Robocop

"Come quietly or there will be...trouble." - Robocop

release year: 1987
genre: sci-fi/action
viewing setting: home Bluray 7/7/14 and home DVD, 9/17/05 (as well as many other times over the years)

synopsis: In the near-future Detroit, crime runs wild and the cops are losing. One of them loses everything whe he's blasted to bits by a ruthless criminal gang...until a corporation fuses his remains with robot parts, creating a super-powerful cyborg cop capable of dealing out tough justice.

impressions: This is one of the all-time classics! For most people, it was their first cinematic introduction to over-the-top director Paul Verhoeven. He blends gratuitous violence, one-liners, and a sarcasm toward the media with a simple crime/revenge story and some great characters. This is good low-level sci-fi with some outstanding violence.

body count: 25 or so

things to watch for: The fight in the drug lab (it starts at 1:03:54 when Robocop breaks down the door, sees that he's outnumbered 20-to-1, and utters the line referenced in the quote above.)

something this movie has that no other movie has: ED-209, a gigantic robot with Gatling guns and faulty programming.

acting: Peter Weller does a good job as the main character (or should I say two of them, one human and one cyborg.) Kurtwood Smith is great as the ruthless leader of the gang. Ronny Cox maks a good evil executive who's linked to boththe corporations and the crime. Nancy Allen is the partner of the slain officer who becomes Robocop. Miguel Ferrer is fun as an aspiring junior executive.

final word: This is one of the all-time ultimate violent action movies, with a slight sci-fi twist.

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