RoboCop (1987)

In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writers:

Edward Neumeier, Michael Miner

Stars:

Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Weller	...	Murphy / RoboCop
Nancy Allen	...	Lewis
Dan O'Herlihy	...	The Old Man (as Daniel O'Herlihy)
Ronny Cox	...	Jones
Kurtwood Smith	...	Clarence
Miguel Ferrer	...	Morton
Robert DoQui	...	Sgt. Reed
Ray Wise	...	Leon
Felton Perry	...	Johnson
Paul McCrane	...	Emil
Jesse D. Goins	...	Joe (as Jesse Goins)
Del Zamora	...	Kaplan
Calvin Jung	...	Minh
Rick Lieberman	...	Walker
Lee de Broux	...	Sal (as Lee DeBroux)

Storyline

Detroit - in the future - is crime-ridden, and run by a massive company. The company have developed a huge crime-fighting robot, which unfortunately develops a rather dangerous glitch. The company sees a way to get back in favor with the public when a cop called Alex Murphy is killed by a violent robbers. Murphy's body is reconstructed within a steel shell and named RoboCop. Though RoboCop is very successful against criminals, soon he has to face the very gang who killed him. Detroit - in the future - is crime-ridden and run by a massive company. The company has developed a huge crime-fighting robot, which unfortunately develops a rather dangerous glitch. The company sees a way to get back in favor with the public when policeman Alex Murphy is killed by violent robbers. Murphy's body is reconstructed within a steel shell and called RoboCop. Though RoboCop is very successful against criminals, he soon has to face the very gang who killed him.

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Plot Keywords:

robot | police | cyborg | graphic violence | robocop | 

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Taglines:

The future of law enforcement.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Before Peter Weller was cast, Rutger Hauer was another actor in line to play RoboCop. However, it was decided that he was too large to fit into the costume. Weller won the role because of his slender 5'10½ frame and the expressiveness of his lower face.

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Goofs

When RoboCop is at the gun range, Bob Morton is standing behind him and is not wearing protection for his eyes or ears. For issues of safety and legal liability, the range master should not have permitted him to enter a live fire area without protection for his ears and eyes. However, Morton has already demonstrated that as a senior member of OCP, he has no regard for police authority or regulations, because they "own" the police.

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Quotes

[first lines]
News Crew: This is Media Break. You give us 3 minutes, and we'll give you the world.
Casey Wong: Good morning. I'm Casey Wong, with Jess Perkins. Top story: Pretoria. The threat of nuclear confrontation in South Africa escalated today when the ruling white military government of that besieged city-state unveiled a French-made neutron bomb and affirmed its willingness to use the 3 megaton device as the city's last line of defense.
Jesse Perkins: And the President's first press conference from the Star Wars orbiting peace ...

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Crazy Credits

The title "ROBOCOP" reverse zoptic effects through the middle "O". The title turns into television white noise and zoptics forward, then cuts to the television station.

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Alternate Versions

The Swedish is also heavily cut. Most scenes involving shooting have been shortened or cut out, including the "death" shooting of Murphy by the gang, the shootout at the drug factory and the ED-209 killing a OCP employee. In addition, several scens have been omitted. The gang member who gets thrown out of the van, Emils' disintegration and death.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Moonstruck/Overboard/September/*Batteries Not Included/Ironweed (1987)

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Soundtracks

Show Me Your Spine
Music by P.T.P.

User Reviews

80s Classic That Didn't Need Remaking

In a crime ridden Detroit of the near future a corporate company OCP has the answer to fighting crime - invent a new type of policeman who won't go on strike . After the death of a policeman called Murphy they stick his body in to a metal shell . Murphy however can still remember a time when he was human

I once did an evening film course called Talking Pictures which would involve watching a film then having a two hour group discussion on the film . I saw the filmography before the class started and the vast majority would be art house foreign cinema . The one exception was ROBOCOP and I knew instantly this was the one that was going to split the group right down the middle in to love it or hate it with no in between . True to form this how things worked out . Most the class despised it wondering why the class had to watch such a cartoonish commercial film . I however did state I loved it and considered it to be the third best SF movie of the 1980s behind THE TERMINATOR and ALIENS

What makes ROBOCOP such a cerebral enjoyable film is the uncommon mix of social satire and no holds barred Verhoeven excess . While " greed is good " to a certain extent the idea of corporate capitalism is something to be rejected . A small self elected clique ruling over the Universe in order to maximise profits is a bad mix of capitalism meets self serving communism . Not so much a mixed economic system but more a combination of greedy speculators from one system being merged with the unthinking party loyalty of the other system . It's greed for money plus greed for power which is a marriage made in hell and being dead isn't enough to make you escape the clutches of OCP and the film revolves around the human element of Murphy remembering who he once was and it's this that is at the core of the movie

Of course Verhoeven isn't a director who does sentimental mawkish stuff and I doubt if the audience was wanting to see a Walt Disney film . What they were wanting to see was bad things happen to very bad people and you can't help cheering as criminals get killed , maimed , mutilated and in one case melted . It's a violent film but one that is so cartoonish that the violence is not to be taken seriously , a fact reflected in the loud slightly unrealistic acting style . This attitude wasn't enough to stop its British network premiere on ITV becoming farcical with a TV version being broadcast with notorious lines like " you gonna be a bad mother crusher " along with key scenes like the ones with mister melty conspicuous by their absence

There is of course a new version of ROBOCOP hitting the cinema this week but is a film I have no interest in watching judging by the clips I've seen of it . It's strange to think that another Verhoeven classic TOTAL RECALL was also recently remade . As it stands the original ROBOCOP remains one of the greatest genre films from the 1980s containing wit , satire and enjoyably mean carnage

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 July 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Robocop: The Future of Law Enforcement

Filming Locations:

Dallas Municipal Building - 106 South Harwood, Dallas, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,008,721, 19 July 1987

Gross USA:

$53,424,681

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$53,424,681

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 78 min (cut) 98 min (cut) 103 min (unrated director's cut) 91 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (35 mm prints) 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) DTS (special edition)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1