The original Robocop is perfect and I love it - find out why in Episode 2 of Why I Love... JOIN ME ON PATREON: / danmurrell FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: / murrelldan
My stepdad took me to this film when I was a kid in the 80s. I loved every minute of it, and on the way home he was laughing in the car.."We better not tell your mom what you saw today". Not only was this a great film but a bonding moment between my stepdad.
A great movie - too bad that everything coming afterwards has absolutely sucked. The so-called sequels, the comics, the TV series (live-action and animated) are all garbage. GARBAGE. Unrecyclable garbage. What should have come afterwards? More emphasis on RoboCop's humanity. This video mentions the lack of romance between Anne Lewis and Murphy/Robo. However, the sequel should have had some romance - between Robo and another woman. She's a technician at OCP, who goes along with RoboCop being a machine, but little by little she realizes there is humanity within the hardware. She secretly meets with him and helps draw out his human side. Eventually they become lovers. This being such a dark series, though, something horrible has to happen to her, which will prove for once and all that RoboCop is indeed human, all too human. More machine fights? Robo's sweetheart can be the one to go toe-to-toe with whatever ED-209's successor is. She uses some heavy equipment, maybe a backhoe or heavy-duty forklift, to battle the mechanical menace, and though she wins the duel she is terribly mangled. Does she live? Does OCP rebuild her?
This story and movie is so multi dimensional 1) satire at its best 2) incredible acting 3) incredible characters 4) appeals to the inner geek 5) appeals to the inner kid who loves gory movies 6) it’s for those who want to think deeply about movies 7) it’s for those who don’t want to think deeply about movies It’s so underrated and original!
Too bad the sequels were pure garbage. The emphasis should have been on Robocop regaining more of his humanity. And there should have been some romance - not between him and Anne Lewis, but between him and somebody who works at OCP - maybe a background character who appeared in the first film, somebody who is seen only once or twice. She eventually realizes there is a human soul within the hardware, and encourages him to stand up for himself. She also uses her computer skills to help Robo/Murphy stay a jump or two ahead of the OCP ratbags. And because of the milieu, she will have to face extreme danger - and demonstrate her willingness to sacrifice herself--
"They'll fix you..." "They fix everything..." one of my favorite lines in the film, and one that could easily come off as ironic were it not for Weller's delivery, somewhat lamenting the manner in which Murphy himself was "fixed".
I love the delivery of this line, too. You can hear a kind of defeat in his voice ... like fixing everything isn't necessarily a good thing. He's still not sure who (what) he is at this point, and he's worried about Lewis becoming like him. I think this is what makes the final scene -- "What's your name? -- so powerful.
@@Tim_the_Enchanter - There's a deleted scene showing Lewis recovering in hospital, the implication being that before taking on ED-209 and Dick Jones, Murphy's first priority was to get her to the ER before she was too far gone to save (and possibly have to go through what he went through).
Ahhh dude the “DUFF DUFF DUFF” thudding sounds! As a kid me and my mates used to pretend to be Robocop we’d move like him making the sounds as we walked! 😂 good times indeed!
One thing I wanted to add about Clarence's character is his glasses. They're unstylish, and the last thing you'd expect to see on a villain as ferocious as Clarence. In lesser hands, Clarence would have probably been portrayed physically as a brute, but Kurtwood Smith's bespectacled, middle aged, balding bad guy brings a sense of believably and normality to his character. I've also read in interviews with Verhoeven that he actually thought Kurtwood's glasses added a sense of banal evil to his character, because the glasses reminded Verhoeven, who is Dutch, of Himmler's glasses. So, the glasses were also a personal touch for Verhoeven in what he associates "evil" with.
A short-sighted criminal in a Hollywood blockbuster!? I wouldn't buy that for a dollar! But Verhoeven insisted on the look and I'm glad in the end he had his way. Ruthless, hot-headed but also intelligent and with leadership skills. Although he based Bodicker partly on Himmler I read he never said that to Smith while shooting so that he would construct his own character, without influencing him too much.
Not to forget he was (compared to some cast members) shorter, more balding and lesser built. Not your average Hollywood lead in many ways. He wasn't a "sexy" bad guy in any way (Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man for example). Boddeker was VERY real in that sense. Add to that the talent...
@@ElDerpy Even creepier is Clarence looks like a normal guy. Many people can pass for ordinary Joes and Janes, yet they commit unspeakable acts of cruelty in secret. Most often, it is against their own family. The majority of abuse victims know their abusers.
Thing is that makes him realistic, look at most serial killers to top ten most wanted in your city or across the country and not all fit the look or one would think...I mean look at 5 6 Pablo Escobar
@@Ometecuhtli - I recently saw a video where Clarence's intelligence was discussed, and apparently that was very much the intent. The usual trope would have Dick Jones hiring a gang of thugs as muscle; Clarence completely subverts that - he's a vicious, amoral sociopath, but he's neither a stereotypical "thug" nor an unstable psychopath with delusions of grandeur. He's not only sane, intelligent and methodical - he's also made a conscious decision to be the way he is and takes pleasure in it - that's what makes him so dangerous and frightening. Cain in the sequel feels like a cartoon character by comparison.
I don't remember another movie that in the last word spoken shows the final step the hero does to complete his journey, the way he says his name is "Murphy" brings Robocop to a full circle in his quest to regain his humanity. Genius.
Right before that is my favorite moment of the film, when she holds up a mirror to him. It's not even the pathos of him seeing his true self, but in the fact that she still knew him well enough to know that it's what he needed, but couldn't connect to him any more deeply than that. It's true, brilliant tragedy.
I was already heartbroken from the scene where Robocop revisits Murphy's home, "paradise lost" as Verhoeven called it, so that line wasn't that powerful to me until I became an adult. Just one line... I probably agree, as a monologue the time when the young woman in gremlins is explaining why she hates christmas was the saddest to me.
Think of it like a dream. It's common to wake up and be able to feel that you dreamt something and know what emotions it generated in you but not be able to recall any specifics. That's always how I've taken it.
Just as long as they forget the "sequels," the "remake," and everything else that has come since. Nothing captures the spirit of the original movie - or continues the story properly.
The anticipation of seeing him was huge the sneak peek on the tv then the back view while hearing the thud thud of his walk … masterpiece. A work of art… genius
I remember vividly, as a teenage girl, loving the fact that there was no stupid romance plot with Robocop and his partner. And she was important to the story too! Seeing who it was behind the mask, helping him fight against his programming. To just see a female character be her own person, and competent without it being made into a big thing and commented upon by every other character, or being over sexualized for the (male) viewer. Ripley, Connor and Lewis. That was pretty much it for us Gen X:ers.
Dirg I think guilt is part of reason. They were partners and supposed to guard each other's back. Might have felt guilt for not being there when he got gun down. That's why I think she stick till the end, my take of why she "wanted to be with him"
@@dirgramsey6132 Wow, how long did you have to sit and think about that? I hope you didn't get a nosebleed or have to take days off from your job as the village idiot to dig that formulate that comment. I can't wait to see what you come up with next!
you missed Vasquez in Aliens, but that already had Ripley... Only other female lead without a romantic relationship I can think of is Savek from Star Trek. Connor had a romantic relationship and a nude sex scene in Terminator though.
I just want to point out that Alice, main character of the Resident Evil movies, is also like this: brave, competent, and not relegated to the role of romantic appendage.
scarsunseen24 it’s rapidly becoming clear to me how much I love this movie too. It makes me very curious about Verhooven’s pre English language stuff from before he came to America.
Robocop and Starship Troopers are basically twin films. In my mind they will always be a double feature and essentially occupy the same universe for me. Same Director Same Writer Same Composer Same Director of Photography Same Aspect Ratio The films even share common members of the VFX team in Phil Tippett and Craig Hayes.
@@U2QuoZepplin A good place to start would be his break out debut in the Netherlands 'Soldier of Orange' based on a true WWII story starring Rutger Hauer. www.imdb.com/title/tt0076734/
I just watched this movie for the first time at 30 years old…one of the best movies I’ve seen. Also seen the 2014 version and it definitely pales in comparison to the 1987 version. Paul Verhoeven is such a visionary filmmaker.
