Film Review: RoboCop (2014)

Chances are that you know RoboCop, even if you've never seen the original films.  The cyborg, with his distinctive metal suit and silver helmet, has been one of the most iconic cinema heroes for the past 27 years.  The first film, directed with serious energy and edge by Paul Verhoeven, is still lauded as a phenomenally entertaining classic.  Just as it is with 2012's Total Recall (also a remake of a Verhoeven film), the new RoboCop offers a flashy update with modern effects and production designs, but to remake a classic would seem like sacrilege.

While many fans have been upset over this remake, I personally expected worse.  There are a few things I found likable about the new film.  Even though the film doesn't divulge in satire as much as the original did, it does spit out a few bits of faux media that underscores issues concerning drone warfare, foreign policy, corporate greed, manipulation of the media, and technology - all of which are pretty relevant to modern times.  The transformation of Alex Murphy into a machine is a pretty harrowing sight, but once it is complete, RoboCop exhibits some interesting new abilities (including access to CCTV, wireless networks, and the complete police department database, all at a whim).  The film maintains a steady focus on the character and his family (drama that was never really explored in the original films), and Alex's internal conflict of man and machine factors into the film's most interesting scenes.

Of course, there is also plenty of action to be had.  RoboCop busts through with all guns blazing in several scenes.  At one point, he even takes on several ED-209 drones all at once.  The shootouts are loud and the chase scenes are fast.  However, the filming of these scenes tend to be erratic, and the scenes themselves don't leave much of an impact.

The story covers some interesting ground, given the focus on Alex's constant struggle to maintain human emotion within his mechanical shell, and the focus on his wife and son.  However, the plot twists can be seen coming from miles away (especially for those already familiar with the tale).  The actual conspiracy involved only makes sense to a point, but it never feels as tight or relevant as it did in the original film.  The actual plot structure seems jerky and loose, before reaching a rather flat climax.  Given the serious tone of the film, all characters are pretty lacking in personality, and it only accentuates how flat and one-dimensional they are. 

Some of the most grievous complaints about this film, however, stem from the sheer lack of edge.  This film pushes on the boundaries of its PG-13 rating, dishing out only as much curse words and violence as it's allowed to.  While a film certainly doesn't have to be hardcore-R-rated to be good, this rendition of RoboCop glosses over the violence and candy-coats things to a more unrealistic degree.  Paul Verhoeven made it a point to show violence on-screen, with extreme gore and pain, because he felt it was dangerous to shy away from those things and give audiences an unrealistic interpretation of violence.  2014's RoboCop might as well be living proof of his notion; a child is murdered in the opening scenes, but you don't see it, because of the way the film is edited and shot.  Thus, the film loses its impact, and the scene just breezes by without invoking much of a response.  The movie doesn't just gloss over the blood and guts though; it's also stripped of most of the satire that populated the original film, and I also found it odd that very little crime and crime-fighting is shown.  I mean, this is Detroit, right? Why does it look so shiny and modern? You'd never guess there was a crime problem in the film, if it wasn't for the characters talking about it.

This film is made with some pretty shaky photography.  Editing is okay, but it felt like some scenes were chopped off a little too short.  Acting won't really knock anybody's socks off; Gary Oldman easily provides the best performance of the lot.  I wasn't sure about Joel Kinnaman at first, but as he went on as RoboCop, I felt he handled the emotional and robotic sides of the character pretty well.  Michael Keaton is fine and dandy playing a slimeball character, Abbie Cornish is okay as Mrs. Murphy, didn't care for Jackie Earle Haley's character, and Samuel L. Jackson pops in on occasion to yell some stuff at us.  I really didn't care for anybody else's performance in the film, but it is notably disappointing to see that nobody has any lasting stature, especially when compared to the original film.  Writing is not that great; it's able to get things moving along, but without really filling anything with good meaning.  Occasional references and lines from the original film do little to mask the shortcomings.  This production has some slick-looking sets, props, costumes and locales.  Some of the choices (like the black RoboCop outfit, or the revamped ED-209) will not sit well with everybody.  Some of the music choices seemed really odd to me; I didn't mind the actual music score, but it seemed pretty random.

There are things I enjoyed about the RoboCop remake, but the film is not without its issues.  The most glaring of which is that it's rather watered-down.  Paul Verhoeven originally showed us a gritty world of corruption and crime where people really bled and died in the name of justice; José Padilha shows a slick-looking dramatization with a few neat ideas, but it doesn't have nearly as much weight.  It's pretty much on-par with the Total Recall remake, which also had its share of neat ideas, but was not nearly as memorable.  The best that can be said is that this version of RoboCop might be the closest thing we have to a Metal Gear Solid film.

