The original
RoboCop from 1987 is a classic. Incredibly violent, incredibly funny, and incredibly distinct, its enduring popularity made it ripe for a reboot. So now we have the 2014 version of
RoboCop, which is a decent action movie. In a way, it's a bit of a shame, because if I had sit down to watch this movie without ever having seen the original, maybe I would have been a bit more impressed. As it is, this loose interpretation of the Paul Verhoeven blockbuster hits a lot of the same beats, sports an impressive cast, benefits from stellar effects work, and still manages to fall a bit flat. It doesn't have the same heart and it doesn't have the same acidic wit--though it tries really hard on both counts. Now, to be fair, the lack of an R-rating probably makes it damn near impossible to compete with a legendary picture that is as violent and as gory an action film as you're apt to see. There are certainly times when this 2014
RoboCop feels more than a little watered-down, and some of the performers involved could have made a lot more noise if they had been working without boundaries. Yet it emerges as a serviceable thrill ride and the original was built on a strong enough concept that even a
RoboCop Lite packs a bit of a punch. In the end, I was entertained by this one, but I wasn't as moved by it and I certainly didn't feel like I had just watched something fresh and exciting--though, to be fair, I don't know if that's even possible with these reboots that are so en vogue. Would I recommend it? I guess, but I would certainly recommend the original first.
Final Grade: C
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| The new RoboCop certainly looks cool. |
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