The effect that baffles me to this day is robocop without the visor, I to this day cannot see where wellers face stops and the prosthetics begins.. Even the metal back of his head, I can't see where the real back of his head would fit.. It has to be one of the best makeup jobs of all time
That's because in the 1980s, before CGI, things were done for real, Peter Weller was actually physically transplanted into a cyborg, it was the only day to provide realism and hence why it looks so real!
They did a good job, but...yes you can see how his head can fit under there, you can see the makeup skin poofing out to blend in with the 'mechanical' bits.
One thing I love about the movie is the detail of his voice. When he is first turned into robocop he has a more robotic voice and over the course of the movie as he gains his humanity back it becomes less robotic and more Murphy until there is no more roboticness to his voice
And then they destroyed that entire development in RoboCop 2. Which is basically why so far as I'm concerned, the 1st RoboCop is the only film in the series that matters. The less said about RoboCop 3, the better...
I REMEMBER ASKING MY MOTHER TO GET ME THIS FOR CHRISTMAS WHEN I WAS 7 YRS OLD, SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE 18 CERTIFICATE RATING WAS AND WE WATCHED IT ON XMAS MORNING. HER FACE WAS A PICTURE. CERTAINLY A CHRISTMAS I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER :-)
I remember watching it on VHS with my parents at my uncle's house when I was five. The movie scarred me for sure with how violent Murphy's death was and the acid bath. It was my first time seeing boobs too, haha. I remember asking my parents why that guy in the police locker room had a saggy chest.
The gun spin was a brilliant little bit of story telling to give a glimpse into the kind of father Murphy was. Side note: I can quote that movie verbatim.
My brother and I have been quoting each other lines from the movie for years. Every few months we'll start a texting chain out of the blue. It's our favorite movie of all time .
I was only a kid when Robocop came out and back then we rented VHS tapes from the local shop :) I was in there 2 times a week renting and returning films and there was about 7-10 copies of Robocop but they were always out it so popular! I was gutted each time I looked all the boxes had the “out for rental sticker on” :( then 1 day I saw 1 single box saying “ in stock”! I was chuffed and so I finally got to see it! I watched it 3 times in the 24 hrs I had it and cus the store owner knew I loved the film so much he gave me the life size cardboard cut out of Robocop standing by his car! :) i had it in my bedroom and my friends were jealous, Lol, so I always remember that time when I see Robocop it brings the memories back, good times. 😁.
@@markwheeler4245 no offense to your fond memories of course. When i saw Robocop the first time my mum got it for my 14th birthday cause i was into Cyborgs, Transformers all that stuff and we watched it together alltough she regreted it afterwards due to the gore but also said it was a good film with a deep plot
When I was 7 years old and first saw the trailer I knew I would instantly love Robocop. When my mother and father took me to see it I never knew what obsession was or just how much I was gonna love it. From drawings magazines comic books cartoons videogames, toys galore I had it all from the Robocop franchise. When it came out on VHS I immediately had to have it and it's what made us get a VCR in the first place. It was the first movie I intentionally watched over 100 times and became my favorite movie of my youth right next to Jaws. Still to this day Robocop is just one of the greatest movies ever made to me.
Yep. Some of us who were kids/young teenagers in the 80's were definitely scarred for life. Also, the way parents just let us run wild without a care in the world, wtf. I'm surprised I came out of that decade alive, lol 😁
@@anneblubaugh58 What? Murphy gets his limbs blown off, a bad guy gets melted in nuclear waste, the company guy gets shot to pieces by the giant robot, etc. But a sex scene was not okay to watch? Okaaaay 😁
I showed this movie to my fairly moderate Catholic family at grandma’s house, with all my aunts and uncles over for a Sunday dinner. While there were moments that bothered them (co-ed changing room) (brutal boardroom “glitch”) (Lewis: “sorry chief, I f@cked up”. my uncle: “no way. Never” 😂😭), they all loved the movie, because it’s a great movie at its core. It’s kind of sad when I mention it as one of my favorite films, people’s reactions are automatically “oh you’re into those kinds of movies...” but the few that are willing to watch it always come back to me surprised and with high praise. It should’ve stayed a stand-alone film. On a side note, the 2014 film was an interesting take on the concept, I enjoyed it for what it was, but it was another completely unnecessary remake of a much better film it could never hope to beat.
Frank Miller, the comic book guy wrote the second or third movie but it was changed by the movie process where they constantly change scripts. It would be interesting if that script was bought off and made into comic book. The original script was probably good. The concept could've had good sequels. I can't see why not. The people in charge seemed to be the problem. Verhoven probably had nothing to do with them as well.
@@MicahMicahel I heard they made a comic out of his original script and it’s actually worse than what became Robocop 2, just super cheesy and not taken seriously like the first. I know people like to think the creators are always great and that studios ruin everything, but I think this time it was the other way around…. :/ But I agree, the story could’ve had great sequels. The tv shows were goofy but had some good ideas. In the world of reboots and late late sequels, I could see a great sequel being made now. With an aged Murphy.
I think the movie is perfect because it really sticks to its concept from the beginning to the end and even though it seems cheesy as the production values are not the best or sophisticated, the movie takes itself very seriously and delivers a very emphatic narrative. A definitive classic. And I think its a testimony to this movie's brilliance that several sequels and reboots were tried but none come close the original like Die Hard.
I mean it's...., it's NOT. Dan even acknowledges that some of the practical effects are somewhat LESS than perfect. Even the most diehard Robocop fan has to admit that a lot of the ED-209 stuff, plus Ronny Cox's weird long arms, look REALLY bad. That's not to say it isn't a GREAT movie, because it IS. Robocop is a FANTASTIC movie, just not a PERFECT one. The perfect movie doesn't exist, they all have their own unique flaws, and that's okay. I mean look at it this way: I first saw Robocop around 1990 and I was absolutely blown away by the special effects and visuals. On the other hand, a guy I work with (who is 24) first saw Robocop a couple of years ago and he said he literally laughed out loud at ED-209s weird stop motion jerkiness (he didn't find Ed remotely threatening as an opponent for Murphy) and that godawful Ronny Cox/Slenderman hybrid they used for Dick's death scene. Anyone who claims those effects hold up is looking through some monumentally thick rose-tinted glasses. Again, in almost every other area Robocop is practically flawless. It's just not perfect.
@@LoganBluth I actually really like the stop motion Harryhausen esque movement of ED 209. Though it's not very intimidating, it has a certain charm to it which I think holds up
Carlos Rivas That’s great, you have every right to prefer practical effects to CGI. But the fact remains that a lot of people think many of the practical effects in this movie look hokey at best and laughable at worst (Dan even admits as much in the video), which means the movie is objectively NOT perfect. It’s amazing, fantastic, essential, groundbreaking, unbelievably influential, and a host of other superlatives. Isn’t that enough...? There’s no need to resort to hyperbole and claim it has ZERO flaws. :)
My Big Brother took me to see Robocop back in ‘87 & we were both blown away. When the movie ended the entire audience applauded. One of the best movies ever made! I freakin love it! Awesome spot on video!
Boddicker was actually likeable as a villian as he was so light hearted as a mass murderer and criminal and so quick to think and always has the upper hand.
When I was a kid in the eighties me and my buddies would go to the video store every weekend. Unless there was something new and amazing we’d just rent Robocop over and over and it never got boring. That theme tune is seared into my mind.
Actually the decay started in the 1950's, the city was based around car manufacturing and yet this was the era that shipping containers became standardizes and outsourcing slowly began. Blacks moved in because of falling property values, not as a cause, real-estate agents took advantage of racial animus then and encouraged white flight but this was not the initial cause.
Things that made this movie epic, no particular order: Poledouris' music especially as Murphy is wheeled into hospital. The decision to spend a huge chunk of budget on the Robo suit. Verhoeven's 'outsider' perspective enabling the satire to cut deep, and the Hollywood tropes to lay low. The casting director doing an amazing job in general, but especially landing Weller and Smith. Peter Weller not only taking a role seriously where the motivation is: "You are a robot, your personality is a dead man, you wear a mask and can only emote with your mouth.", but also nailing the performance. Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Ronny Cox, Dan O'Herlihy and Nancy Allen superb supporting performances. A script so tightly wound that there are barely any throwaway lines. A clever, unique and intriguing take on the 'Frankenstein' theme by the writers.
