Donlevy Reviews RoboCop (1987)!

Alright, time for some RoboCop! The remake/reboot of the 1987 original, simply named RoboCop, was released only a couple days ago. But screw that, I'm talking about the OG RoboCop from 1987! Ha, if people still say "OG." Anyway, as action movies from the 80's go, RoboCop is pretty notable, and memorable, for the time. Sure you had The Terminator, and Rambo, but you know what was missing? A cyborg cop! Yeah, the merchandising for this movie must have been a field day. RoboCop had enough weight to follow up with two sequels, both of which I hear are nowhere near as good as the original, but we don't care about those movies today. No, what you're here to know is if the original is worth watching. And you know what? It definitely is. As action movies go, RoboCop is damn good. It's got some crazy violence and action, great effects, and one badass cop. It's aged better than I though it would have, and while it still suffers from an overly-ambitious plot, RoboCop is definitely a noteworthy action flick.

In a near-futuristic Detroit (2014, as a matter of fact), crime and corruption has eroded much of the city, where everyone from the police to the government is at the mercy of corporate giant OCP (Omni Consumer Products). Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is reassigned to a local precinct with officer Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen) as police officers contemplate a strike, and on a routine patrol, chases after known crime boss Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith, ie. Red from That 70's Show!). Murphy is shot down and effectively left for dead, but OCP uses his body as the basis for their new RoboCop program, and they transform Murphy into...well, RoboCop. Did you expect something else? RoboCop then proceeds to be a badass and takes on the scum of Detroit, all the while OCP watches over him. Watch the movie to know the rest!

To get the main criticism with the movie over with first, the background plot is pretty underdeveloped, and a lot of supplementary material is kind of left hanging, or unaddressed. There's a lot of background events happening over the course of the film, like the aforementioned police strike, as well as a brewing war overseas. They're nice touches that add to the setting, but have little to no impact on any events in particular. A lot of this is told through simulated TV news briefings, with an 80's flair, and while the stories follow a beginning and end over the course of the movie they offer no real payoff, and ultimately, they become rather unnecessary. The whole thing with OCP and their limitless reach is a neat concept, and I like how it's already a given, but it feels a little too convenient at times, although to the film's credit, much of it IS actually addressed. 

But the rest of the movie knows what it's all about: the flow of the film is top-notch, with an immediate and adequate display of awesome from RoboCop as soon as he's complete. His introduction is short, but neither slow nor hasty, and he quickly gets into the groove. One-liners abound as RoboCop dispenses his robotic justice to the felons of Detroit, and so efficiently that his effectiveness is readily apparent. Later in the film, and without spoiling much, RoboCop removes his helmet, and it goes a long way to show how good Weller is in the role. There's a strange subtlety in his movements, and it's really cool as he begins to show a little more humanity each minute. But damn, if there's one character to watch, it's freaking Smith's character Boddicker. Slimy, sly, and cold, the performance is just so good. The use of the character is such that he continually amounts a stronger offensive force against RoboCop at each meeting, and the final shootout against Boddicker and the rest of his gang of memorable thugs is very, very cool. 

The one prominent effect in RoboCop, besides the plethora of blood and explosions, and one really far-out toxic waste effect (all of which are really cool) is the stop-animation used for the ED-209's. They're menacing and powerful, and it really shows in the face-off between ED and RoboCop at the top of the OCP building. The effect is really cool and natural, and not afraid to add a slight gag every now and then (one in particular reminiscent of Star Wars). On that, there are just a couple of bits of humour thrown in to offset the otherwise dystopian setting. Characters or one-liners, or even really weird and sexist commercials, add a bit of "light-heartedness," that surprisingly doesn't feel out of place. I mean, jeeze, when you think about it, the whole movie is about a mechanical cop giving off a few catchphrases every now and then. How serious can you really be?

The action is great, the pace is smooth, the effects are slick, and the performances are of the top quality. RoboCop is most definitely a fine film indeed. Sure, some of the plot is up in the air, or sometimes meaningless, but the rest of the movie's action and enjoyability make up for it. Go watch this movie. Yeah, watch it! Don't go see the remake. Watch the original. It's a damn good time!