Robocop (2014) Movie Review

Robocop, one of the most popular cult classics of the eighties; directed by Paul Verhoeven, the film carried his signature style but also proved to be quite thought provoking in its handling of themes. Now in 2014, after multiple delays the remake has finally arrived; though it has some entertaining moments, it ultimately pales in comparison to its predecessor.

The plot of Robocop 2014 is mostly the same as the original, but with a few differences. Detective Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is an officer who is severely injured in an improvised explosion from crime lord Antoine Vallon (Patrick Garrow). His body cannot be saved but his mind lives on in the cyborg law enforcer Robocop, built and designed by Chief Omnicorp Scientist Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman) and Robo sets out to clean the streets of Detroit whilst also dealing with the public’s perception of him and the corporation’s efforts to control him. The remake of Robocop is much more straightforward as a narrative; unfolding within a combination of action sequences with some slower paced moments in between. In terms of themes it’s all about corporate greed in the OCP’s efforts to get its unmanned weapons put out onto the streets of America. This does provide some links to the modern ethics of using drones and other machinery but nevertheless the plot barrels along at a very fast rate, not really requiring much thought and some scenes end up being completely pointless. The ending too is rather lacking, not really providing much closure. The plotline of Robocop ironically makes you wish at many points that the company had made a video game rather than a movie. The action scenes in particular would have made a strong impression if they were played rather than watched.

Where the acting talent in the original Robocop worked hard to give an element of duality in the roles, the remake seems to do everything by the book. None of the characters really serve much purpose throughout the film, nor do they go through any interesting arcs. Murphy starts off as a rather generic member of the force, as does his partner Jack Lewis (Michael K. Williams) who barely makes his presence known throughout the film. Kinnamann’s performance is often quite confusing; one minute he retains his thoughts as Murphy and the next he’s reduced to the mentality of a machine. This had potential to put across the difference between man and machine but it jumps back and forth with such reckless and irregular abandon that it really doesn’t matter much to the plot at the end of the day. Robocop’s wife and child (played by Abbie Cornish and John Paul respectively) play a larger role in the remake; again, this was an interesting choice but unfortunately they don’t deliver nearly enough chemistry and are never put in much danger to entice the audience into caring about them. The big name actors and other members of the cast placed on the poster go to waste throughout the film; Michael Keaton has nothing interesting to show as the head of the OCP, Gary Oldman comes close but never makes Professor Norton into a compelling character and as for Samuel L. Jackson, this could be his worst and most bare-bones role ever in a movie, only appearing in brief newsflashes scattered throughout the remake.

There was never any way around it; the 2014 remake of Robocop was going to be made using CGI; these effects work fairly well where the futuristic technology is concerned. The robots have more detail before and we are given more insight into Robo’s operating procedures with some slick point of view shots. The action sequences are framed fairly well although there does exist some moments where the camera shakes violently; the final fight where Robo takes on the ED-209s to reach the top of OCP headquarters is a solid improvement on the original film’s climax and the shootout in Vallon’s hideout features some effective lighting but on the whole the action sequences (which are arguably the best part of the film), like the rest of the film are far too brief to be very memorable. The futuristic environment is also lacking; the film claims to be set in 2028 and set outside of some fancy gadgets, the world of Detroit doesn’t look any different from our present day world; a wasted opportunity, given how modern movie technology can often render impressive and immersive settings.

If there’s one word to describe Robocop, it’s ‘’rushed’’. Despite being released more than twenty five years after the original, this remake constantly brushes over its good aspects while magnifying it’s bad ones. There are some parts that provide some mild enjoyment but this version of Robocop is unfortunately doomed in comparison with the original.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars