RoboCop (2014)

RoboCop (2014)

2014 PG-13 118 Minutes

Science Fiction | Action

In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Overseas, their drones have been used by the military for years, but have been forbidden...

Overall Rating

6 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • RoboCop is another remake which does not capture the original's charm. It's all too common now for every time to claim "oh yeah, remakes are never as good as the originals". Unfortunately, with additions like this, the argument is true. However, this is not as terrible as everyone may lead you to believe. In fact, I would say this was rather well crafted. Alex Murphy was just a cop doing his job, where a crime takes place involving him opening his car to a bomb detonation. Omnicorp, who desire a more human leading figure for their meticulously crafted robots, use Murphy's body (or what's left of it...) and put it into a robotic suit. Ladies and gentlemen, we now have ourselves...RoboCop. All those who have seen the original will say "all the graphic content has been washed away in this remake!". I've not seen the original, but from clips it was pretty hardcore and with focus on props rather than CGI. However, for what it's worth this is a fine film to introduce the eponymous character to a new generation. The visual effects used were well constructed and perfectly suited the environment, loved the constant use of Murphy's HUD so we can visualise what he sees. The production was clean, efficient and had a good clinical style. Gary Oldman was perfect as the conflicted pioneer in robotics. Michael Keaton was also decent for his role as the central antagonist. Joel Kinnaman takes a while to warm to, but by the end I thought his monotonous portrayal felt right. The characters themselves are underdeveloped due to the focus primarily being used on the ethical and moral implications of robotics and it's usage in national security. I would've liked a little more exploration in this topic as well. The main problem is how generic everything feels. The action, the characters, the plot...it's far too bland which prevents anything memorable from occurring. Sure it all looks good and is functional, yet all aspects were washed over. Jay Baruchel was odd casting as well. RoboCop is a serviceable remake, just can't quite settle on what it wants to be.