The future of Robocop?

Warning: This post contains spoilers!

Robocop, a great film about a newly transferred cop, Alex Murphy, who then gets blown to holy crap and turned into a cyborg cop and takes revenge on those that wronged him. I do like Verhoeven's comment about the transformation being like the resurrection of Jesus...with a gun!. Interestingly, Robocop would have never been made if The Terminator hadn't achieved the success that it did - the script had been knocking around and no one was interested.

Paul Verhoeven is known for his gory films (Total Recall, Starship Troopers) and Robocop was no exception, especially the early ED-209 test scene where one test subject/corporate employee is fired upon for a full minute (which was cut in the TV version) or near the end with the demise of Clarence Boddicker, the cop-killing gang boss responsible for the death of Alex Murphy - the film's protagonist.

The film, like The Terminator, was a success. Ineveitably there was a sequel.

Robocop 2.

"Oh noes!!" I hear you cry. "Not a sequel!!!!" Yes. Yes there was. However, do not dismay, it wasn't bad. It was no patch on the original (but they never are, are they?) but worth owning nonetheless. So now Robocop, after proving his worth, is having problems with a drug lord called Cain. They have their differences and then Cain is turned into the new version of Robocop. Jealously runs rampant and both show who has a bigger cock. Although Cain is much bigger than Robocop, size doesn't count right? Damn right, and Robocop wins.

So, that film was mildly successful. What happens next?? Well, Robocop is transferred to TV, and unfortunately, that's when execs decide to increase the viewing figures and kiddi-ise the franchise. I did watch a few episodes and I thought it was ok then, but now? Nah! The reason? Robocop 3.

And this film is just baaaaaad, nowhere near as bad as Batman & Robin (no film has ever reached that benchmark yet), but still baaaad. Robocop winds up helping the residents of Delta City/New Detroit to battle against the new armed forces who are forcing everyone out of their homes by killing them or otherwise. Meanwhile OCP is facing bankruptcy and has its shares bought out by a Japanese Corporation who send in their ninja cyborgs (no don't even go there, it sounds cool but that's where it ends). Why is it bad? The last two films were just that FILMS, this was a TV movie and you can tell!! Not only that, it oozed the quality of the tv series AND the actor who played Robocop from the first two films, Peter Weller, effectively gave the middle finger to the script and you know you're in deep shit when that happens!

It's been 13 years since the last proper film, not counting the tv series films, and nothing has been forthcoming. Ideas have been thrown around, even by Verhoeven himself. The last rumor I heard was that they were doing a fourth film, which was a remake. Yes, that's right, a remake. The story was that it was to take place years after OCP retired the Robocop project and they decided to restart the project. Gah, Hollywood makes me sick!

I've got a better idea, why not do Robocop Vs Terminator, the comic was amazing and they can't go wrong with that franchise can they?? Oh wait...Alien Vs Predator!!! They dumbed that down too! Bah.

blog comments powered by Disqus