Rating 8/10
I genuinely liked this movie. Obviously, the minute you walk through the door you're gonna think of the original in all of its 80's style, R-rated, blood, gore, Jesus Symbolism, Peter Weller goodness. And then you're next step is gonna be to compare it. Let me tell you as a fan of the original, I believe there's enough here to warrant a remake. It is amazing? Not necessarily, but it does do enough on its own, to be considered a new "RoboCop" in its own right. So why the high rating of 8? Well, it genuinely surprised me, for what I was feeling going in. For one, I wasn't happy about the PG-13 rating, and I don't feel I'm alone in that. And the fact that this movie is produced by Sony, the same company that just won't seem to let Spider-man go, didn't leave me with a lot of hope. But lo and behold, I see this movie has a voice. Sure it's not as deep or satirical as the original, but I don't necessarily think it's trying to be. This isn't so much a Jesus story, as it is a story of a man, who's literally been made into a robot.
The director Jose Padilha has given us some great foreign films such as the "Elite Squad" series and his style and commentary can be seen here too in "RoboCop". I may be thinking too deep or assuming too much but if you watch the character of Dr. Norton (RoboCop's creator and scientist) portrayed by Gary Oldman in his relation with Michael Keaton's character, the big CEO of OmniCorp, I feel like its Padilha's own commentary on having to deal with Sony to make the movie he wanted. This shows too in the way RoboCop is portrayed, just in his suits. That's right, I said suits, plural. It's the CEO's idea to give him the sleek new black suit that you see in all the posters. Like Sony is trying to sell this new movie, so too is the CEO of OmniCorp trying to sell RoboCop to the general public at large. But I like that parallel and Padilha plays his cards well.
So without getting into spoiler territory, let's talk about the new directions. For one, we see angles and views we didn't in the original. We see Alex Murphy's family and the after effects of having to deal with your husband or dad becoming a corporate robot. Say what you will, but this was something that was sort of side stepped in the original. I mean yes, we did get the great haunting memory left in Alex's mind when he enters a empty house in the original, but still the viewpoint is left desired and this film tries to incorporate it. Also incorporated, the film really delves deep into how OmniCorp effects the world, not just Detroit. Also, why it desires to have RoboCop made, which isn't due to malfunctioning ED-209s (which don't malfunction at all in the film). Yes, the scientists and engineers are actually good at their jobs in this "Robocop". Still we get to see them and having to deal with the implications of making him. Gary Oldman, as said before, plays Dr. Norton the scientist known for helping to bring RoboCop to life, and as time wanes on, you can see him regretting it more and more, his conscience weighing into the grey areas. On the note of Oldman, simply put, this movie understands how to sell itself, by getting the best cast it can. All of the supporting roles are given great attention, from Samuel L. Jackson playing a political commentator to Michael K. Williams playing Alex Murphy's partner. There's no Dick Jones or Clarence Boddicker here, but they find characters who might as well fall into the roles. But sadly nothing to match Kurtwood Smith's or Ronny Cox's original performance. Still Michael Keaton and Jackie Earle Haley look like they're having fun and grab your attention. As for Alex Murphy himself, Joel Kinnaman does what he can with the role, but playing a corporate made and used robot has its limitations. Most of the time, he's being used or reconstructed by OmniCorp for their means, but Padilha is smart in giving the character good moments, before and after in the suit, before what we know is the inevitable showdowns with ED-209s. Maybe he can really shine in the sequel, which I wouldn't be against.
Overall, I feel like this movie tries. It also gives us enough call backs to the original to let us know its on our side. I'm hoping though that if a sequel goes forward, the filmmakers and studio can be smart enough to work more off the new angles and give us something really unique.
