Robocop
Call it a Grand Masterpiece, call it a Classic For The Ages, call it whatever, but Paul Verhoeven proved in 1987 when it came to gory sci-fi, he was second to none. Combining advanced (for its time) special FX with a gritty, low budget feel to it, Verhoeven expertly tells the story of a newly transferred cop to the crime ridden âOld Detroitâ (a dystopian vision of the future, though the film was actually made in Dallas) who encounters a gang of coked up criminals that proceed to dismantle him with their shotguns to an untimely demise, only for the corporate entities that own and run the Police Department to rebuild him as a cybernetic organism that becomes every criminalâs worse nightmare and moreso, regains enough of his memory to set his sights on the guys who blew him away. The theme of “Man’s Soul Survives Death” is a universal one, and Peter Weller in the title role is perfect, projecting a dedication to his job in the early scenes, and then later, when his mask is pulled away to show his wan, pained face as he comes to deal with his new reality, coming off as someone who has been reborn in a very unpleasant, automated condition. Nancy Allen as his partner is solid as well: cute and spunky, she quickly recognizes her friend in his new condition, calling him by his human name and helping to trigger his human side once more. The real stars, though, may be the Villians: Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) and Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith), kicking ass and taking names more than any evil combo in movie history. Cox as the corporate VP whose true interests lie with the failure of Robocop and helping to proliferate the crime empire in the city, is a maniacal ruthless bastard who will stop at nothing to impose his will both in the city and in the boardroom. As for Smith, he may very well have been robbed of a Supporting Actor Nomination IMO, as his Clarence was an unforgettable bad guy (even with glasses), chewing up the scenery and exalting in his evil, whether it be the way he sadistically lines up his gun on Weller early on or talking shit to a rival crime boss that he has a business disagreement with, as those who know the actor from his (hilarious) turn as the father on That 70s Show will find a renewed appreciation of his acting skill. The rest of the cast is able as well, from underrated legend Dan OâHerlithy as the âOld Manâ, head of the corporation who tries to make heads or tails of the difficult situations placed before him; to Miguel Ferrer as the cocky young exec (in charge of the development of Robocop) who takes on Cox in a corporate power play and pays dearly for it; to Robert DoQui as the bitter, cynical desk sergeant who takes no crap from the criminal scum he sees on a daily basis (or their lawyers); to Ray Wise and Paul McCrane as Clarenceâs gang members who gleefully whoop it up whether it be during the killing of cops or blowing up an entire city block (with McCrane in particular suffering a demise that no man deserves to endure). The film is also fearless in terms of the violence, ratcheting it up particularly in a notorious scene in the boardroom where a âdemonstrationâ goes tragically yet amusingly wrong, and the pounding, pulsing score by Basil Poledouris sets the mood in a way few others could. Overall, in terms of sci-fi / action, this is probably second only to Terminator…
10/10