Without Paul Verhoevan the film probably would have been a disaster or a silly cult film at best. This film actually gets better and better as time goes by.
It like when Dan mention the alleyway scene I think of that dick-shot even though had not watch it in many years. To a guy it's really memorable. 2014 remake had nothing like that
@@seanc9520 Robocop 2014 does have ONE fantastic scene. When Murphy asks to see what's been done to him, then has a complete existential breakdown when confronted with just how little is actually left of himself and asks Norton to just kill him. It's really brilliantly acted between Gary Oldman and Joel Kinnaman, especially Kinnaman since he literally only has his face and his voice with which to convey everything. Other than that the remake is horribly bland and average, but that one scene REALLY blew me away.
For me Robocop was always about a man being stripped of his humanity, and as a cyborg trying to find how much he had left. The part in the original where Murphy says he can feel his family, but he can't remember them, that's great stuff! I hate how in the remake he is essentially the same guy, same consciousness in a super suite. Yeah it's shocking he only has his head, lungs and a hand, but he's the exact same person. It's even looking like his wife is accepting of the changes. So weak compared to Robocop 1987 walking through an empty house having visions about the family he lost. The remake is such a betrayal to the things that made the original a masterpiece.
I remember going to Costco with my folks, who are no longer with us, and my mum buying RoboCop on VHS for me when it was first released. It still remains one of my favorite flicks. This was a fun video, thanks for it.
One of my all-time favourite films, genuinely flawless execution of a fantastic set of ideas. Of all of the spectacular practical effects, I think Murphy's unmasked face (while a little more low-key) might actually be my favourite. It holds up so well, and it's a perfect balance of human and horrifying, without going too far in either direction to make it distracting. Among the many, many mistakes of the remake, I think leaving Joel Kinnaman's face more or less completely normal was one of the worst from a design perspective. Made him look far too much like just a regular guy wearing a big armoured suit.
Completely agree. In the original Murphy looked pretty horrifical. He looked like a scifi Frankenstein monster. It was perfect! Those scenes where he is looking at his reflection in the glass. He looks terrible, but at the same time Louis tells him it's good to see him again. And the top notch makeup / effects add so much to the scene. Great film making! I feel like the remake is just trying to make him look cool. I hate that. Yeah they tried to shock us showing he was just a head, lungs and one hand, but I think losing your mind / humanity is much more impactful.
@@williamcronshaw5262 Great point. His face would look like Freddy Kruger. I think shooting him looked so much more brutal, and personal in regards to the guys standing there pulling the trigger and laughing.
You just reminded me of the campaign to get a Robes statue put up in Detroit. Its happening, bro. www.popularmechanics.com/culture/a30521657/robocop-statue-detroit/
Everyone made fun of me because "I'm a nerd and RoboCop is my favorite movie". But now that RoboCop is in Mortal Kombat 11, a game that all the "cool kids" *cough cough* play in my school everyone is asking me about it.
It's Verhoeven's Hollywood masterpiece. Basic Instinct is his underappreciated psychological meta thriller, Starship Troopers his great sci-fi satire but Robocop mixes satire, political commentary and religious metaphor in a tight, funny, shocking and massively entertaining action film that delivers equally and is equally satisfying in all of them. For me Verhoeven is the unsung Hollywood director who should be in the same conversation as Cameron, but far more interesting in what he brought to the big budget genre picture. Good call.
I've seen RoboCop, RoboCop 2 and 3. I own a Bluray copy of the 2014 remake and I actually enjoyed it, I don't understand the hate for the 2014 version. I'm 37 and I grew up watching these movies just like I grew up watching Michael Keaton in Batman, Sam Jackson in Pulp Fiction and Gary Oldman in The Professional. All 5 Star actors in my book who all brought it in this movie. 2014 RoboCop looked sleek, tactical in black and very menacing with that red beam of light across the helmet, not to mention that the 2014 RC can RUN. Something the original couldn't do. The Cgi was great, Joel Kinnaman was just as good as Peter Weller and Sam Jackson and his "hair" both was great. The only thing this movie was missing was the R rating, B+ movie if you ask me!
7 year old me was not ready to see someone wearing a bullet proof vest shot one hundred times, have his arm blown off and shot in the head. That's still one of the most brutal scenes of all time! Love this movie though
This is the movie answer when someone asks me "What is the best movie in the world". I remember when i was watching it as a kid. Now i feel both nostalgic and proud when i watch it.
the scene where in the station floor that hobo is saying the first two lines and the desk Sargent tells him to shut uo and robo brings in Bodicker for booking
I remember I was pretty scared to see it cause I thought it was going to be super gory. Turns out it was freakin awesome! The reason why the first one worked so well was because it had the perfect mix of comic book crazy with just the right touch of reality.
To be honest the "Orion" logo was iconic for me too. Of course when I was seven I thought it was pronounced "oreeon", because I had no clue it was named after a constilation.
Great breakdown. Strangely, Robocop has never been my "favorite" movie, but I've always thought of it as "perfect." Every sequence is super iconic to me.
It's odd for me I often forget it when trying to list favorites, but when I think of it, it definitely is one. I agree about its perfection. Either theatrical or director's cuts, there's not a wasted movement.
IantheDugan I believe I follow a similar line of thinking as you, except I don't consider it perfect. Admittedly, I haven't seen it since the early 90's but I also have no desire too. It's never been my favourite either and won't be on any 'top' lists if I did them but there's no denying what it is. It's a great, classic movie of it's time, that takes all those 80's action movie tropes, invents a few more, throws them all in to a pile, adds a little heart and somehow comes out standing tall.
I like and admire Robocop, but yes, I can't quite love it. Something about its look and sound puts me off. Total Recall was made only a few years later, but seems much sleeker and better executed to me.
@@ThreadBomb Well big difference there. Total Recall had a $65 million budget to Robocop's $14. And you know the studio was making sure the Arnold project had everything It needed.
I tried to tell my friend who had never seen Robocop what a classic film it is. I told him about the insane stylized violence, the unreal practical FX, the A grade casting, the baddest baddies that ever appeared on screen. I told him about the story. The raw human emotion, the epic loss, the depiction of a our possible future...a story about Detroit! He was still unconvinced...so i blasted his hand off.
As always... thank youror the quality content, mr. Murrell. Your insights into the movies are always thoughtful and the videos are always pleasantly edited and written.
It would come on a lot on HBO when i was a kid. I really enjoyed the movie even after the 2nd time. Also Arnold and Van Dam.. Action movies in 80s and 90s were pretty good.
Robocop is one of the best movies ever and great character story telling. I wish they continued the story telling of Murphy finding his human form in the 2nd one. "Murphy." I still smile every time I hear that at the end and hearing the theme. Long live RoboCop. "Dead or alive, your coming with me."😎
I just coincidentally finished watching all 3 of these plus the remake. Peter Weller really makes robocop for me, he's the perfect balance of machine and man a feat neither of the other men who play robocop really achieve.
I always remember an interview with the lead from the remake talking about how happy he was that the mask was removable so he could have an easier time emoting. on the other hand, Peter Weller went to Mime school to learn how to emote just through movement. now there is a real actor.
Honestly the best review of original Robocop I've *ever* read/watched, and on point with every item. If I absolutely *HAD* to pick my fave 80's movie, it would come down to Terminator vs Robocop, and I don't honestly think I could choose. Original Terminator is epic, fairly dark , Robocop is a different kind of grim, love the satire, the effects, the music, everything ! Both films I own multiple copies of on various formats. I have actively avoided watching the reboot/remake ot Robocop, as I know I'm fairly likely to get in a rage early on ! Well done ,great review!
"Guns guns guns" is one of my favourite movie lines ever, up there with "you, you can run, but you can't hide". But, watching this again reminds me how much overlap there was between Robocop and Judge Dress (the comic, not the movies)
Or if the movie was made today the scene where robo shoots through the dress and hits the guy in the nuts well today there is a good chance that the dude looks like a lady
Aw man, I remember my best friend and I becoming interested in movies as teens and we would watch Robocop and from Dusk till Dawn on repeat - simpler times ❤
Great analysis. This is one of my favorite movies, there are a ton of lectures in this movie that I missed back in the day when I was a child. Thank you for this video!
