The concept may sound simple: half-man, half-robot, cleaning the streets of crime and fighting against the evil corporation that made him. That’s RoboCop in a nutshell. However, many overlook this metal hero story as just another action flick with a cool-looking protagonist. In truth, “RoboCop” remains an iconic, often unabashedly gory, sci-fi movie, consisting of layered characters, social commentary, and dark humor, mixed up in a believable dystopian future and carnage on the streets. “RoboCop” stands out among its sci-fi brethren, proudly bearing its own oddball tone, a new kind of hero, and real heart — even if it’s one made of chrome-plated steel.
Indeed, director Paul Verhoeven, along with writers Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner, created something special, but it wasn’t easy. For a film that almost didn’t make it out of production (per Hollywood Outbreak), this 1987 classic is remembered fondly and has (mostly) withstood the test of time. Today, the character can be seen as a downloadable fighter for “Mortal Kombat 11” or skin in “Fortnite,” and ‘ol Robo even has a new movie in the works. It’s hard to say if anything in the extended franchise will ever be able to match up to the original, from the live-action and animated shows, video games, sequels, and reboots, but as the original celebrates 35 years, we want to focus on the good and bad of RoboCop’s first and greatest adventure.
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Stephen Wilds 