ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

From Wikipedia: Andrew Osmond from SFX says, "It's not a classic like Paul Verhoeven's 1987 original, but it is an excellent, intelligent SF drama", believing it is "one of the boldest Hollywood reboots we've seen yet.

I just watched this one for the first time today and I have to say I enjoyed it much more than I ever did the original.

The scene in which Murphy is first awakened in his new robot body has the feel of the dramatic scene in The Colossus of New York — right down to the disturbing shot of the poor body-less man seeing himself in a big mirror for the first time.





The FX for this scene are eye-popping.




Abbie Cornish is excellent in the role of the gorgeous and loving wife who must deal with a husband who now has more in common with Robby than the man she married.





The sets and props are true works of art, something I look for in every science fiction movie — and feel cheated when I don't get it.





The debate about whether full-on robots are better than partially human robots is well presented. It's the core of the story, and if they'd screwed that up, the movie wouldn't have worked.

Up until the moment Gary Oldman's character is ordered by corporate boss Michael Keaton to modify Murphy's brain to make him a bit less human, the story was just a new-and-improved Six Million Dollar Man.

But when that disturbing modification is made and Oldman explains to Keaton that the computer is now making the combat decisions while it tricks Murphy's brain into thinking he is in control, the story is elevated to a higher and more interesting level.

I was also pleased by the way the characters frequently debated the issue of whether or not the public was willing to give robots the authority over human lives.

This is exactly what Klaatu's society did in The Day the Earth Stood Still, and I think that decision was a huge mistake. I'd love to see a remake that focuses on the troubles which the interstellar society was having because of this decision, along with its regrets about having robots like Gort take over the moral decisions the sentient beings should have to make.

* Ironic note: Years ago I pitched my ideas for a remake on the IMDB science fiction message board, and I suggested Morgan Freeman play professor Barnhardt and Samuel L. Jackson play Klaatu. Mr. Jackson plays the charismatic talk show host in Robocop who strongly supports the use of robots as policemen.

When the story allows Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) to walk into his house and see his wife and son for the first time since his conversion to Robocop, I knew the brain modifications which Oldman later performed on Murphy's brain would affect his feelings for his family.

And when Oldman decided to strip away the last of Murphy's humanity with high levels of chemicals (just before the press conference and Robocop's official unveiling) this movie locked itself solidly into the concept that made the original Robocop popular in the first place.

I was a little annoyed by the over-use of the "shaky cam". Applied at the right time and in the right manner, a hand-held camera gives a scene the look of reality, as if the cameraman was in danger, right along with the characters.

The fact that the story doesn't actually include a cameraman running around videoing what we see isn't important. The shaky camera makes the audience feel like there's someone right there with the characters, risking his life to show us what's happening.

Unfortunately Robocop's director wanted us to think there was a cameraman right there in far too many shots — like when Joel Kinnaman is making love to Abbie Cornish.

Other than that, this is a terrific movie. YouTube has several nice "making of" videos for the movie, including this one.

__________ Team RoboCop - Behind-The-Scenes


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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Still haven't watched this awesome, slam-bang, science fiction action thriller?

Maybe this will convince you!


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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IMDB has 38 trivia items for this movie, but only two of them were interesting. Here’s the two I found, in the blue text.
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~ Paul Verhoeven, the director of RoboCop (1987), was skeptical of the remake, saying that it was typical of the lack of fresh ideas in Hollywood. He was even less impressed by the finished movie, commenting that, just like Total Recall (2012) (another remake of one of his movies), it lacked the humor that made the original work so well.

Note from me: I'm not a big fan of the original (it's good, but not great), so this remake compares well to it in my opinion.

~ RoboCop having one human hand in his final form is a nod to RoboCop (1987), in which the technicians argue with Bob Morton about whether to salvage Murphy's arm after he was "killed" in the line of duty. In the original film, Morton callously nixes the idea, and the decision is made to remove Murphy's surviving arm.

Note from me: The original has some disturbing moments, like the gleeful blasting of Murphy by the gang of criminals. This movie is a little less grime.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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Here's a few more of the IMDB trivia items for this movie.
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~ In Raymond Sellars' (Michael Keaton's) office, in a display case, is a suit reminiscent of the RoboCop (1987) suit that Peter Weller wore.

Note from me: Despite Paul Verhoeven's disapproval of this remake, it appears that the director did have some respect for the original.

~ RoboCop having one human hand in his final form is a nod to RoboCop (1987), in which the technicians argue with Bob Morton about whether to salvage Murphy's arm after he was "killed" in the line of duty. In the original film, Morton callously nixes the idea, and the decision is made to remove Murphy's surviving arm

Note from me: Another example of this film's regard for the original.

~ The line "Dead or alive, you're coming with me." is said by Murphy in this movie and RoboCop (1987).

Note from me: Things like this and the use of the original films familiar music in the opening make this movie fun for fans of the original.

~ This is the first Hollywood film by Brazilian director José Padilha.

Note from me: Another IMDB trivia item states that Padilah's experience was very unpleasant because of the studio's interference.

~ Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp and Keanu Reeves were considered to play RoboCop

Note from me: Dream on, studio mguls! They'd never get any of the those high-profile actors to star in a movie that covered their faces!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)