Robocop (2014)

Review: written Jun 2014

Sturdy remake, though somewhat sanitised

A remake of Robocop, a movie whose biting satire merged with 80’s style exploitation violence, seemed an idea doomed to failure.. and I went in to this movie with correspondingly low expectations. Perhaps that is why I have come away feeling pleasantly surprised. For sure, the raw satirical edge which was in truth enhanced by Verhoeven’s gory touch, is missing in this sanitised version. What we do get is a slick retelling of the story, surprisingly more human at its core. There is more questioning here on what it is to be human – and a little less on the dehumanising of culture. That said, the Samuel Jackson character that replaces the witty adverts of the earlier version, personified here as a right wing political editorial show, is amusing and occasionally pointed, albeit overegged.

What adds class to the proceedings are the surrounding players – following this journey from human cop to Robocop and then trying to find his way back, is a bunch of fine actors. Gary Oldman is hardly stretching his acting talents here, but he makes his sympathetic scientist who has angst about crossing moral boundaries, but can be tempted to do so, genuinely believable. Michael Keaton plays a more conventional character who is just what he seems to be – a manipulative CEO who is only interested in the bottom line… but he manages to bring a few of his acting tics to give a little quirkiness to the role. Kudos too, to Abbie Cornish as the wife with tough decisions to make.

The balance of this movie is really much more about a man’s coming to terms with his injuries and how these have changed his life. Doctors have saved him, but have they allowed him the chance to really live? There is much less focus on any storyline giving a focal bad guy to boo at and give the audience a sense of excitement as the movie builds to a climax. The climax here does have action, but is ultimately much more about one man’s journey to find meaning in his new circumstances. As such, overall, Jose Padilha has made a more believable movie than the first one, both in terms of character and in terms of science. What it arguably lacks though, is the sense of fun that came with the first one – Verhoeven knew how to sweeten his satire with an over the top sensibility ladened with black humour. Here the director has opted instead to make things palatable by simply dialing back the satire and making a more conventional film. It works, as that, and better than I for one had hoped for – but fans of the original are bound to feel somewhat shortchanged.