I'd only recommend this as a rental to interested sci-fi fans.

3/5 (Entertainment:  Pretty Good | Story:  Average | Film:  Average)

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Film Review: Rocky

There are those with a lot of brains and those with a lot of brawn; both paths offer their share of opportunities and temptations. For those with more muscle than smarts, the world of professional boxing may offer a viable true calling, but a shot at the title is a rare privilege. Rocky is the story of a man who's given that rare privilege, and rises to the challenge to prove that he's more than just a bum off the streets.

If nothing else, Rocky Balboa is one of the most iconic characters in cinema, and his training scenes are among some of the most iconic scenes in film history. The film's biggest action occurs at the beginning and end, with the dramatic and intense boxing matches; in between, the film focuses less on boxing and more on the drama surrounding the character. It is a compelling drama, filled with violent outbursts and pathological struggles that really help define the characters and make the story relevant. However, the film does lose its momentum in the middle, and the plot becomes a bit random before Rocky shapes up and finally fights Apollo Creed.

Despite some drag, the film does have a compelling story. Most of the film's power resides in the main character, who is a perfectly lovable good guy with a good heart, but is constantly forced to hurt people to make ends meet; when he isn't in the ring, he uses his brawn on the street. However, much of the film is about Rocky rising out of the gutter and becoming something more than what he is; on a fundamental level, the film embodies an inspirational power and thematic depth that could apply to anybody in the world. It ultimately amounts to a full manifestation of the American dream: the story of a man who defies all odds and all adversities to rise out of the lower class and fight on the same level as a heavyweight champion. It doesn't even matter if Rocky wins or loses; he proves definitively that there's more than one way to win in life.

This film is as rough and gritty as they come. The photography is solid and steady, but with some very drab and grainy color schemes. Sylvester Stallone has never had much elegance in his roles, but as Rocky, he works within his limitations and takes full advantage to give his character decent depth and nuance. I always found Burt Young's character totally unlikable, but Talia Shire is cute. Carl Weathers is not bad as Apollo Creed, and Burgess Meredith is awesome. Writing is pretty good overall. This production uses some very real-looking sets, props, and costumes. The locales are especially interesting, because they look so scuzzy most of the time, it paints a pretty grim world around Rocky, which help give his struggles more weight. Bill Conti's music score is quite iconic and uplifting.

The history of the film is pretty interesting as well, given that Stallone's own life mirrors Rocky's to a point. Much like the boxer he portrays, Stallone started off poor and obscure, but took a chance on a script that seemed like it'd be a long shot. That script turned into this movie; this movie turned into a franchise, and Stallone is still successful to this day.

Although there are parts of this film I find a bit slow, it is a compelling story that's well worth watching. It has a depth and spirit that anybody can draw inspiration from; if you have a dream that seems impossible, you can achieve it if you exercise your talents and go the distance.

Recommended!

4/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Good)

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Film Review: King Kong vs Godzilla (Kingu Kongu Tai Gojira)

Here it is:  the most gargantuan battle of monsters anybody could come up with.  From the west, there's the massive gorilla that was worshiped by natives and went on to climb the Empire State building.  From the Far East, the giant fire-breathing lizard spawn from the atomic age that crushes entire cities.  This film unites the two iconic titans in a vicious match of pure bestial muscle power.

As cool as it all sounds, the film may inspire more absurd laughter than actual thrills.  When the two beasts collide, King Kong throws his arms around in a hokey ape-like manner, while Godzilla throws a hissy-fit and flaps his arms erratically.  In the confines of gaudy rubber suits, it looks incredibly silly.  The actual mass destruction is plentiful, but these scenes seem so few and far-between.  By the film's end (after a ridiculous scene where Kong is airlifted by balloons), the conflict just kinda fizzles out with no clear winner or loser.  It's a cheap and dated film with horrid special effects and bad costume work; even if you look past that, the execution is so weak that it can't be taken seriously.

Of course, if you don't take it seriously (and you probably shouldn't for monster flicks anyway), then it's still pretty fun.  Fans should get a kick out of the epic clash, despite all its cheesiness and flaws.

The story is pretty standard stuff; most characters exist to simply to provide a human conduit for the audience to follow as the monsters roam around.  The plot does take a few stupid turns (seriously, King Kong flying around on balloons? And since when can he grow stronger with electricity?).

