Robocop (2014)
3/4
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Jennifer Ehle, Jay Baruchel, Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Garrow, Michael K. Williams
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Action including Frenetic Gun Violence Throughout, Brief Strong Language, Sensuality and Some Drug Material
The good news about the "Robocop" remake is that it hasn't been dumbed down. In fact, it's a bit better. The script is stronger, and while it's nowhere near as violent as Paul Verhoeven's film, it's an effective piece of filmmaking.
Alex Murphy (Kinnaman) is a good cop, even if he is a little impulsive. After his partner (Williams) is nearly killed, Alex makes it his mission to take down Antoine Vallow (Garrow), the drug lord responsible. Unfortunately that ends badly, Alex is left on death's door after his car explodes. Enter Omnicorp. The company has robots keeping other countries safe, but a law prevents robots from being used in combat in the United States. As a result, Omnicorp is losing billions. CEO Raymond Sellars (Keaton) finds a way to go around it by creating a cop that is half man and half machine. In this way, he'll put a human face on the issue and sway public opinion in his favor. And he's found the perfect candidate in Alex Murphy. But there's a problem: Alex's emotions prevent him from being just as good as a robot, which would make the entire project pointless. Sellars wants to dial them down, while the lead scientist, Dennett Norton (Oldman), prefers to keep them. Who will win?
In nearly every way, "Robocop" is different from the original. It has the same basic premise, but the treatments are radically different. The original was a satire of big business. This one is a comment on politics and and science fiction. The line between national security and freedom is a prevalent issue now, movies included. "Robocop" gives both sides of the spectrum equal due; there's an ongoing political commentary by a Sean Hannity-inspired newsman played by Samuel L. Jackson that emphasizes this point (side note: this is an innovative way to present these ideas. The film neatly divides the film into chapters, and the story plays out the points that Jackson's character makes).
Additionally, the focus of the film is on Alex's soul, if you will. The plotline of him fighting crime or taking down Vallow is kept on the backburner. Director Jose Padilha's focus is on finding the balance between man and machine. That's not to say that there's no action (there is, and it's nicely staged), but this is a more thoughtful picture than one might anticipate.
The performances are effective. Joel Kinnaman is too low-key as Alex, but he gets us on his side, and that's all that's required. Gary Oldman's performance is too similar to Jim Gordon in Nolan's Batman trilogy to be coincidental. It's not a bad performance, but what happened to the energy and charisma that he displayed in movies like "Air Force One" and "The Contender?" I'll give points to Michael Keaton for trying to stretch his range as a villain, but he's merely adequate. He doesn't have the edge he needs to be truly unlikable.
By all accounts, this movie did not have a happy production history. Director Jose Padilha complained of studio interference during production. That's almost never a good sign, but fortunately, this is one of those instances where it doesn't show. This isn't a visual blitz to bring in foreign audiences. It's about ideas, and that's a rarity in movies these days.
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Jennifer Ehle, Jay Baruchel, Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Garrow, Michael K. Williams
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Action including Frenetic Gun Violence Throughout, Brief Strong Language, Sensuality and Some Drug Material
The good news about the "Robocop" remake is that it hasn't been dumbed down. In fact, it's a bit better. The script is stronger, and while it's nowhere near as violent as Paul Verhoeven's film, it's an effective piece of filmmaking.
Alex Murphy (Kinnaman) is a good cop, even if he is a little impulsive. After his partner (Williams) is nearly killed, Alex makes it his mission to take down Antoine Vallow (Garrow), the drug lord responsible. Unfortunately that ends badly, Alex is left on death's door after his car explodes. Enter Omnicorp. The company has robots keeping other countries safe, but a law prevents robots from being used in combat in the United States. As a result, Omnicorp is losing billions. CEO Raymond Sellars (Keaton) finds a way to go around it by creating a cop that is half man and half machine. In this way, he'll put a human face on the issue and sway public opinion in his favor. And he's found the perfect candidate in Alex Murphy. But there's a problem: Alex's emotions prevent him from being just as good as a robot, which would make the entire project pointless. Sellars wants to dial them down, while the lead scientist, Dennett Norton (Oldman), prefers to keep them. Who will win?
In nearly every way, "Robocop" is different from the original. It has the same basic premise, but the treatments are radically different. The original was a satire of big business. This one is a comment on politics and and science fiction. The line between national security and freedom is a prevalent issue now, movies included. "Robocop" gives both sides of the spectrum equal due; there's an ongoing political commentary by a Sean Hannity-inspired newsman played by Samuel L. Jackson that emphasizes this point (side note: this is an innovative way to present these ideas. The film neatly divides the film into chapters, and the story plays out the points that Jackson's character makes).
Additionally, the focus of the film is on Alex's soul, if you will. The plotline of him fighting crime or taking down Vallow is kept on the backburner. Director Jose Padilha's focus is on finding the balance between man and machine. That's not to say that there's no action (there is, and it's nicely staged), but this is a more thoughtful picture than one might anticipate.
The performances are effective. Joel Kinnaman is too low-key as Alex, but he gets us on his side, and that's all that's required. Gary Oldman's performance is too similar to Jim Gordon in Nolan's Batman trilogy to be coincidental. It's not a bad performance, but what happened to the energy and charisma that he displayed in movies like "Air Force One" and "The Contender?" I'll give points to Michael Keaton for trying to stretch his range as a villain, but he's merely adequate. He doesn't have the edge he needs to be truly unlikable.
By all accounts, this movie did not have a happy production history. Director Jose Padilha complained of studio interference during production. That's almost never a good sign, but fortunately, this is one of those instances where it doesn't show. This isn't a visual blitz to bring in foreign audiences. It's about ideas, and that's a rarity in movies these days.
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