Robocop 2014 Remake (Movie Review)

Review by Paeter Frandsen

Like many fans of the original Robocop, I've been very curious about the remake. As buried as I've been with work and other activities, I’ve had almost no exposure to the marketing campaign aside from a couple of early trailers, and so I sat down in the theater with no idea what to expect.

In the near future, OmniCorp is the leading developer of military and law enforcement robotic technology, but their products are only in use overseas. Americans just don't seem to like the idea of robots making the kinds of hard, life-altering decisions that police officers so often face. The head of OmniCorp decides to try to grease the wheels for robot cops in the U.S. by introducing a cyborg to U.S. law enforcement. To this end, he has critically injured Detroit police officer Alex Murphy rebuilt from the inside out and turned into "Robocop".

The physical transformation is completed all at once. But when tests reveal that Murphy's emotions are interfering with his tactical software and affecting his combat performance, steps are taken to deaden his emotions and place him more firmly under the control of his programming. This internal war between his emotions and programming becomes central as he endeavors to reconnect with his wife and young son, who were both traumatized by his injuries and brush with death. At the same time, Murphy becomes obsessed with solving his own attempted murder case, convinced that corruption sits at the heart of the Detroit police force.

Joel Kinnaman does a great job as both Alex Murphy and Robocop. His sorrow over the tragic loss of his body and resulting disconnection from his family is easy to sympathize with. The struggle to rebuild his relationships with his wife and son provides an emotional center around which the rest of the story often revolves. Geeky husbands and fathers may find themselves, like me, more emotionally involved and affected by the movie than others.

Although the movie fails to make its supporting cast very interesting, there are a few standouts that help the film. Gary Oldman is predictably wonderful and likeable as the doctor in charge of Murphy's recovery, who is repeatedly put in morally uncomfortable situations by his employer. Michael Keaton, as the CEO of OmniCorp, is effortlessly interesting, although probably not as unlikable as he should be by the end of the film. Abbie Cornish is good as Murphy's wife, but at times does not seem to be believably engaged in the intense emotions of her scenes.

Emotions are also an important theme in the movie. They interfere with Murphy's combat effectiveness but are needed for his family life. Emotions are at the center of the political debate regarding robot law enforcement and are implied to be the tool for making decisions regarding right and wrong. Just as the original Robocop reflected the popular values of its time, the remake does as well, although those values have changed priority a bit. Although not so strong as to be a "message," I'd say a truth claim inspiring this film would be that "emotions are the highest human value and embracing them will provide the solution to our biggest problems in life." While emotions are incredibly valuable and a vital part of our humanity, I'd argue that they are meant to be our response to life events, rather than our decision-making guide. Emotions should accompany and not lead us on our journey through life.

All that said, this movie is not some weepy examination of human tragedy. It's a sci-fi action flick. And while not as filled with explosions and robotics as I might have expected, it’s no slouch in those departments either. This Robocop is agile and fast, whether running on foot or racing through the city on his equally cool-looking motorcycle. And although the action is not as bombastic as in the original film, it’s much more hectic and busy, especially ramping up as things lead into the climax.

The visual effects are well-suited to the material. I am cursed with an eye that can easily spot CG when it's being used to recreate something organic, but robots do not need to have convincing motion capture. They just need to look cool for the most part, and they certainly do in this movie. The hulking ED-209's look like something that could be used by the military in just a couple of decades, and the humanoid robotic drones look menacing and designed for speed, but also weighty and intimidating.

Fans of the original will enjoy a number of nods to the 80's film throughout the movie. But they may be let down by the lack of intense violence and human depravity that defined the original film. The PG-13 rating is obvious throughout the film, as blood is virtually absent and some potentially violent moments are even cut away from. I can't help but wonder if there will be a director's cut when the film comes to home video.

Unlike the first film, this movie is not philosophically as much about the human "soul," since Murphy never actually dies before becoming Robocop in this story. Instead he is just terribly wounded, and his "robotic" nature comes and goes as the result of chemical and software interference with his brain. Even so, there are times in the script when he is treated as inhuman, or as though he actually had died. Someone even says that Murphy is attempting to solve his own murder case, which doesn't really make sense. So although there are philosophical themes of emotion, free will, and the human condition in general, they aren't as focused as they could be, and sometimes even seem to be inconsistent. That said, there does seem to be an attempt to validate some kind of "X-Factor" that separates humans from machines.

This new take on Robocop is worth seeing for fans of sci-fi action films. Just be prepared for a very different kind of story and experience from what has come before.

Quality: 8.5/10

Relevance: 7.0/10

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action including frenetic gun violence throughout, brief strong language, sensuality and some drug material.