RoboCop (2014)

If you don't want to read it all:
Score: 3/10
Verdict: It really lacks a story. Only for hardcore fans and/or effects lovers. And worshipers of Samuel L. Jackson!


I don't remember the original RoboCop (1987) much and I don't think I've seen it in the last 20 years or so. It's part of my childhood, and just as 99% of the things we experience as kids - it was awesome! Yeah, as a kid I loved it, I do remember that, but if someone was to ask me about the actual, detailed plot - I cannot really say much. I do remember a dead or near-dead cop, his merge with the machine and the company called OmniCorp; RoboCop's creators turned bad and he had to fight them at the end, but how did they all get to that point and who was the actual bad guy... I guess it was just too long ago. It marked a certain period in cinematography to the point where everyone knew about the movie - not everyone watched it, but everyone knew about it. For some reason I remember the Commodore 64 game a whole lot more than the actual movie. Another rather good memory is the "you're fired" and BAM scene, but I am not sure if that was RoboCop 1 or RoboCop 2.

So here we are in 2014, 27 years after the original. I am not a big fan of remakes (or reboots), but I will never reject a movie based on just that. I've seen the movie last night and... I have mixed feelings. Overall - it's not bad. Whenever I watch a movie at home - it happens late at night and that often means I'd have to fight to stay awake if a movie takes more than 90 or 100 minutes. RoboCop takes 117 and I had no trouble at all. I guess it was fun enough to keep me awake, so that means a lot. However, once it ended I was thinking... what the hell was the actual plot of this movie? There isn't one! Not in a movie kind of way at least. If it was a pilot of a TV show then it would make some sense. As a movie... I am not really satisfied with a 2 hour long film that represents an intro for a possible sequel.

If you are one of those people who watch movies for special effects (shame on you!) then you will be more than satisfied. It's set in the near future (2028 if I am right) where USA is obviously policing the entire world, literally. The scene in Tehran shows excellent CGI in action, while later scenes with RoboCop himself (and his motorcycle) are all well done. I like RoboCop's black armor with red lights, he never looked better! The cast is also extraordinary with one former Batman (Michael Keaton) and one former Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) in main roles. RoboCop himself is played by Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman, mostly known for his role in TV Show The Killing.

To sum it up: RoboCop is fun, but it's missing an important thing - a story! Honestly, a cop becoming a cyborg should not be the main story in this movie, that should be an intro for something bigger. That's why I said that this would be great if it was a pilot for a TV show and there were 9 or 20 more episodes coming in the next 3 or 10 months. This however feels unpolished and rushed. But it was still fun to watch, unlike some other reboots. If you don't mind watching a really long introduction to an unconfirmed trilogy (just guessing!) then you might like this. Oh, I almost forgot - Samuel L. Jackson was awesome. Again. As usual. You just have to love him as a fascist tv host!