ABSOLUTELY!!!!! HE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIE COMPOSERS EVER!!!!! YOU ALWAY KNOW WHEN YOU HEAR A POLEDOURIS SCORE!!!! INCREDIBLY UNIQUE, UNLIKE MOST COMPOSERS TODAY!!!!!!
This and Predator, BOTH released in 1987, are the EPITOME of 80s genre action films. I always link the two together in my mind. And then I ALSO consider Robocop and Starship Troopers to be companion pieces to one another to an even greater degree. Same Director, Same Writer, Same Composer, Same Director of Photography, Same Aspect Ratio, and Same "newsbreak" structural style. Gosh...that's a hell of a triple feature, Predator, Robocop, Starship Troopers.
Clarence Boddicker to this day is still one of the most realistic, sadistic, ruthless villains ever put on screen. The realistic part is important. I never doubt for a second this character's capacity for violence. Smith knocked it out the park. And i love that he's a Tigers fan. I can just see him at a game with his glove in his lap, wearing one of those giant foam hands, and munching on a hot dog.
Развлечения
My stepdad took me to this film when I was a kid in the 80s. I loved every minute of it, and on the way home he was laughing in the car.."We better not tell your mom what you saw today". Not only was this a great film but a bonding moment between my stepdad.
what happen between him and your mom after? they are still together?
Hooah. Me it was with lethal weapon 2 and or total recall
I wish my step dad was like this
A great movie - too bad that everything coming afterwards has absolutely sucked. The so-called sequels, the comics, the TV series (live-action and animated) are all garbage. GARBAGE. Unrecyclable garbage.
What should have come afterwards? More emphasis on RoboCop's humanity. This video mentions the lack of romance between Anne Lewis and Murphy/Robo. However, the sequel should have had some romance - between Robo and another woman. She's a technician at OCP, who goes along with RoboCop being a machine, but little by little she realizes there is humanity within the hardware. She secretly meets with him and helps draw out his human side. Eventually they become lovers. This being such a dark series, though, something horrible has to happen to her, which will prove for once and all that RoboCop is indeed human, all too human. More machine fights? Robo's sweetheart can be the one to go toe-to-toe with whatever ED-209's successor is. She uses some heavy equipment, maybe a backhoe or heavy-duty forklift, to battle the mechanical menace, and though she wins the duel she is terribly mangled. Does she live? Does OCP rebuild her?
@@freyathewanderer6359 what are you talking about? Robocop 2 is great.
This story and movie is so multi dimensional
1) satire at its best
2) incredible acting
3) incredible characters
4) appeals to the inner geek
5) appeals to the inner kid who loves gory movies
6) it’s for those who want to think deeply about movies
7) it’s for those who don’t want to think deeply about movies
It’s so underrated and original!
Too bad the sequels were pure garbage. The emphasis should have been on Robocop regaining more of his humanity. And there should have been some romance - not between him and Anne Lewis, but between him and somebody who works at OCP - maybe a background character who appeared in the first film, somebody who is seen only once or twice. She eventually realizes there is a human soul within the hardware, and encourages him to stand up for himself. She also uses her computer skills to help Robo/Murphy stay a jump or two ahead of the OCP ratbags. And because of the milieu, she will have to face extreme danger - and demonstrate her willingness to sacrifice herself--
16. Lewis. A character just as powerful and brave as Murphy.
17. The film's portrayal of Detroit. The uncredited character.
The music in Robocop is one of the best themes in history of the movies.
in my opinion robocop and starship trooper 's music are equally best
You're close, second only to Conan, but the same composer.
Yes. It's absolutely one of the best soundtracks in all movies. It's a catchy battle like tune.
Yes, Basil Poledouris kicked so much ass!
That theme! Epic!
"They'll fix you..."
"They fix everything..."
one of my favorite lines in the film, and one that could easily come off as ironic were it not for Weller's delivery, somewhat lamenting the manner in which Murphy himself was "fixed".
I love the delivery of this line, too. You can hear a kind of defeat in his voice ... like fixing everything isn't necessarily a good thing. He's still not sure who (what) he is at this point, and he's worried about Lewis becoming like him. I think this is what makes the final scene -- "What's your name? -- so powerful.
@@Tim_the_Enchanter - There's a deleted scene showing Lewis recovering in hospital, the implication being that before taking on ED-209 and Dick Jones, Murphy's first priority was to get her to the ER before she was too far gone to save (and possibly have to go through what he went through).
The sound of Robocop's and ED209's walk is something I'll never forget.
yeah, as a kid i'd walk around the house like RoboCop imitating the sound to a point my old man got fed up with it.
Ahhh dude the “DUFF DUFF DUFF” thudding sounds! As a kid me and my mates used to pretend to be Robocop we’d move like him making the sounds as we walked! 😂 good times indeed!
@@Betoni Mortal Kombat 11 got ED-209 in the game
ED's growling and squealing pig are unforgettable as well. It growling always scared me as a kid.
What an awesome sound. Also how about that voice..."you have ten seconds to comply."
One thing I wanted to add about Clarence's character is his glasses. They're unstylish, and the last thing you'd expect to see on a villain as ferocious as Clarence. In lesser hands, Clarence would have probably been portrayed physically as a brute, but Kurtwood Smith's bespectacled, middle aged, balding bad guy brings a sense of believably and normality to his character. I've also read in interviews with Verhoeven that he actually thought Kurtwood's glasses added a sense of banal evil to his character, because the glasses reminded Verhoeven, who is Dutch, of Himmler's glasses. So, the glasses were also a personal touch for Verhoeven in what he associates "evil" with.
A short-sighted criminal in a Hollywood blockbuster!? I wouldn't buy that for a dollar! But Verhoeven insisted on the look and I'm glad in the end he had his way. Ruthless, hot-headed but also intelligent and with leadership skills. Although he based Bodicker partly on Himmler I read he never said that to Smith while shooting so that he would construct his own character, without influencing him too much.
Not to forget he was (compared to some cast members) shorter, more balding and lesser built. Not your average Hollywood lead in many ways.
He wasn't a "sexy" bad guy in any way (Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man for example).
Boddeker was VERY real in that sense.
Add to that the talent...
@@ElDerpy Even creepier is Clarence looks like a normal guy. Many people can pass for ordinary Joes and Janes, yet they commit unspeakable acts of cruelty in secret. Most often, it is against their own family. The majority of abuse victims know their abusers.
Thing is that makes him realistic, look at most serial killers to top ten most wanted in your city or across the country and not all fit the look or one would think...I mean look at 5 6 Pablo Escobar
@@Ometecuhtli - I recently saw a video where Clarence's intelligence was discussed, and apparently that was very much the intent. The usual trope would have Dick Jones hiring a gang of thugs as muscle; Clarence completely subverts that - he's a vicious, amoral sociopath, but he's neither a stereotypical "thug" nor an unstable psychopath with delusions of grandeur. He's not only sane, intelligent and methodical - he's also made a conscious decision to be the way he is and takes pleasure in it - that's what makes him so dangerous and frightening. Cain in the sequel feels like a cartoon character by comparison.
I don't remember another movie that in the last word spoken shows the final step the hero does to complete his journey, the way he says his name is "Murphy" brings Robocop to a full circle in his quest to regain his humanity. Genius.
"I can feel them...but I can't remember them..."
Possibly the most heartbreaking movie line of the 1980s
Right before that is my favorite moment of the film, when she holds up a mirror to him. It's not even the pathos of him seeing his true self, but in the fact that she still knew him well enough to know that it's what he needed, but couldn't connect to him any more deeply than that. It's true, brilliant tragedy.
I always felt like it was backwards though.
I was already heartbroken from the scene where Robocop revisits Murphy's home, "paradise lost" as Verhoeven called it, so that line wasn't that powerful to me until I became an adult. Just one line... I probably agree, as a monologue the time when the young woman in gremlins is explaining why she hates christmas was the saddest to me.
