By request! (Lol) Here is My Spoiler-Free Review of Robocop (2014) Note: I will NOT be addressing the fact that this is a remake. I will be judging this movie solely on its merits alone. The year 2028 in a world where America uses a robotic military abroad but isnt to keen on them at home. Omnicorp (the makers of the robotics) wishes to expand their market into America but is being met with a constant refusal from the Senate who feel that men are the only ones who should be able to make life and death choices and not machines. Omnicorp president Raymond Sellars devises a plan to sway public opinion by putting a man in the machine. But at what point does the man stop being a man? This is Robocop When Robocop was first announced I was pretty complacent. In fact, when it came out last week, I really had no intention of seeing it. I figured Id be worth a dollar at the redbox and thatd be it. But then I listened to the weekly Screenrant Underground Podcast and heard their review (something I try to not do if I plan on reviewing the movie myself) and decided that maybe it deserved a chance. And Im glad I did. Robocop is a very well done Sci-Fi flick. The world is fleshed out, the visuals are top notch and the story is smart enough to make you re-evaluate your opinions. This movie isnt going to change the world, but youll be hard pressed not to have a good time. From the moment the film starts you are thrown into a news show hosted by Samuel L Jackson (Id put the characters name but lets face it, Sam L is always Sam L) showing a random search happening overseas. These random checks by the American military have become common place now that 95% of all forces are Robotic. The film brings up the question of whether or not this is a good thing but ultimately leaves it up to the viewer. And thats where this film is smart. It seems like in most movies today there is always some kind of agenda theyre trying to push and its always force fed to you. Robocop simply asks the questions and asks you to make up youre own mind about it (just like any good Sci-Fi film is supposed to do). The Special FX in this film are pretty great. All the robots look realistic and never feel too floaty. The Movie really shines in the moments when Robocop is first waking up. Without spoilers, what happens on screen literally made my jaw drop. This movie is only PG-13 but what they showed is one of the most shocking things Ive seen in recent memory. Dont get me wrong, its not at all gory or gratuitous, it is just simply a horrifying actuality of what Robocop is. Later in the movie when Robocop is making his rounds the scenes are handled very well and never feels too simple or too complex. Easy enough to follow and smart enough to work. But of course all the SFX in the world cant save a movie with bad actors which is why my next paragraph is about... The actors in this film are really great. Youve got your big 3 Samuel L Jackson, Michael Keaton and Gary Oldman doing their part as the supporting cast and you have Joel Kinnamen as Alex Murphy aka Robocop. Im not gonna lie, Im not super familiar with Mr Kinnamen but he did a successful job as the lead. At points he may have suffered a bit from having to be restrained in his performance (much like Anakin in Episode 2 or 3) but when the time comes for him to push his performance he nails it. The big 3 do fantastic jobs in each of their roles. Sam L as the overbearing news correspondent pushing his own agenda disguised as news is probably one of my top 3 fav performances from Mr Jackson (Nick Fury and Jurassic Park are the other two for those wondering). The on again off again Michael Keaton plays the dubious president of Omnicorp perfectly. This is the guy that knows how to charm but deep down is heartless. Oddly what I hope we get from Lex in MOS2 (I refuse to call it BvsS till its official). And rounding out the support team is the ever awesome Garry Oldman. The way Garry Oldman plays his character is just spot on. Anything more and it would have felt cheesy, anything less and you would never buy his story arch. Home run as always for Mr Oldman. Alexs partner is great (played by Michael K Williams) but sadly thats where the side character love ends. Alexs family feels really underused in this film. The climax of their story is completely unearned. The rest of the Detroit police department is one note as well. They either have no lines or are dirty cops. Thats it. Jackie Earle Haleys character is fine but ultimate hes just a glorified henchman. None of the actors are Bad per say, they just dont add anything to the film which brings us to... The Story of Robocop is not only fun and action packed but actually thought provoking. Sci-Fi (and horror) films are supposed to bring up topics that are usually hard to deal with and mask it in something entertaining so that perhaps we can learn more about a situation without being preached to. Thankfully Robocop succeeds on this endeavor. The questions it asks not only about morality and politics, but of the soul and what truly makes us US are really a nice welcome to the mostly brainless movies we get. Is Robocop a perfect movie? No, not at all. I think if it came out in the summer it would have been a huge flop, but since its here in February it stands a better hope at being given a chance. What could have been just a quick smash and grab job for the studios wound up actually being given an opportunity to be its own film. If you like Sci-Fi/Action movies and want a little more than just brainlessness, you should definitely check out Robocop, you wont regret it. I give Robocop a 4/5
Posted on: Mon, 24 Feb 2014 03:36:35 +0000
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