Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 sci-fi action film “Robocop” has been canonized
as a modern classic of genre cinema and a towering example of how a movie can
approach satire by commercial means. It’s no surprise however that this
property was not immune from franchitis: the crippling disease that has the
Hollywood serpent chomping down on its own tail. “Robocop” is a beloved
pre-recognized staple of American movies, so it only makes sense that after two
bad sequels and a failed original television series, in the age of
effects-driven hero flicks, a studio would try to revive the tattered legend
with all new mechanics, intended to make him sicker, faster, and more
efficient.
In this
PG-13 reboot, directed by Brazilian filmmaker Jose Padhilha, The Killing’s Joel
Kinnaman plays Alex Murphy, an undercover drug cop in a future Detroit. Unlike
the first incarnation, instead of getting his body shot to pieces, he is nearly
killed in a car bomb explosion set outside of his home. In order to prove that
military drones can be manned with a sense of human compassion, a
war-profiteering business called Omnicorp builds Murphy a stealthy cybernetic body
designed for street battle. Though they have already been using drones freely
overseas, it is the effectiveness of the Robocop prototype that will determine
the use of robotic soldiers in the home states.
What
really distinguishes this remake from the original is the way the story is
centered on Murphy as he is torn between all of the distinct influences in his
life. The CEO of Omnicorp, played by Michael Keaton, wants stretch the ethics
of the mutilated cop by messing with his mental autonomy, so long as the polls
are raised in the companies favor. The
military jarheads, as embodied by soldier-turned-trainer Rick Mattox (played by
the great character actor Jackie Earl Haley) are invested in Robocop’s failure,
with the belief that cold, emotionless drones are superior to the unpredictable
flaws in human morality. Dr. Dennett
Norton (Gary Oldman), the engineer who has constructed Murphy’s new body, has
genuine compassion for his wellbeing but is ultimately compromised by the
monetary promises from his employers. Meanwhile, Robocop’s wife (the slightly
underwhelming Abbie Cornish) and son (John Paul
Ruttan) suffers the greatest from his near-death and his
subsequence absence, as Omnicorp fills them lies while they continue to work out
the kinks in his design.
Though
this is a remake nobody wanted or asked for, I am happy to say that despite the
blatant commerciality that put this project into motion, the movie is
actually satisfying on almost all accounts. Yes, it isn’t as biting or as clever
as the original and it’s considerably less violent, but within the parameters
set by the studio, Padilha manages to make a lean, gets-to-the-point action
movie that isn’t afraid to share its insights on modern, post-terror paranoia.
Obviously the movie’s core discussion of drone technologies is front and center
of the text, but the movie also explores themes regarding media propaganda—with
Samuel L. Jackson playing a Sean Hannity/O’Reilly type facsimile— the ignored
rights of military vets, as well as broader topics like the nature of humanity
and the obscurity of free will. And while almost every frame is jam-packed with
‘ideas’, it still makes time to highlight a great collection of fully realized performances
from its ensemble cast.
Original or not, this “Robocop” remake—despite what you
might read on the internet—is a just a good little movie. And I say little because the scope of plot, while
utilizing a large budget for special effects, is actually fairly contained
within the internal goings on of Omnicorp and “Robocop” as he tries to solve
his own murder. Within this framework, the
film moves along with clear attention to the character’s arc, the natural pace
of the storytelling, and the thematic intentions of the narrative. Simply put,
it just works. Grade: B+
Originally published in the Idaho State Journal/Feb-2014
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