REVIEW | Robocop (2014)

After much delay (being a responsible parent makes it difficult to go to the movies), I finally saw the remake of Robocop.


Here are my quick thoughts:

THE BAD

• The first two thirds of the movie feels a bit direction-less. It's unclear what the central conflict is.
• The PG-13 rating tempers down the brutality of the world they're alluding to.  
• While they attempt to hint at the satire and commentary of the original, they never fully pull it off.
• There are some really odd music, costume, and editing/flashback choices.  Why in the 80's were they able to make it look like a face was grafted onto a robot suit, but in the 21st century it just looks like he's wearing a helmet?

THE GOOD

• The final third of the movie picks up a lot of speed and momentum, but just as I was starting to get into the movie, it ended.
• The cast is great.  
• They found the right elements of modern culture to satire with the film, but they didn't fully pull it off.
• This really is a re-conceptualization of Robocop.  If you wrote a two paragraph synopsis of each film they would sound identical, but anything beyond that their are huge differences.  This is extremely important for a movie like this. The original was tied so closely to the cultural climate which created it.  It only makes sense to bring 21st century issues into the new film.  

IN CLOSING

I had very low expectations for this film. I assumed I would be disappointed, and I was.  At the end of the day, the movie had just enough good ideas that it was frustrating how close they came to a quality remake. If you're a fan of the original, this will disappointed you.

RATING - 6 out of 10 - It was an ok sci-fi action film with an outstanding cast, but it will disappoint fans of the original.

For my full review, watch below.