REVIEW: ROBOCOP

Another Hollywood film remake comes to the big screen again. This time in the form of a film which some considers to be a classic and has achieved some sort of a cult status among many film fans. The film in question is the 1987 hit Robocop which was directed by Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Total Recall) and starred Peter Weller in the title role.

The remake has also the same title. Now, it is directed by unknown Portuguese director Jose Padilha and stars relatively unknown Joel Kinnaman in the title role. He is surrounded by an array of star-studded co-stars which includes Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Samuel L. Jackson, Jackie Earle Haley, Jay Baruchel, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Robocop is written by Joshua Zetumer. It has a release date of 12 February 2014 in the United States but is released two weeks earlier here in Malaysia.

Will this remake live up to its original? Do read on…

Joel Kinnaman as Detective Alex Murphy a.k.a. Robocop

SYNOPSIS:

In the not too distant future, Detective Alex Murphy is a one-of-a-kind police officer who dislikes corruption and upholds the law. His honesty has made enemies in the criminal world and even within his own police department. This results in him being a targeted for murder by some criminals. At the same time, a robotics corporation aims to beef up the protection of the American people from the criminal world. A sabotage explosion of his car caused nearly fatal injuries which prompted the robotics corporation to use Murphy’s body as a robotic police enforcer called Robocop.

Robocop's new suit.

SCRIPT:

Neat and exciting. Most movie remakes usually fail to honour their predecessors but this film did honour the 1987 film it was based on. All the names of the supporting characters were changed with the exception of the lead. It has almost the same story plotlines, motivations, and twists as the original. The dialogue was easily understandable despite its constant overuse of technical jargon which I felt could have been minimized. Good characterization as I can feel and relate with the actors portraying them. It does make the movie feel more ‘human’ than ‘machine’. At times, the film does look as though it could have stand-alone as an original film rather than a remake. This is a big plus point.

L-R: Gary Oldman, Jay Baruchel, Michael Keaton, and Jennifer Ehle

ACTING:

Good casting and good performances. The casting of a star-studded supporting ensemble proved essential to give the movie a boost. I felt Joel Kinneman as the lead was not too convincing though he had some interesting moments. Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton did really well in their roles.

Joel Kinnaman and Jackie Earle Haley share a scene

FILMING:

The production design really excelled. Nice sets and nice props. Giving the Robocop suit a black look rather than the usual grey look was pretty okay. Nice visual effects and complemented well with the story. I would have liked to have more action scenes though but I feel the amount was just enough. There was a little excessive use of handheld camerawork which I felt was unnecessary. What’s with most action films having to use lots of handheld camerawork lately? Good fast paced editing should be praised. Also needs to be praised is the use of the Robocop theme music from the original film.

Gary Oldman in a heated debate with Michael Keaton

PACING:

Just nice. No complaints here. For an action film, it did well. Good balance from act to act.

TONE (MOOD):

An individual who fights against the odds of who he is and his duty to the people around him.

Kinnaman grabs Oldman's throat

DOWNSIDE:

Quite a lot of dialogue-driven scenes. If you are in it for just the action, it might disappoint you.

UPSIDE:

Fans of the original might like this film. Good tribute.

"Dead or alive, you are coming with me."

OVERALL:

It was a decent, enjoyable, and exciting film. It is not the best of film remakes but it does feel satisfied once you leave theatres. It is a recommended film if you are looking for something light but I won’t say it is a must-watch film.

RATING:

7.5 out of 10