Robocop

THE FLICKS: Robocop is a film that shouldn’t have succeeded on any level, starting with a title that even its own writers found embarrassing. But somehow Dutch director Paul Verhoeven turned the script’s trite sci-fi escapism into a hilariously brutal satire of American capitalism – and still managed to keep the action fast and furious. Peter Weller is Murphy; an honest cop who is brutally murdered then resurrected as the future of law enforcement, Robocop. Fighting his scattered human memories, along with the corrupt executives within OCP, the Reagan-era mega-corporation that now own old-Detroit, Murphy finds himself torn between his programming and his cop instincts. Partner, ? (Nancy Allen) helps him bring down the bad guys and restore his humanity. Not only does Robocop work as a gruesome sci-fi adventure (especially in the longer unrated cut included here), but its barbed-wire wit cuts right to the core of 80’s excess, particularly the laughably over-the-top TV commercials and newsbreaks which interrupt the action (featuring a young Leeza Gibbons). Yet Verhoeven manages to follow through on Murphy’s quest for identity with a deft touch, aided by Weller’s career-making mime mannerism inside the suit. Robocop is fearless filmmaking that goes out on a limb from anything the sci-fi genre has seen before or since. And why not? With a title like that, there was nothing to lose. The inevitable sequel, Robocop 2, written by legendary comic-book scribe Frank Miller suffers from the equally inevitable sophomore slump. Still, there are some great ideas floating around, including the opening sequence during a police strike in which Robo is the only cop still on the beat. Gone, though, is Murphy’s longing for a piece of his lost humanity, other than an early touching moment between husband and wife. Instead the plot focuses on Cain (Tom Noonan of “Manhunter”), the kingpin behind a new illegal drug called Nuke that’s all the rage. Meanwhile, OCP is looking for more profits and decides to launch Robocop 2 as a means of repairing their bad reputation. When Cain becomes the brain behind their new crime-fighting machine (quite literally), the stage is set for a stop-motion deathmatch between Robo and his archenemy. With most of the cast returning, Robocop 2 maintains a high level of quality but nevertheless feels scattered and out of rhythm. Miller’s script (which was in his defense quite different from what ended up onscreen) feels too insubstantial and never takes advantage of the Robocop mythology built in the first film. This time around, the only thing edgy is having 10-year-olds curse like truck drivers. Phil Tippett’s stop-motion wizardry is a saving grace, creating a show-stopping finale between the two metallic monstrosities. By the time Robocop 3 got a greenlight, the character had become the children’s fantasy figure everyone feared he’d be in the first film. Cleaning up the gore and strapping on some new gadgets, Robocop plays foster father to an orphaned 8-year-old computer hacker who helps him lead a bunch of revolutionaries in their quest to save Cadillac Heights from OCP domination. The company has now been bought out by Japanese investors who send over a humanoid ninja robot of their own to quell the protestors and take out Robocop. Weller, who never seemed too proud of his association with Robocop to begin with, is no longer the man behind the mask. He’s replaced by ?, who doesn’t even make an appearance until 20 minutes into the film. Even Nancy Allen only makes it halfway through. But despite all its hammy and preposterous plot contrivances, part 3 is no worse than the sequel that came before it. While that’s not exactly a compliment, there is a sense of innocence that comes through from director Fred Dekker’s work that turns Robo in a big cuddly crime fighter. But that’s a long way from Verhoeven’s vision of a cybernetic Christ figure exacting his pound of flesh. THE FEATURES: The third version to hit DVD (previously issued by Criterion and a bare-bones MGM disc), Robocop looks better than ever before, with a first-ever anamorphic transfer, and loads of extras. The commentary from Verhoeven, producer Jon Davison and writer Ed Neuremeyer is different from the now out-of-print Criterion, which was an edited track. Here, the guys just hash it out together with equally spectacular results. Verhoeven and Neuymeyer never stop talking, while Davison interrupts every so often as the voice of reason, pointing out facts and figures. The three compliment each other very well. Three featurettes make up the bulk of the behind-the-scenes extras. Flesh and Steel (36 min.) is the new one, and begins with Verhoeven’s quote, “I wanted to show Satan killing Jesus.” He’s, of course, making reference to Murphy’s death scene which is just one of the many violent set-pieces detractors love to point out. The film’s excessive gore is just one of the topics covered in this comprehensive short. Other bits include Rob Bottin’s sculptured suit, Weller’s mime training, and Basil Poulidorous’ classic score. Well produced, honest and entertaining – this kind of special feature is why you started buying DVDs in the first place! The other featurettes, Shooting Robocop and Making Robocop (16 min. total), are classic promotional pieces made at the time of the film’s release. Deleted Scenes include five very brief commercial segments cut for one reason of another (including a bizarre topless pizza parlor). A Storyboard feature runs footage from the infamous ED-209 boardroom massacre with running commentary from animator Phil Tippett. A Photo Gallery, TV Spot, and Trailers for all the sequels make up the remainder of special features.