So lets talk about the recent RoboCop remake I saw in my local theater today. I had low expectations and the result was something that didnt convince me was better than the original but at least had some entertainment value. While I feel the original isnt a masterpiece, its classic sci-fi fun that I always look forward to. Im not a big fan of Paul Verhoeven but I do respect how his movies exist as pure entertainment. I know they have some added subtext but on the surface, they are loaded with plenty of action and dark humor that differs from todays blockbusters that are all about boom and little creativity. The recent remake makes an attempt to distance itself away from the original and do its own thing which is a plus. But I feel at times it is doing it for the wrong reasons in my opinion. I wont try to compare too much so it doesnt feel like an old vs. new but the bottom line is that there are some elements that are expanded upon but fall short of what was crafted in 1987. In the original, Murphy was shot down to the point he barley had a body left which is highly effective even when later on he removes his helmet to see his face grafted onto a robot skull. The remake dulls this down with an assassination attempt via car explosion leaving much of Murphys body intact. But for some reason, the doctor (Gary Oldman who looks more suited for a David Chronenberg biopic...serisouly, he looks like him!!!!!) decides to scrap the body and place his head, brain, lungs, esophagus and hand in the machine with the rest mechanical. Its not a bad idea but at times I found myself reminded of The Brain That Wouldnt Die and nearly laughing at the idea of a head living with only its lungs attached. I understand they are explaining the lungs and living brain are a necessity so its a machine with organic parts but here, the original was more effective leaving Murphys face as the only left that is organic of him showing how much machine is taken over him. On the plus side, they do explore the idea of questioning if the program in Murphy is taking over or is the humanity in him controlling the system. A thing that was not too focused on along with the effect of his wife and kids who barley had an screen time in the original. These are nice touches but dont feel developed further as Joel Kinnamans performance feels like its on auto pilot when hes a human. But when they transition to him as a cyborg, there is little change in his already mechanical performance. Its not terrible and it does fit the android feel, but his potralye comes off as feeling forgettable by the end. Though, one thing I would love to forget is the scenes with Samuel Jackson as a television host that keeps dishing on the modern politics. I get the idea they are satirizing the over political tones of talk shows like The OReily Factor and other things like The Colbert Report, but after its first scene our repeated cut backs get less welcome by the conclusion. I also cant say much on the redesign of the RoboCop suit as I understand they made it black to darken the character but it affects certain scenes like when Murphy returns home for the first time after his attempted murder to see his family. All the time he talks to his son, he kneels in front of a window as the black reflection surrounds his black suit as the only thing visible is his face. Even night time scenes of RoboCop riding around on his motorcycle feels less effective when the color of your redesigned suit feels too blended into the night scenes. Im not saying this as a nitpick but it really gets hard to see an amazing craft when its given a color that wont show up in night scenes or gritty dark places. But aside from the flaws, there are some fun moments to be had and it is attempting to not overdo what was first created and that is how I feel a remake/reboot should be by doing new things that dont feel like sacrilege to the original source but shows effort and respect. I cant say its a good remake seeing it does rehash certain plot lines and scenes that were acted better in the original feel less effective here by come off as a shadow than an improvement. But on the plus side, its better than what they did to Total Recall. If you want to play it safe, its worth a rental. But do I really want to recommend it? Best save your $8 bucks for the upcoming Godzilla reboot instead or the upcoming reissue of the R-rated cut of Anchorman.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 06:47:56 +0000
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