After a cop is blown up, he is surgically implanted
with robotic machinery, turning him into RoboCop. ACTION/SCI-FI
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RoboCop (2014)Directed by Jose Padilha
Written by Joshua Zetumer, Edward Neumeier, Michael Miner Starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Samuel L. Jackson, Jay Baruchel Remake of 1987's RoboCop |
For a remake, this movie wasn't half bad. The story was decent and it doesn't tarnish the legacy of the original film. That being said, it still isn't RoboCop. Remaking a movie that has such a cult following is difficult work, and most of them suck. Joel Kinnaman did the best he could with what he was given, and is actually a very good Alex Murphy. He's just not a very good RoboCop.
I enjoyed the various one-liners that referenced the original ("I wouldn't buy that for a dollar.") and I enjoyed seeing Michael Keaton and Gary Oldman, even though I think their roles should have been switched. Also, when you remake an R rated film, keep the R rating. When you switch it to PG-13, you lose a good chunk of your audience and end up making a watered down version of a film that could have been much better. This one does not live up to 1987's classic film, but it's still an enjoyable film. |
While this pales in comparison to the original cult classic film, the new RoboCop actually turns out to be quite an enjoyable film. The story was actively engaging and featured a new twist on the social commentary. I liked that the commentary adapted to modern times, with a focus on foreign/domestic affairs, man versus machine, and corruption. Even though the social commentary was there; unfortunately, a lot of the social satire was sorely missing.
The cast did a superb job throughout. Joel Kinnaman did an impressive job in the title role, perfectly playing a man turned into a robot. Michael Keaton was great as the sleazy head of Omnicorp. Gary Oldman was, as always, great as the doctor who disagrees with a lot of the company's practices. Jackie Earl Haley also gave a great performance as a military tactician. While Samuel L. Jackson was great as a talk show host, I missed the commercial spots from the original film. Also, I really didn't like how they decided to tone down the over-the-top violence from the original film and give this film a PG-13 rating, just so they can appeal to a broad audience. Obviously, the original RoboCop is a much better film; but this new version is still a good bit of fun. |