I always felt it should be inverted, he clearly has memories of them, but he is a machine now, he can't feel them anymore.
Think of it like a dream. It's common to wake up and be able to feel that you dreamt something and know what emotions it generated in you but not be able to recall any specifics. That's always how I've taken it.
The final line, "Murphy", got a huge cheer in the theater.
Mooie Naam :) Gotta love some Paul Verhoeven
That reaction shows what a perfect movie it is.
Then they made him all robotic again in the beginning of part 2. Wasting a great payoff.
@@sdot6939 Agreed.
Why do American’s cheer in theatres? Makes me cringe.
This movie blew my mind when it came out. Man, the music still gives me that good ol nostalgia feeling.
There will never be another ROBOCOP.
..tell your 'spin team'...
We can only hope…
Damn. To this day the theme gives me goosebumps. Every. Single. Time.
Isn't that the same song they used in Conan?
The original Robocop trailer used the Terminator theme... they were both distributed by Orion. The robo music wasn’t ready on time apparently.
Worth the wait, though.
Iconic.
@@cozyflashback9210 I wish it had been, it's much better, even though I like the Terminator theme plenty to this day
A classic... yet still somehow one of the most underrated movies of all time.
For real!!!
I wouldn't call it under rated. I have yet to meet a single person that's disliked it.
It’s not underrated at all. Everyone loves this movie
Overlooked is the word you’re looking for
just because it a dum movie don't mean it was bad....
They’ll still be talking about this movie a 100 yrs from now. One of the greatest Sci-Fi films ever made.
The Blu-ray is sick
Just as long as they forget the "sequels," the "remake," and everything else that has come since. Nothing captures the spirit of the original movie - or continues the story properly.
The entire movie is a masterpiece. Robocop's entrance sequence itself is a work in film mastery and it is done through understatement and implication.
The anticipation of seeing him was huge the sneak peek on the tv then the back view while hearing the thud thud of his walk … masterpiece. A work of art… genius
The dislikes are from the members of the OCP corporate executives.
I'm just here to applaud your icon
#ChiefsKingdom
“I’d buy that for a dollar!”
😁😁😁😁
and from the dirty commies from the East...
OCP runs the cops
I remember vividly, as a teenage girl, loving the fact that there was no stupid romance plot with Robocop and his partner. And she was important to the story too! Seeing who it was behind the mask, helping him fight against his programming. To just see a female character be her own person, and competent without it being made into a big thing and commented upon by every other character, or being over sexualized for the (male) viewer. Ripley, Connor and Lewis. That was pretty much it for us Gen X:ers.
MariaVosa there was no romance because he didn’t have a dick. She wanted to be with him though.
Dirg I think guilt is part of reason. They were partners and supposed to guard each other's back. Might have felt guilt for not being there when he got gun down. That's why I think she stick till the end, my take of why she "wanted to be with him"
@@dirgramsey6132 Wow, how long did you have to sit and think about that? I hope you didn't get a nosebleed or have to take days off from your job as the village idiot to dig that formulate that comment. I can't wait to see what you come up with next!
you missed Vasquez in Aliens, but that already had Ripley... Only other female lead without a romantic relationship I can think of is Savek from Star Trek. Connor had a romantic relationship and a nude sex scene in Terminator though.
I just want to point out that Alice, main character of the Resident Evil movies, is also like this: brave, competent, and not relegated to the role of romantic appendage.
One of my favorite movies EVER, as well as Starship Troopers and Total ReCall (all Verhoeven)
scarsunseen24 it’s rapidly becoming clear to me how much I love this movie too. It makes me very curious about Verhooven’s pre English language stuff from before he came to America.
Robocop and Starship Troopers are basically twin films. In my mind they will always be a double feature and essentially occupy the same universe for me.
Same Director
Same Writer
Same Composer
Same Director of Photography
Same Aspect Ratio
The films even share common members of the VFX team in Phil Tippett and Craig Hayes.
@@ChrisPeteG both are dystopias and satire of fascism and state run media
@@U2QuoZepplin A good place to start would be his break out debut in the Netherlands 'Soldier of Orange' based on a true WWII story starring Rutger Hauer. www.imdb.com/title/tt0076734/
@@U2QuoZepplin he’s doing films in Europe now too, mostly in France, Elle is an awesome film and it’s guaranteed you’d like Black Book as well
I just watched this movie for the first time at 30 years old…one of the best movies I’ve seen. Also seen the 2014 version and it definitely pales in comparison to the 1987 version. Paul Verhoeven is such a visionary filmmaker.
The effect that baffles me to this day is robocop without the visor, I to this day cannot see where wellers face stops and the prosthetics begins.. Even the metal back of his head, I can't see where the real back of his head would fit.. It has to be one of the best makeup jobs of all time
That's because in the 1980s, before CGI, things were done for real, Peter Weller was actually physically transplanted into a cyborg, it was the only day to provide realism and hence why it looks so real!
They did a good job, but...yes you can see how his head can fit under there, you can see the makeup skin poofing out to blend in with the 'mechanical' bits.
@@HydraulicDesign mabye you can see the line but I cannot
@@RoodeMenon imagine having both the thing and robocop on your cv going into the 90s..
Man hell yea you totally nailed it. I've always noticed and thought that. Just incredible work. It makes it that much more believable and realistic.
You forgot to mention the amazing sound effects. Notably the sound of his feet hitting the floor when he walks.
It's the best
Yeah and it sound heavy. Love that.
and the tinny voice.
I love how the original robocop looked uncanny as though his face was stretched over a robotic skull. Gave me nightmares but I love it lol.
You're right. It's like Paul had another mask on while he played human Robocop.
@@firekind1980 *coughs* Peter!
@@ElDerpy Getting my Wellers mixed up.
One of my favorite movies of all time. Robocop is my childhood hero.
One thing I love about the movie is the detail of his voice. When he is first turned into robocop he has a more robotic voice and over the course of the movie as he gains his humanity back it becomes less robotic and more Murphy until there is no more roboticness to his voice
Huge fan of the original film. I never realized it but what you commented is true. I guess I was just too lost in the story.
And then they destroyed that entire development in RoboCop 2. Which is basically why so far as I'm concerned, the 1st RoboCop is the only film in the series that matters. The less said about RoboCop 3, the better...
I REMEMBER ASKING MY MOTHER TO GET ME THIS FOR CHRISTMAS WHEN I WAS 7 YRS OLD, SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE 18 CERTIFICATE RATING WAS AND WE WATCHED IT ON XMAS MORNING. HER FACE WAS A PICTURE. CERTAINLY A CHRISTMAS I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER :-)
i think i saw a pg-13 version around 13.... not sure r rate is good for kid... since it just made a sick fucker...
I didn't know too much about it at the time but I saw *Natural Born Killers* with my mom in the theater. I never asked but I'm sure she hated it.
I remember watching it on VHS with my parents at my uncle's house when I was five. The movie scarred me for sure with how violent Murphy's death was and the acid bath. It was my first time seeing boobs too, haha. I remember asking my parents why that guy in the police locker room had a saggy chest.
Classic!
@@Jaxson07 Awwwk-ward. Doesn't NBK's have a scene where she kills a guy for giving her bad cunnilingus?? 😬
The gun spin was a brilliant little bit of story telling to give a glimpse into the kind of father Murphy was.
Side note: I can quote that movie verbatim.
I'd buy that for a dollar
I too can quote any scene verbatim
My brother and I have been quoting each other lines from the movie for years. Every few months we'll start a texting chain out of the blue. It's our favorite movie of all time .
vivadjango I’d buy that for a dollar...
I was only a kid when Robocop came out and back then we rented VHS tapes from the local shop :) I was in there 2 times a week renting and returning films and there was about 7-10 copies of Robocop but they were always out it so popular! I was gutted each time I looked all the boxes had the “out for rental sticker on” :( then 1 day I saw 1 single box saying “ in stock”! I was chuffed and so I finally got to see it! I watched it 3 times in the 24 hrs I had it and cus the store owner knew I loved the film so much he gave me the life size cardboard cut out of Robocop standing by his car! :) i had it in my bedroom and my friends were jealous, Lol, so I always remember that time when I see Robocop it brings the memories back, good times. 😁.
