not just the twirling pistol (which also, interestingly, performs a plot function by identifying Robocop as Murphy) but also in various other scenes. For example one poster here complained about the "generic" or obligatory nature of the convenience store scene and the rape scene where Robocop is introduced as a hero. I couldn't disagree more. They parallel the arrival of the hero in a traditional Western; the convenience store works for the trading post in "Shane", the nightclub scene doubles for a tavern brawl (i.e. the beginning of "Rio Bravo") and the attempted rape parallels any number of damsel in distress scenarios. That's a very funny scene for me because of the way the girl goes up to Robocop after he rescues her and kind of drapes herself over him ("My hero!"), a very prototypical American bit that you'd see in a Randolph Scott Western from the 40s. Robocop's sterile reaction is perfect, again a parody of the emotionless law enforcing gunfighter of the Old West of American mythology.

Robo Yoga.

More human than human.

I expect to find more and more interesting elements the more I watch the film over the years. I think recently its reputation has taken a slight hit – look at the interesting life this film has had. Originally it was a big hit both in theaters and on video. Over the years it was not forgotten because action movie fans would return to it and be surprised at how well it holds up and how many ideas are floating about beneath the surface. Then based on their recommendations movie-goers of a more intellectual bent gave the movie a chance and were disappointed. It's time for the pendulum to swing back and for the movie to be reclaimed as what it is – an intelligent violent film. 

Here's the movie trailer:

And as bonus track for those Robocop fans out there, a compilation of TV ads & parodies based upon this great law enforcer: