Robocop (2014)

[Deckard]

Not sure if serious. I love Robocop immensely and it's still miles above the remake, but how can you question whether or not it's dated? It is undoubtedly a product of its time.

What about it would you call dated?

The suit looks better than the new one. The way he moves.

The sattire commericals are more true now than when the movie came out. Corporate greed and corruption rule this country, and Detroits as big a ****-hole as ever and filing for bankruptcy just like in the movie. Robo tech is no further along. Dancing Honda robots?

It's literally more true now than when it was released. It's why the movie Idiocracy terrifies me.

 

[thenammagazine]

Not sure if serious. I love Robocop immensely and it's still miles above the remake, but how can you question whether or not it's dated? It is undoubtedly a product of its time.

Not really. I'm not sure if you're serious about "loving RoboCop immensely." The practical effects in the movie are better than MOST of the CG effects used today. Detroit actually looks a hell of a lot worse than it did then. The actors' performances are just as genuine today as they were in '87. Hell, RoboCop himself looks 1000x better and more "robotic" than this stupid rubber Iron Man/Dark Knight wannabe. Save for the cars, the televisions (tubes), and Jones' death scene, all minor, I don't really see what's dated. Hell, the "message" in the film has never been more relevant than right now.

 

[Seph Stampede]

I was, of course, talking aesthetics and not story or concept. I'm not sure I'd agree about the practical effects, either. Aside from the helmet-less prosthetics and the actual Robocop costume, I don't think anything really holds up by today's standards. Especially the stop-motion ED-209. I'm not bashing the film, it's as good now as it always has been, I just think it is very firmly grounded in the 80s. But hey, that's just, like, my opinion, man.

 

[thenammagazine]

I was, of course, talking aesthetics and not story or concept. I'm not sure I'd agree about the practical effects, either. Aside from the helmet-less prosthetics and the actual Robocop costume, I don't think anything really holds up by today's standards. Especially the stop-motion ED-209. I'm not bashing the film, it's as good now as it always has been, I just think it is very firmly grounded in the 80s. But hey, that's just, like, my opinion, man.

Stop-motion ED-209 looks more realistic than superflipping, CG RoboCop. The ED-209 sequence from the remake looks like last-gen video game graphics. As far as aesthetics, you should try watching the film cleaned up, it looks great.

 

[Seph Stampede]

That is, of course, your opinion and you are extremely welcome to it.

 

[Leon 911]

I really dont understand the outburst. I like the original robocop too. But just cause we like that does not mean we should hate something without seeing. I am sure there are millions who have not seen the original robocop and if someone wants to present a "new" or "revised" take on it, why should we be so defensive about the whole thing.

Pls remember:

1) not everyone has seen the old robocop
2) not everyone who will see it now will enjoy it like we all did
3) there is a massive change in time, and while some cherish the essence of the 80s and i am one of them, i think i can still understand how some will completely switch off to a slow moving robo who probably a kid round the block can outrun.
4) lastly, batman from the 80s was kewl and i loved it, however trust me as of today i will watch the TDK way more than returns or begins.

Once again i am a huge fan and i bought the old robo, watched the movie a gazillion times, however seriously guys, there is a whole host of people, women, young kids, people from different countries who have recently begun to watch cross cultural movies and who care less for the old robocop, who go to movies to unwind and for the "fun" part and not to seriously analyze every movie to death like WE all do...

We are the ones who are supposed to be the analysers, the ones who are seeing the subtle satire in the movie and on the other hand we are not mature enough to understand the correlation between the target audience of a specific movie and an objective and rational of a business to cater to it.

Why so much hue and cry!

 

[galmando]

I really dont understand the outburst. I like the original robocop too. But just cause we like that does not mean we should hate something without seeing. I am sure there are millions who have not seen the original robocop and if someone wants to present a "new" or "revised" take on it, why should we be so defensive about the whole thing.

Pls remember:

1) not everyone has seen the old robocop
2) not everyone who will see it now will enjoy it like we all did
3) there is a massive change in time, and while some cherish the essence of the 80s and i am one of them, i think i can still understand how some will completely switch off to a slow moving robo who probably a kid round the block can outrun.
4) lastly, batman from the 80s was kewl and i loved it, however trust me as of today i will watch the TDK way more than returns or begins.

Once again i am a huge fan and i bought the old robo, watched the movie a gazillion times, however seriously guys, there is a whole host of people, women, young kids, people from different countries who have recently begun to watch cross cultural movies and who care less for the old robocop, who go to movies to unwind and for the "fun" part and not to seriously analyze every movie to death like WE all do...

We are the ones who are supposed to be the analysers, the ones who are seeing the subtle satire in the movie and on the other hand we are not mature enough to understand the correlation between the target audience of a specific movie and an objective and rational of a business to cater to it.

Why so much hue and cry!

Stop talking sense, we don't want that around here!!

 

[Dark_Knight_89]

The cinema I was in was packed, and the movie got a good response when the credits rolled. I really think that this movie will motivate certain people to watch '87 RoboCop when they otherwise wouldn't have bothered.

 

[Irvy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_TdoiIwnxg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Dark_Knight_89]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_TdoiIwnxg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I agree with him to an extent. This new movie wasn't necessary from the standpoint that story from the original is outdated, because it isn't. Like he says, all of the themes and ideas from RoboCop '87 are still very relevant today, which is why the same themes are present in RoboCop '14.

It COULD be argued that the movie is deemed necessary as a means to introducing a modern audience that either didn't know the RoboCop character existed or knew the character existed but wrongfully dismissed it due to it's age. It COULD be argued that the movie is deemed necessary as a means of making the studio money. Probably is.

Whether or not a movie is necessary is irrelevant, as it is the movie itself and it's own merits by which it should be judged. I disagree with weller's comments about this movie having a tough time to "beat" RoboCop '87. This movie was never trying to beat the original movie. Never. If you watch RoboCop '14, you can see that it was clearly made with due respect to the '87 film. It is giving a different interpretation of the character and story. The comments on social issues, commercialism, consumerism, corporate influence, the value of human life etc. are all there.

Whether or not a film is necessary does not reflect it's quality.

The new version is great, not as good as the original, but still an enjoyable and well made film.

RoboCop (1987) - 9/10

RoboCop (2014) - 8/10

 

[joebizz34]

Stop-motion ED-209 looks more realistic than superflipping, CG RoboCop. The ED-209 sequence from the remake looks like last-gen video game graphics. As far as aesthetics, you should try watching the film cleaned up, it looks great.

Although the stop motion technology is dated at this point.....I do agree with you that watching the film cleaned up helps with that visual. I just recently bought and watched the new 4K release on Blu and it looks awesome. I did a YouTube review on the disc and mentioned the same thing how the effects look blended in better and not as dated with this new cleaned up transfer.

 

[Python]

I think dated model effects always look better than dated or poorly implemented CGI...

 

[a-dev]

Robocop '87 is not dated except for the things Nam mentioned.

The stop motion ED-209 is no more 'off' than any CGI. Yes I can tell its a special effect. But I can pretty much instantly identify CGI as such aswell. So I see no superiority to modern effects. And at least the ED-209 of 87 was a real physical thing.

I think dated model effects always look better than dated or poorly implemented CGI...

Agreed.

That said I still liked the new film. Necessary? No not strictly but it happened and I don't personally feel it disrespects the original. It takes the basic premise and approaches it in a different way. Its good that, if they were determined to do it, they made it so different. Why just repeat the same thing. They tried that umpteen times with sequels and TV shows and cocked it up every time. If there was ever to be more Robocop, necessary or not, this was the way to do it.

 

[Dark_Knight_89]

Robocop '87 is not dated except for the things Nam mentioned.

The stop motion ED-209 is no more 'off' than any CGI. Yes I can tell its a special effect. But I can pretty much instantly identify CGI as such aswell. So I see no superiority to modern effects. And at least the ED-209 of 87 was a real physical thing.




Agreed.

That said I still liked the new film. Necessary? No not strictly but it happened and I don't personally feel it disrespects the original. It takes the basic premise and approaches it in a different way. Its good that, if they were determined to do it, they made it so different. Why just repeat the same thing. They tried that umpteen times with sequels and TV shows and cocked it up every time. If there was ever to be more Robocop, necessary or not, this was the way to do it.

Abso-bloody-exactly

 

[jye4ever]

4K mastering of original made the practical ED stuff look even better!

Plus the extra scenes finally look cleaned up.

 

[a-dev]

I do acknowledge though that the stance I'm taking there doesn't jibe with my feelings about MOS (where I constantly argue that they should have stuck to the Donner universe, I don't want no stinkin' ''new take'') I just think there was still potential with Donner's verse. Less so with the original incarnation of Robocop. Maybe that first film was just too good.

 

[karamazov80]

My primary issue with Man of Steel is that the character and mood aren't appropriate for the character and universe as I understand it in my mind, which were developed over the last 30 years reading comics, watching cartoons, watching the older movies, etc. I don't know much about the new Robocop, but the character isn't remotely as important as Superman is, and doesn't have a well established history of media focused on entertaining and teaching kids by portraying a certain character and stories in certain ways. So from that POV alone any update to Robocop wouldn't affect me very strongly.

 

[jye4ever]

Superman made Zod eat much more glass than Robocop did Clarence.

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

Kal initiated directive 5: '**** the public trust'.

 

[jye4ever]