Thu. Feb 6th, 2025

Robocop (1987): When Satire Wore a Metal Suit

Robocop (1987): When Satire Wore a Metal Suit

In a dystopian Detroit overrun by crime, Officer Alex Murphy is brutally murdered by a gang of criminals. But death is just the beginning for Murphy, as he is resurrected as Robocop, a cybernetic law enforcement officer with a mission to clean up the streets. Armed with cutting-edge technology and a relentless pursuit of justice, Robocop wages war on crime, but his past life and lingering humanity begin to haunt him.

Paul Verhoeven’s explosive action masterpiece combines thrilling shootouts, groundbreaking special effects, and a satirical commentary on society to create an unforgettable cinematic experience. Prepare for a wild ride as Robocop delivers justice with a vengeance, leaving no criminal unscathed.

Review by Ben Dover

Rating: 4.5/5 Robotic Limbs (Half a limb deducted for excessive corporate logos)

Listen up, you soft-bellied modern moviegoers. Back in 1987, we didn’t need fancy CGI or superhero universes to make a point about corporate America. We had “RoboCop” – a movie that’s part action film, part social commentary, and 100% pure, unfiltered Reagan-era violence and rage.

Paul Verhoeven directs like he’s got a personal vendetta against corporate America, capitalism, and probably human decency. Peter Weller plays Alex Murphy, a cop who gets turned into a cybernetic law enforcement machine after being brutally murdered by a gang that makes my neighborhood teenagers look like Boy Scouts. One minute he’s a human police officer, the next he’s corporate property with more hardware than my garage.

The satire here is sharper than a fresh X-Acto knife. Those fake TV commercials and news breaks are so spot-on they’re practically prophetic. There’s a commercial for a board game called “Nukem” where families play nuclear war, and another for a heart medication with side effects that include “uncontrollable violent behavior.” It’s like Verhoeven looked into present day and decided to make a documentary.

Ronny Cox plays Dick Jones, a corporate executive so evil he makes my ex-wife’s divorce lawyer look like a saint. His plan to create a militarized law enforcement robot (the ED-209) is basically every tech bro’s wet dream. The scene where the ED-209 malfunctions and turns a junior executive into Swiss cheese is both horrifying and hilarious – exactly what Verhoeven was going for.

The violence is so over-the-top it becomes a punch line. When Murphy is killed, it’s so graphically brutal that it circles back to being darkly comic. Verhoeven doesn’t just push the envelope – he sets it on fire and dances on the ashes. Each gunshot and explosion is a middle finger to the sanitized action movies of the era.

What’s remarkable is how well the film’s themes about corporate overreach, privatization, and media manipulation still ring true. Replace “Omni Consumer Products” with any modern tech giant, and the movie could be a documentary. I swear he forshadowed Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in this film. These guys were selling militarized police before it was cool, and doing it with a wink and a smirk.

The practical effects are a love letter to pre-CGI filmmaking. RoboCop looks like he was built in a real machine shop, not rendered on some computer. When he moves, you feel every hydraulic press and metal joint. It’s like watching a walking, talking piece of industrial art.

That ending though, of course, it was so obvious coming, the good guy wins and the bad guys get what’s coming to them. What else is new? I tell ya, these Hollywood writers need to come up with some original ideas for once.

Bottom Line: A sci-fi action movie that’s smarter than 90% of today’s “intelligent” blockbusters. It predicts our corporate dystopia with more accuracy than most futurists.

Rating: 4.5/5 Robotic Limbs (Half a limb deducted for excessive corporate logos)

Fun Fact: The film was originally rated X for violence before being cut down to an R. Verhoeven apparently believes subtlety is for wimps.

