Robocop (1987) Appreciation Thread

[dl316bh]

There's a synth/electronica album I like themed around Robocop. Might as well bring it up.

https://protector101.bandcamp.com/al...deluxe-edition

It was better time for creativity in some ways. Yeah, censorship was abundant, but thanks to the absence of the social networks people at least were unable to critically rip shows to pieces, frame by frame.
No crazy fandoms sending death threats to creators and actors of the show, either.

That stuff still existed, it just came in the form of mail. I think people sifted through it sometimes before it got to crew, but not always. Either way, I don't know, I can't say I necessarily agree. I'd argue cartoons are the best they've been since the late 90's, early aughts at least, maybe ever at most. Way too many on right now that are high quality, though some really good ones have ended in the last couple years. I think it's Paul Dini who said "animation is like a pendulum".

It's a not bad movie, but not good either.

Certainly better than Robo 3, even if it's not a very high milestone and with some interesting ideas to boot.

You make it sound like it's worth one watch, at least, so I'll probably look into seeing it at some point.

I disagree that RoboCop is "absolutely satire". I think it was so successful because, thanks to the talent of Verhoven, the movie was able to dance on the fine line between being "over the top" and "reaslitic".
RoboCop 2 is much closer to the "absolute satire" and in many ways it had failed due to it.

Eh, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. Robocop is rife with it and I'd argue it's as much a social satire as it is an action/cyberpunk film. It's the way the news reports are filmed, the commercials (like artificial hearts created and operated by Yamaha), the privatization of absolutely everything, including police, the rich corporation deciding to level Detroit and make its own city it owns, displacing the poor, the literalization of "blood in the boardroom", the very nature of brutal, murderous robots replacing law enforcement bringing police brutality and their attitudes to their logical extreme.

It's very much a story about what makes a human and holding on to those things in a satirical, cyberpunk setting. Satire's also what Verhoeven likes to do. It was what attracted him to the project to begin with. He'd initially thrown the script in the garbage and would have passed until his wife read it and told him to take another look.

It does a great job of toeing the line, though, I agree. I just think it definitely qualifies as satire. It's just that the satire isn't extended to the personal journey of Robo himself. It's in the world that surrounds him.

Robocop 2 definitely ratcheted it up, though, and dispenses with what little subtlety there had been before, though, no question. Whether that was a good move or a bad one is up to each individual person. I did enjoy how the film knew exactly what it was and was in on the joke, though. That entire sequence with the early Robocop 2 prototypes is darkly humorous and might as well have had someone turn and wink at the camera, like "yeah, we know, sequels, but we get it, just strap in and come along with us on the ride".