The best thing I saw last week was RoboCop (2014). Okay now let’s get 2 things straight, we’re talking about the new 2014 remake so I’m going to stop adding the date in parenthesis, also we would be talking about House of Cards Season 2 on Netflix but honestly as I am writing this Sunday evening I still have 4 more episodes to watch. So damn good, that show is amazing, if you haven’t watched yet go give it a look. But now here today we are talking about everyone’s favorite police cyborg Alex Murphy, also known as RoboCop.
When I first heard this remake was on the horizon I was like many others that thought it was a pointless remake that wouldn’t be able to live up to the original. Now let’s be honest, the original 1987 Paul Verhoeven RoboCop was a spectacularly violent and humorous take on 80’s consumerism that any remake would pale in comparison to. And this RoboCop would have if they had tried, instead the writers were smart enough to make this RoboCop a statement about something very different and way more in touch with our current world. It is a great commentary on our present day world and a glimpse at the implications of decisions being made right now in current policy.
Now, for the film itself, let’s go by the numbers. Any questions or concerns you have about the look of the suit, toss em. Everything dealing with the suit and the look of RoboCop gets dealt with during the course of the film. And the bike is amazing and totally makes sense when you see it in action.
The cast is superb, I mean how could you go wrong with Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Jackie Earle Haley, Jay Baruchel, Michael K. Williams, and Gary Oldman. Oldman has never done a back job in a film, his record remains intact. And having only seen Kinnaman in the first 2 episodes of The Killing I had no idea if he could pull off this role and he does a damn fine job. Mainly I believe because he doesn’t try to do a Peter Weller impersonation but instead tries to bring his own version of Murphy to life. The only thing cast wise this movie did lack was any kind of breakthrough performance like Kurtwood Smith gave in the original film. Clarence Boddicker was a tsunami of an acting performance.
From start to finish the story just seems to keep picking up speed and carrying the viewer along. Even with the toned down violence of a PG-13 flick you still get some cool shooting scenes and of course robot violence. It’s basically just a really well done and fun movie. Go see it. Now I’m not going to say you need to rush out and pay evening prices but you won’t regret catching a matinee and if you miss it at the first run theaters this will be a pure treat at your local dollar theater.
I give RoboCop a 7/10.


For more on Robocop (2014) check Legends Podcast next Sunday!
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