Robocop (2014)
Writers: Joshua Zetumer, Michael Miner, and Edward Neumeier
Starring: Joel Kinnaman (Alex Murphy/Robocop), Gary Oldman (Dr. Dennett Norton), Michael Keaton (Raymond Sellars), Abbie Cornish (Clara Murphy), Jackie Earle Haley (Rick Mattox), Michael Kenneth Williams (Jack lewis), Jennifer Ehle (Liz Kline), Jay Baruchel (Tom Pope), Marianne Jean Baptiste (Chief Karen Dean), Samuel L. Jackson (Pat Novak), Aimee Garcie (Jae Kim), Douglas Urbanski (Mayor Durant), John Paul Ruttan (David Murphy), Patrick Garrow (Antoine Vallon), K.C. Collins (Andre Danials), Danial Kash (John Lake), and Zach Grenier as Senator Hubert Dreyfuss.
The story begins as TV personality Pat Novak (Samuel L. Jackson) introduces himself on his show the "Novak Element" he begins by using the touch technology, touch drag, pulling up the desired location, a holographic image of the topic of conversation. Novak (Jackson) pulls Tehran where one of Omnicorp's employee, Rick Mattox (Jackie Earle Haley) is about to demonstrate the combat ready robots, and the ED-209 series. A camera crew on location is filming the locals and the exchange between the human beings and robots. Novak (Jackson) giving his audience a deep, in depth perspective on the exchange.
Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton) wants to bring the robots to the streets of America, vanquishing crime forever. The US Senator Hubert Dreyfuss (Zach Grenier) opposes Sellars (Keaton) view on protecting the citizens of the United States." Robots to not feel, they just do what they're told or programmed to do," -Senator Hubert Dreyfuss-
Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) local Detroit police detective with his partner Jack Lewis (Michael Kenneth Williams) are to close to a case involving Antoine Vallon the local crime boss. Lewis landed himself in the hospital because of an exchange of gunfire with Vallon and his men, an exchange that occurred earlier which brings Murphy to the office of Chief Karen Dean (Marianne Jean Baptiste). Murphy explains how his partner and him have been working on Vallon for sometime. Finding a shipment of illegal firearms, he then explains that they had found guns that belonged to the department, which should've been locked up in the evidence room. Indicating bad cops on Vallon's payroll. The Chief reprimands Murphy for taking on the case, without her consent. Angered by the office visit, he continues to put pressure on Vallon, which in turn angers the crime boss.
Murphy goes home to his wife Clara (Abbie Cornish), and 10 year old son David (John Paul Ruttan). Murphy puts David to bed, as things heat up, Clara starts to get intimate, as the car alarm goes off. Worrying that the sound of the alarm would wake up his son, Murphy goes out to the car, he notices that the car alarm wouldn't stop whining, so he approaches, opens the car door and boom! an explosion occurs killing Murphy. Unknown by the family, OmniCorp has a different plan for the courageous detective, his efforts as a police detective will go unnoticed. Loss of limbs, functions, everything that was once Alex Murphy is gone. OmiCorp's team meets with Clara Murphy (Abbie Cornish) to explain her husbands situation, which according to Dr. Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman), Murphy (Kinnaman) could be saved, he would look different, but ultimately she would have her husband back, and replaced by something the corporation has deemed valuable to the survival of the company, project Robocop was born.
Rant: the actors in the film did well, Kinnaman's Robocop is pretty good, and Alex Murphy's courageous Detroit detective was on target. Gary Oldman as Dr. Dennett Norton is always smooth with every part this actor is in, he could have a beat cop part in the background, that's all the picture would need. Because Gary Oldman is the film. Michael Keaton as the head of the corporation is really good, Keaton is a good actor, as the antagonist, the part was done well, no complaints. Last but not least i would like to bring up the actress Abbie Cornish, she played Clara Murphy, her part was done well, an underrated actress, her part as Clara was on target, loved it.
Story: the overall story is good, i loved the "Novak Element," it was fun, engaging the approach was good. OmniCorp's objectives are really good in this current film, i love how they made it a global issue, and whatever worked for the world will work in America. Even after Murphy (Kinnaman) gets blown to pieces the story is solid, the corporation with its own agenda tells his wife what she needs to hear, either way the Robocop project will continue with her consent or not, so it was a good idea to have the lead Doctor explain it to her, it was done with taste, i really loved those scenes because it stabilized the story beyond the special effects.
The antagonists in the film were pretty weak, let me explain, here we go. The 1987 version we had Dick Jones (Ronny Cox), Clarence J. Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith), Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer), the Old Man (Dan O'Herlihy). These guys packed a punch, they did not hold back, if you remember the 87 film, Boddicker came after Murphy with his guys, he never held back or hid from sight. The bad guys were bad, and it showed, they went far and, beyond to achieve there goals no matter the cost. The 2014 film, Vallon (Garrow) is a crime boss but yet he ordered a bomb to be placed in Murphy's car, not to seem harsh but that was lame. Why not kill his family, then shoot him, even with a PG-13 rating you could've faded the violence, its part of what is cool, and enjoyable in making a movie. Think out of the box, make the scenes happen. The 87 film villains were hated because the way they pursued the good guy, making it difficult for him to think, making the good guy nervous, always thinking of the next step.
My earlier reviews i mentioned connection in the 80s, well this film proves my point. What if Vallon had come after Murphy like Boddicker did? in the 80s, would the film have a different feel? yes it would because Boddicker was a living breathing evil incarnate. Vallon is just a crime boss, even crime bosses get there hands wet; not afraid to kick butt! especially when a cop gets in the way of their business. The connections between Murphy and Vallon wasn't strong enough, Vallon's background was minor, and in my opinion should've been elaborated. Michael Keaton was really good in this as the head of OmniCorp, his part and character development was done to perfection. But, what if Jackie Earle Haley (Rick Mattox) traded places with Patrick Garrow (Antoine Vallon)? these two characters are very different but in some respects the same. You get the harshness of Mattox as a crime boss, and Vallon as a security OmniCorp head would've been a really good change. The reason i love Mattox because he reached out to Murphy, made fun of him, teased him, called him weak, and that my friend is a well written antagonist, but it wasn't enough to carry the film. Vallon was the crime boss and Mattox was the security, uniformed professional, an OmniCorp employee.
The 2014 Robocop is unique on its own, not because i made comparisons to the original but because it really is its own film. Close your eyes and forget the 1987 version of Robocop was made and you get a well done action movie, that being said understand that the director and lead actors tried to get an R rating but was declined by the studio. His hands were tied, his fresh ideas were laid to rest, that's what happens with creative licensing in reverse, it puts you in a pickle. Either way the film was good on its own, the director did what they had to do to make this film possible.
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