Thoughts on Robocop

Things I Liked About Robocop

• The themes about the dehumanization/commodification of the individual at the hands of corporate interests. This is seen in a very literal way with the character of Murphy himself, obviously, but it’s just as true with everyone else in the movie– no one’s life is valued except for the executives at the very top of the pyramid.
• The character of Lewis. A total badass, highly ethical, attractive but not sexualized. All this from the female lead of an 80′s action movie?
• Kurtwood Smith. I admit, as a latecomer, I think of him as the Dad in “That 70′s Show.” What a fantastic villain, though.
• Peter Weller’s performance. As a puppeteer, I’m always impressed by good suit/movement work. Weller’s Robocop really gives you the sense that he’s a machine, without ever making it look silly. I especially love the way he turns his head, and then his body follows.
• The ambiguity regarding Robocop’s identity. Is he still Murphy, or just a robot with some bits of Murphy in him? Is there anything left of Murphy beside his face and brain? Is his whole brain even in there, or just parts of it? Not knowing makes the story much more interesting. It’s also great how Robocop never really recovers Murphy’s memories. A full recovery of Murphy’s identity would have made the character too tragic, and damaged his effectiveness as a hero.

Things I Didn’t Like about Robocop

• The ED-209. Phil Tippett’s “Imperial Walker” style of stop-motion has not aged well, and I say that as a fan of stop-motion. Also, the thing is laughable as a cop-replacement. All it does is shoot you after 20 seconds, and it can’t even navigate stairs.
• Kurtwood Smith’s gang- especially the comic relief black guy. A lot of things about this movie are atypical of the 80′s. This, sadly, is not one of them.
• That part where the one guy gets horribly mutated (instantly!) by toxic waste. All of a sudden it’s like we’re in a Troma film. Silly and unnecessary.