I still have Lara in the attic …...
Awesome story, thanks for sharing! Love Robocop!
Scott Butler 👍🏻
@@markwheeler4245 no offense to your fond memories of course. When i saw Robocop the first time my mum got it for my 14th birthday cause i was into Cyborgs, Transformers all that stuff and we watched it together alltough she regreted it afterwards due to the gore but also said it was a good film with a deep plot
Awsome story 👍
But... the question is.. what happened to the life size cut out of Robocop?
This movie is one of my top 3 movies ever made. I remember so many lines :)
When I was 7 years old and first saw the trailer I knew I would instantly love Robocop. When my mother and father took me to see it I never knew what obsession was or just how much I was gonna love it. From drawings magazines comic books cartoons videogames, toys galore I had it all from the Robocop franchise. When it came out on VHS I immediately had to have it and it's what made us get a VCR in the first place. It was the first movie I intentionally watched over 100 times and became my favorite movie of my youth right next to Jaws. Still to this day Robocop is just one of the greatest movies ever made to me.
I was 3 when it was made... lol I know it is very very good I don’t remember much though
1980s: where hard R-rated action movies are marketed to kids.
Yep. Some of us who were kids/young teenagers in the 80's were definitely scarred for life. Also, the way parents just let us run wild without a care in the world, wtf. I'm surprised I came out of that decade alive, lol 😁
@@RogueReplicant Nope people are just weak nowadays. Trust me most kids can take things like this.
My parents did not care about robocop because there was not any sex scenes... As long as there was no sex i could watch it
@@anneblubaugh58 What? Murphy gets his limbs blown off, a bad guy gets melted in nuclear waste, the company guy gets shot to pieces by the giant robot, etc. But a sex scene was not okay to watch? Okaaaay 😁
RogueReplicant haha i know right! 🤷🏻♀️
I showed this movie to my fairly moderate Catholic family at grandma’s house, with all my aunts and uncles over for a Sunday dinner. While there were moments that bothered them (co-ed changing room) (brutal boardroom “glitch”) (Lewis: “sorry chief, I f@cked up”. my uncle: “no way. Never” 😂😭), they all loved the movie, because it’s a great movie at its core. It’s kind of sad when I mention it as one of my favorite films, people’s reactions are automatically “oh you’re into those kinds of movies...” but the few that are willing to watch it always come back to me surprised and with high praise. It should’ve stayed a stand-alone film.
On a side note, the 2014 film was an interesting take on the concept, I enjoyed it for what it was, but it was another completely unnecessary remake of a much better film it could never hope to beat.
Frank Miller, the comic book guy wrote the second or third movie but it was changed by the movie process where they constantly change scripts. It would be interesting if that script was bought off and made into comic book. The original script was probably good. The concept could've had good sequels. I can't see why not. The people in charge seemed to be the problem. Verhoven probably had nothing to do with them as well.
@@MicahMicahel I heard they made a comic out of his original script and it’s actually worse than what became Robocop 2, just super cheesy and not taken seriously like the first. I know people like to think the creators are always great and that studios ruin everything, but I think this time it was the other way around…. :/
But I agree, the story could’ve had great sequels. The tv shows were goofy but had some good ideas. In the world of reboots and late late sequels, I could see a great sequel being made now. With an aged Murphy.
Robocop, as Roth would say, is a perfect movie. Perfect concept, perfect visuals, perfect arc
I think the movie is perfect because it really sticks to its concept from the beginning to the end and even though it seems cheesy as the production values are not the best or sophisticated, the movie takes itself very seriously and delivers a very emphatic narrative. A definitive classic. And I think its a testimony to this movie's brilliance that several sequels and reboots were tried but none come close the original like Die Hard.
I mean it's...., it's NOT. Dan even acknowledges that some of the practical effects are somewhat LESS than perfect. Even the most diehard Robocop fan has to admit that a lot of the ED-209 stuff, plus Ronny Cox's weird long arms, look REALLY bad. That's not to say it isn't a GREAT movie, because it IS. Robocop is a FANTASTIC movie, just not a PERFECT one. The perfect movie doesn't exist, they all have their own unique flaws, and that's okay.
I mean look at it this way: I first saw Robocop around 1990 and I was absolutely blown away by the special effects and visuals. On the other hand, a guy I work with (who is 24) first saw Robocop a couple of years ago and he said he literally laughed out loud at ED-209s weird stop motion jerkiness (he didn't find Ed remotely threatening as an opponent for Murphy) and that godawful Ronny Cox/Slenderman hybrid they used for Dick's death scene. Anyone who claims those effects hold up is looking through some monumentally thick rose-tinted glasses.
Again, in almost every other area Robocop is practically flawless. It's just not perfect.
@@LoganBluth I prefer practical special effects over the CGI nonsense they use now any day of the week.
@@LoganBluth I actually really like the stop motion Harryhausen esque movement of ED 209. Though it's not very intimidating, it has a certain charm to it which I think holds up
Carlos Rivas That’s great, you have every right to prefer practical effects to CGI. But the fact remains that a lot of people think many of the practical effects in this movie look hokey at best and laughable at worst (Dan even admits as much in the video), which means the movie is objectively NOT perfect. It’s amazing, fantastic, essential, groundbreaking, unbelievably influential, and a host of other superlatives. Isn’t that enough...? There’s no need to resort to hyperbole and claim it has ZERO flaws. :)
Damn, almost 5 minutes in and already I’m reminded how badly I need to rewatch this masterpiece 🙏🙏
I was just thinking this too
@@Logicon1138 I'd buy that for a dollar
My Big Brother took me to see Robocop back in ‘87 & we were both blown away. When the movie ended the entire audience applauded. One of the best movies ever made! I freakin love it! Awesome spot on video!
Clarence Bodicker is Kurtwood Smith.
You just cannot unsee the character. Spot on commentary on Smith's work on this classic.
Bodicker is still one of the greatest villains that Hollywood has ever made. His smart ass lines, his evil look. He was perfect
@@thaynealexander Let's not forget Robert Patrick T2, Heath Ledger TDK and Gary Oldman has played some badass villians also.
@@victorclaudio287 Yes. Their good in their own way. But Boddicker had a flair that other villains lacked.
Boddicker was actually likeable as a villian as he was so light hearted as a mass murderer and criminal and so quick to think and always has the upper hand.
When I was a kid in the eighties me and my buddies would go to the video store every weekend. Unless there was something new and amazing we’d just rent Robocop over and over and it never got boring. That theme tune is seared into my mind.
"I'd buy that for a dollar."
yes yes yes, even if not "at least I had you" (best line ever....) :-)
I think I bought it for $24.99 some years ago. I suppose I should be looking for a Blu Ray copy now?
I’d give this video a like for free!
"I'll buy that for a dollar." and "Drop It" are my favorite lines from this movie.
The Veep writers added “I’d buy that for a dollar” as an Easter egg in an episode where Selena visited Detroit.
Without question, one of the greatest 1980s movies of all time.
I'd buy that for a dollar
You didn’t mention that it predicted the future true decay of Detroit
Detroit was already pretty decayed when the movie came out. I remember.
Don't worry, the CC...er... "OCP" are coming to build Delta City. Spare parts for decades, "who cares if it works or not". LOL
@@myeffulgenthairyballssay9358
Scary thought.
@eaglerising88 FUUUUUUUCK You, you racist DICK !!
Actually the decay started in the 1950's, the city was based around car manufacturing and yet this was the era that shipping containers became standardizes and outsourcing slowly began. Blacks moved in because of falling property values, not as a cause, real-estate agents took advantage of racial animus then and encouraged white flight but this was not the initial cause.
Things that made this movie epic, no particular order:
Poledouris' music especially as Murphy is wheeled into hospital.
The decision to spend a huge chunk of budget on the Robo suit.
Verhoeven's 'outsider' perspective enabling the satire to cut deep, and the Hollywood tropes to lay low.
The casting director doing an amazing job in general, but especially landing Weller and Smith.
Peter Weller not only taking a role seriously where the motivation is: "You are a robot, your personality is a dead man, you wear a mask and can only emote with your mouth.", but also nailing the performance.
Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Ronny Cox, Dan O'Herlihy and Nancy Allen superb supporting performances.
A script so tightly wound that there are barely any throwaway lines.
A clever, unique and intriguing take on the 'Frankenstein' theme by the writers.
I think it was Verhoeven who insisted on having real doctors do the hospital scene to make it feel more real, more personal.
Without Paul Verhoevan the film probably would have been a disaster or a silly cult film at best. This film actually gets better and better as time goes by.
Really good comment, why not make your own videos? I'll subscribe if they are on Point like this!
"Do you prefer the 2014 version? And if so.... why?" excellent use of cadence there!
I didn’t hate the 2014 version, but it was completely forgettable.
keefriff99 Yeah, it was an okay movie. But completely forgettable.
It like when Dan mention the alleyway scene I think of that dick-shot even though had not watch it in many years. To a guy it's really memorable.
2014 remake had nothing like that
@@seanc9520 Robocop 2014 does have ONE fantastic scene. When Murphy asks to see what's been done to him, then has a complete existential breakdown when confronted with just how little is actually left of himself and asks Norton to just kill him. It's really brilliantly acted between Gary Oldman and Joel Kinnaman, especially Kinnaman since he literally only has his face and his voice with which to convey everything. Other than that the remake is horribly bland and average, but that one scene REALLY blew me away.
For me Robocop was always about a man being stripped of his humanity, and as a cyborg trying to find how much he had left. The part in the original where Murphy says he can feel his family, but he can't remember them, that's great stuff! I hate how in the remake he is essentially the same guy, same consciousness in a super suite. Yeah it's shocking he only has his head, lungs and a hand, but he's the exact same person. It's even looking like his wife is accepting of the changes. So weak compared to Robocop 1987 walking through an empty house having visions about the family he lost. The remake is such a betrayal to the things that made the original a masterpiece.
It's just so much more badass than current films.
How Dare You! What about Disney's Star Wars!?
LMAO!
@@myeffulgenthairyballssay9358 much like robocop star wars hasn't been great since the 80s.
I remember going to Costco with my folks, who are no longer with us, and my mum buying RoboCop on VHS for me when it was first released. It still remains one of my favorite flicks. This was a fun video, thanks for it.
My condolences
One of my all-time favourite films, genuinely flawless execution of a fantastic set of ideas.
Of all of the spectacular practical effects, I think Murphy's unmasked face (while a little more low-key) might actually be my favourite. It holds up so well, and it's a perfect balance of human and horrifying, without going too far in either direction to make it distracting. Among the many, many mistakes of the remake, I think leaving Joel Kinnaman's face more or less completely normal was one of the worst from a design perspective. Made him look far too much like just a regular guy wearing a big armoured suit.
Completely agree. In the original Murphy looked pretty horrifical. He looked like a scifi Frankenstein monster. It was perfect! Those scenes where he is looking at his reflection in the glass. He looks terrible, but at the same time Louis tells him it's good to see him again. And the top notch makeup / effects add so much to the scene. Great film making!
I feel like the remake is just trying to make him look cool. I hate that. Yeah they tried to shock us showing he was just a head, lungs and one hand, but I think losing your mind / humanity is much more impactful.
Agreed.
@@faz6877 Plus he did take an explosion to the face, kinda hard to believe that didn't severly mess it up.
@@williamcronshaw5262 Great point. His face would look like Freddy Kruger.
I think shooting him looked so much more brutal, and personal in regards to the guys standing there pulling the trigger and laughing.
I was a toddler when Robocop came out. Watched that movie more then Sesame Street lol
*ROBOCOP FOR PRESIDENT 2020*
I was like 3... Lol I kinda remember it
You just reminded me of the campaign to get a Robes statue put up in Detroit. Its happening, bro. www.popularmechanics.com/culture/a30521657/robocop-statue-detroit/
Maybe that’s why you don’t know the difference between then and THAN.... 😅😅😅
Everyone made fun of me because "I'm a nerd and RoboCop is my favorite movie". But now that RoboCop is in Mortal Kombat 11, a game that all the "cool kids" *cough cough* play in my school everyone is asking me about it.
1980s original Robocop is in MK11. The devs appreciate fine art...
How is it in MK11?
They kinda goofed on him a bit though. The xray super moves reveal he has a human skull, when he has a metal one.
@@yagamijubei28 I never thought of that. You are right!
My 5 all-time favorite movies are from the 80's: Predator, The Terminator, Robocop, Blade Runner, The Empire Strikes Back.
1. Predator 2. The Thing 3. Robocop 4. The Terminator 5. Conan The Barbarian
@@PanfishingJournal Yeah, that'll work, too.
It's Verhoeven's Hollywood masterpiece. Basic Instinct is his underappreciated psychological meta thriller, Starship Troopers his great sci-fi satire but Robocop mixes satire, political commentary and religious metaphor in a tight, funny, shocking and massively entertaining action film that delivers equally and is equally satisfying in all of them. For me Verhoeven is the unsung Hollywood director who should be in the same conversation as Cameron, but far more interesting in what he brought to the big budget genre picture. Good call.
Don't forget Total Recall.
Neil Smith don't forget Total Recall that's a Verhoeven gem also
@@johnrosie9769 Be sure not to forget about Total Recall though.
Verhoeven and Cameron basically raised me : P
@@krono5el What about McTiernan?
I love that Kurtwood Smith is actually married to that receptionist!
She did "fit him in" after all then 😉😂😂
What!? That's awesome! :D
kevballs 😉😉😉😉😉😘😘😘😘😘
😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
@@kev_balls BOW CHIKA BOWOW
This film was nothing short of amazing, satire, humor, action, a man torn from his family, i've never seen anything like this before or since.
I'd STILL buy that for a dollar
One of the few movies that brought me joy as a kid and not disappointment as an adult. It holds up.
me and my dad would watch it everytime it was on the tv, he was a cop too and it reminds me so much of him, it was one of his favorites
"Do you prefer the 2014 version?"
The only people who prefer the 2014 version have never seen the original.
2014 RoboCop is still better than RoboCop 3.
it was fine... it you just watch the clip on youtube... but og is best when watch the whoel thing..
I've seen RoboCop, RoboCop 2 and 3. I own a Bluray copy of the 2014 remake and I actually enjoyed it, I don't understand the hate for the 2014 version. I'm 37 and I grew up watching these movies just like I grew up watching Michael Keaton in Batman, Sam Jackson in Pulp Fiction and Gary Oldman in The Professional. All 5 Star actors in my book who all brought it in this movie. 2014 RoboCop looked sleek, tactical in black and very menacing with that red beam of light across the helmet, not to mention that the 2014 RC can RUN. Something the original couldn't do. The Cgi was great, Joel Kinnaman was just as good as Peter Weller and Sam Jackson and his "hair" both was great. The only thing this movie was missing was the R rating, B+ movie if you ask me!
2014 isn't a bad movie, but it doen't feel like a robocop movie either.
@@kemocali6504 true
2020 and the world looks a lot like the satire in RoboCop. What a masterpiece!
one of my all time top five movies...ill never forget seeing it in the cinema when I was 16 in 1987...it made a huge impression on me
Absolute classic. Even today, listening to the last line of dialogue followed by the theme song only consolidates that.
OCP Chairman: "Nice shootin, son. What's your name?" Robocop: "Murhpy." Great review, loved it.
7 year old me was not ready to see someone wearing a bullet proof vest shot one hundred times, have his arm blown off and shot in the head. That's still one of the most brutal scenes of all time! Love this movie though
seems like we all watched this movie as little kids, wonderful time to grow up!
I had the Robocop poster on my wall for years until my Mum made me remove it, I was only 43, cruel woman!
Huh probably the only logical reason why he was survive to be use as a machine lving expirement.
RoboCop is one of greatest sci-fi movies ever . New one was god awful.
It wasn't God awful. But it wasn't good either.
It was God awful. T2 is my pick for best sci fi movie
Klown we talkingabout robocopn
Yes it was..just a guy in a rubber suit
It was a dreadful film. Exceptionally embarrassing to sit through if you are a fan of the original.
This is the movie answer when someone asks me "What is the best movie in the world". I remember when i was watching it as a kid. Now i feel both nostalgic and proud when i watch it.