Best Scene: I can’t decide if this is the best or the worst scene in the movie. Murphy remembering fragments of his past life, proving that even a robot can have a soul. Something my last three marriages never managed. But you know what that also really got under my skin. That whole “emotional journey” nonsense. I mean, come on! He’s a robot, for crying out loud! He ain’t supposed to have feelings. Just give him a gun and tell him who to shoot. That’s all we need. All this soul-searching and remembering his past life? Just a bunch of hogwash if you ask me.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go yell at my smart TV before it decides to arrest me.

Ben Dover has been warned by multiple technology companies to stop comparing their products to RoboCop. His wife says this is why they don’t get invited to company Christmas parties.

Starring

  • Peter Weller as Alex Murphy / Robocop: A dedicated police officer who is brutally murdered and resurrected as a cybernetic law enforcement officer.
  • Nancy Allen as Anne Lewis: Murphy’s tough and loyal partner who helps him in his fight against crime.
  • Ronny Cox as Dick Jones: A ruthless and ambitious executive at Omni Consumer Products (OCP), the corporation that created Robocop.
  • Kurtwood Smith as Clarence Boddicker: A sadistic crime lord who is responsible for Murphy’s death.
  • Miguel Ferrer as Bob Morton: An ambitious and opportunistic OCP executive who spearheads the Robocop project.

Special Effects

The special effects in Robocop were groundbreaking for their time. The stop-motion animation used to bring Robocop to life was incredibly impressive, and the practical effects used for the various explosions and shootouts were top-notch. The film’s visual style has definitely aged well, and it still holds up as a visually impressive action movie. This was probably the biggest surprise to me rewatching it in 2025.

Music

The film’s score, composed by Basil Poledouris, is a perfect blend of orchestral and electronic music. It perfectly captures the film’s blend of action, sci-fi, and satire. The main theme is particularly memorable and has become synonymous with the character of Robocop.

Synopsis and Plot Breakdown

In a crime-ridden Detroit, Officer Alex Murphy is transferred to the Metro West precinct, one of the most dangerous areas of the city. During a confrontation with a gang of criminals led by the ruthless Clarence Boddicker, Murphy is brutally murdered. However, he is given a second chance at life when the megacorporation Omni Consumer Products (OCP) uses his body to create Robocop, a cybernetic law enforcement officer.

Robocop is programmed with three primary directives: serve the public trust, protect the innocent, and uphold the law. He quickly becomes a symbol of hope for the city, cleaning up the streets with ruthless efficiency. However, as Robocop begins to remember his past life as Alex Murphy, he starts to question his programming and his role in society.

Meanwhile, OCP is facing its own internal struggles. Dick Jones, a ruthless executive, is pushing for the development of ED-209, a heavily armed robotic enforcement unit. However, ED-209 proves to be unreliable and dangerous, leading to a power struggle within OCP.

As Robocop’s memories return, he begins to target the criminals responsible for his death, including Boddicker and his gang. He also uncovers a conspiracy within OCP that links Jones to Boddicker’s criminal activities.

In a final showdown, Robocop confronts Boddicker and his gang, as well as Jones. He manages to defeat them all, but not without sustaining significant damage. In the end, Robocop reveals his human identity to the president of OCP, proving that he is more than just a machine.

5 Famous Quotes

  1. “Dead or alive, you’re coming with me.”
  2. “I’d buy that for a dollar!”
  3. “Your move, creep.”
  4. “Bitches, leave.”
  5. “Can you fly, Bobby?”

5 Notes from the Movie

  1. The film was shot on a budget of $13 million and grossed over $53 million at the box office.
  2. The original design for Robocop was much more grotesque and monstrous. Director Paul Verhoeven insisted on a more streamlined and heroic design.
  3. The film was originally given an X rating due to its violence. Several scenes had to be trimmed or edited in order to secure an R rating.
  4. The ED-209 robot was notoriously difficult to operate. Many of the scenes featuring the robot had to be filmed in slow motion to hide its jerky movements.
  5. The film’s satirical commentary on corporate greed and media sensationalism is still relevant today.

Photos

Trailer

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