I can watch this movie every time it's on. Only other movie I can say that about is Terminator 2: Judgement Day
T2 is a fucking beast. I'm not ashamed to say I went to see it 7 times when it came out.
RoboCop and T2 are in my 10 favourite movies of all-time list.
And it has one of the best joke lines of all time, "I am a repeat offender, I repeat, I WILL OFFEND AGAIN!
Shut up A-hole. . .
where is that, I don't remember that
attempted murder? it's not like he killed anyone!
they fix you, they'll fix everything (so revealing)
the scene where in the station floor that hobo is saying the first two lines and the desk
Sargent tells him to shut uo and robo brings in Bodicker for booking
This film has many amazing lines throughout.
Ive bought this movie so many times since I was a kid
Well, haven't slept... Found this video... Now I am going to watch RoboCop
This is one of my time favs. So much to this movie. I can’t get enough of it
These are all the reasons I loved RoboCop but totally didn’t realize they were why I loved RoboCop. 😉Thanks for the amazing review. Loved it!
Definitely the best cyborg film ever made and one of the greatest films. I have watched it maybe 50-60+ times
It's funny how Robocop looks like something you would see in a kids movie, but it's not 😂
Yeah until he removes that helmet.
I remember I was pretty scared to see it cause I thought it was going to be super gory. Turns out it was freakin awesome! The reason why the first one worked so well was because it had the perfect mix of comic book crazy with just the right touch of reality.
This movie was expertly realized by all involved and is timeless
Except for the matte painter who tried making a Dick Jones miniature...
The first two movies in this series: Jaws and Robocop. This is a dream come true.
To be honest the "Orion" logo was iconic for me too. Of course when I was seven I thought it was pronounced "oreeon", because I had no clue it was named after a constilation.
Forget the sequels and the remake! Robocop is the true classic that stood the test of time!
Holds up extremely well I gotta admit. Predicts the future even
The limited edition bluray from Arrow is a thing of beauty. Orion made UHF too.
Great breakdown.
Strangely, Robocop has never been my "favorite" movie, but I've always thought of it as "perfect." Every sequence is super iconic to me.
It's odd for me I often forget it when trying to list favorites, but when I think of it, it definitely is one. I agree about its perfection. Either theatrical or director's cuts, there's not a wasted movement.
IantheDugan I believe I follow a similar line of thinking as you, except I don't consider it perfect. Admittedly, I haven't seen it since the early 90's but I also have no desire too. It's never been my favourite either and won't be on any 'top' lists if I did them but there's no denying what it is. It's a great, classic movie of it's time, that takes all those 80's action movie tropes, invents a few more, throws them all in to a pile, adds a little heart and somehow comes out standing tall.
I like and admire Robocop, but yes, I can't quite love it. Something about its look and sound puts me off. Total Recall was made only a few years later, but seems much sleeker and better executed to me.
@@ThreadBomb Well big difference there. Total Recall had a $65 million budget to Robocop's $14. And you know the studio was making sure the Arnold project had everything It needed.
Weirdos!!! Robocop should be on any healthy male's top 10.
When the old CEO guy says to Dick Jones "You're fired!" enabling Robocop to take him down was sooooo satisfying.
I tried to tell my friend who had never seen Robocop what a classic film it is. I told him about the insane stylized violence, the unreal practical FX, the A grade casting, the baddest baddies that ever appeared on screen. I told him about the story. The raw human emotion, the epic loss, the depiction of a our possible future...a story about Detroit! He was still unconvinced...so i blasted his hand off.
I love this movie! Whenever someone recognizes my OCP t-shirt it puts a smile on my face.
As always... thank youror the quality content, mr. Murrell.
Your insights into the movies are always thoughtful and the videos are always pleasantly edited and written.
It would come on a lot on HBO when i was a kid. I really enjoyed the movie even after the 2nd time. Also Arnold and Van Dam.. Action movies in 80s and 90s were pretty good.
Robocop is one of the best movies ever and great character story telling. I wish they continued the story telling of Murphy finding his human form in the 2nd one. "Murphy." I still smile every time I hear that at the end and hearing the theme. Long live RoboCop. "Dead or alive, your coming with me."😎
I just coincidentally finished watching all 3 of these plus the remake. Peter Weller really makes robocop for me, he's the perfect balance of machine and man a feat neither of the other men who play robocop really achieve.
I always remember an interview with the lead from the remake talking about how happy he was that the mask was removable so he could have an easier time emoting.
on the other hand, Peter Weller went to Mime school to learn how to emote just through movement. now there is a real actor.
Honestly the best review of original Robocop I've *ever* read/watched, and on point with every item. If I absolutely *HAD* to pick my fave 80's movie, it would come down to Terminator vs Robocop, and I don't honestly think I could choose. Original Terminator is epic, fairly dark , Robocop is a different kind of grim, love the satire, the effects, the music, everything ! Both films I own multiple copies of on various formats.
I have actively avoided watching the reboot/remake ot Robocop, as I know I'm fairly likely to get in a rage early on ! Well done ,great review!
"Guns guns guns" is one of my favourite movie lines ever, up there with "you, you can run, but you can't hide". But, watching this again reminds me how much overlap there was between Robocop and Judge Dress (the comic, not the movies)
Dan, I couldn't be more excited for the film you've chosen, it's one of my very favorites.
Your channel is off to an amazing start, keep it up! 😁
If the movie were made today, the phrase would be, "I'd buy that for twenty bucks"
Or if the movie was made today the scene where robo shoots through the dress and hits the guy in the nuts well today there is a good chance that the dude looks like a lady
still would be a dollar that the whole joke he would buy that good stuff with barely any money
I'd buy that for 20 vbucks 😂😂😂
@@HEYBERT1984 that doesn't remotely make sense
I love this movie. One of the best ever made.
"BITCHES LEAVE!"
"gee Bobby bye. You gonna call me?"
Haha nope!
Murphy's transformation from his POV seems like it got a tribute in Winter Soldier. With you 100% Dan, it works very well.
Aw man, I remember my best friend and I becoming interested in movies as teens and we would watch Robocop and from Dusk till Dawn on repeat - simpler times ❤
man i love this channel, this is the kind of content i am here for!
Great analysis. This is one of my favorite movies, there are a ton of lectures in this movie that I missed back in the day when I was a child. Thank you for this video!
Nothing can top when ED-209 falls down the stairs
I used to be scared of ED-209 as a kid and when he fell down the stairs, those pig noises terrified me.
@@TrollGeezus I hear ya! I was terrified. Still think he's pretty scary
Great to see some love for Basil Poledouris. He doesn't get the recognition that he deserves. Or maybe I am just biased.
He is up there with Williams, in my preferences.
ABSOLUTELY!!!!! HE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIE COMPOSERS EVER!!!!! YOU ALWAY KNOW WHEN YOU HEAR A POLEDOURIS SCORE!!!! INCREDIBLY UNIQUE, UNLIKE MOST COMPOSERS TODAY!!!!!!
The Conan scores are on repeat at my house 💪
I love his Starship Troopers score. Apparently he had extra time to work on it due to a delay in production, and it really shows.
This and Predator, BOTH released in 1987, are the EPITOME of 80s genre action films. I always link the two together in my mind.
And then I ALSO consider Robocop and Starship Troopers to be companion pieces to one another to an even greater degree. Same Director, Same Writer, Same Composer, Same Director of Photography, Same Aspect Ratio, and Same "newsbreak" structural style.
Gosh...that's a hell of a triple feature, Predator, Robocop, Starship Troopers.
That be dope if they were or are in the same universe
@@n.b.l.5709 I always kind of think of it that way
@@ChrisPeteG nice
@@ChrisPeteG robocop vs predator would be dope
Clarence Boddicker to this day is still one of the most realistic, sadistic, ruthless villains ever put on screen. The realistic part is important. I never doubt for a second this character's capacity for violence. Smith knocked it out the park.
And i love that he's a Tigers fan. I can just see him at a game with his glove in his lap, wearing one of those giant foam hands, and munching on a hot dog.
This guy is on my phone wallpaper. Looks cool and not outdated at all...