This film is pretty cheap, featuring okay photography and editing.  Acting is pretty cheesy, and is made even worse with terrible English dubbing.  Writing is pretty nutty (possibly marred by the changes of the US cut).  This production uses some cheap and gaudy sets, props, costumes, model-work, and some horrid-looking compositing effects.  Music is okay.

This film has had a pretty spotty history.  For the US, parts of it have been cut out, and many new footage has been cut in, in a manner similar to Godzilla:  King of the Monsters.  I don't know what the exact changes are, but the added news reports and exposition feel quite forced, and some of the explanations given seem misinformed, and possibly biased to appeal to Americans.  Even in Japan, parts of the film have gone missing (some of which has been restored for home video releases), and the overall condition of the film has been poor. 

This film is probably best seen for watching the two titular beasts duke it out, in all their cheesy rubber-suit glory.  It's not a good film, and the story is pretty dumb (at least for the US version), but if you ever wanted to see two of the biggest and most popular monsters engaged in epic combat, this film has its moments.

3/5 (Entertainment:  Pretty Good | Story:  Marginal | Film:  Marginal)

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Film Review: Only God Forgives

For much of 2013, it seemed like the movie's poster, with the dragon in neon lights, was beckoning me, perhaps even taunting me and daring me to watch this film.  Since Drive was such a big hit just a couple of years earlier, this follow up from Nicolas Refn and Ryan Gosling looked like it'd be more of the same, but fans may find that Only God Forgives is a totally different animal of a film:  many find it distasteful, weird, shallow, and just plain bad.  I would have agreed with those assessments at first glance as well, but as with most works of art (especially in film), it took a fresh new viewing to look past the initial expectations and appreciate it as it is.  This is not Drive; this is Valhalla Rising, with all the same primal brutality, but swapping out the lands of the Norse with the seedy grungy streets of Bangkok.

This film moves with a slow and brooding pace, which will strain the patience of many viewers.  For those with the patience, the film will be mesmerizing and hypnotic, thanks to the film's beautiful compositions and vivid lighting.  Despite the pacing, most scenes rarely linger, and the film is pretty short overall; I think it's actually pretty notable that the film uses just as many scenes as it needs, cutting out the excess and keeping things simple.

The story is pretty simple and small-scale, but the narrative is not easy to digest.  Few words are spoken, and when they are, they're pretty quiet and they reveal very little.  Most of the film's story is relayed best through its imagery and the characters' expressions; the burden of the pathos rests purely on the way the characters regard each other, the way they treat each other, and the way they take revenge on each other.  Paying attention to these small nuances can reveal much about the characters, but without any straightforward answers, a lot of the story is left wide open to interpretation (and many viewers would probably dismiss it all as pretentious nonsense).  As I regard the story, I believe it lays out some basic archetypes (especially on a theological level) and sets up a massive series of eye-for-an-eye conflicts that lead up to an expressionist finale.  Ultimately, the characters go on to express themes of temptation, sin, vengeance, and authoritarian terror.

All that being said, the story is hard to take at face value.  Parts of it are hard to believe, if not outright unrealistic.  Parts of it make little sense, and the finale is pretty weird.

The film is as beautiful as they come.  It boasts some superb photography and editing.  Color and lighting are extremely vivid and powerful, painting each scene with bold imagery that drives the story and gives the whole thing meaning.  Acting is notably odd; most actors are statuesque and silent, but their expressions, movements, and compositions are very nuanced.  Writing is pretty minimalistic.  This production uses some very good-looking sets, props, and costumes.  Locales are authentic.  Cliff Martinez's music score is pretty awesome and accentuates the visuals beautifully.

Only God Forgives:  it looks like the companion piece to Gaspar Noé's Enter the Void, and it feels like Stanley Kubrick.  Its narrative and pacing is not nearly as palatable as Drive, and if you're expecting something on that level, you will likely be disappointed.  But what the film lacks in narrative or straightforward dialogue, it makes up for with pure expressionism.

Since the film is so polarizing, I'd only recommend renting this film first, to see if it can captivate you the way it's captivated me.

4.5/5 (Experience:  Good | Content:  Good | Film:  Perfect)

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Film Review: RoboCop 3

The part-man-part-machine-all-cop hero is back! Unfortunately, he's not the same.  The third film in the franchise swaps out Peter Weller for Robert Burke, and director Fred Dekker doesn't have nearly as much guts his predecessors.

The good news is that the film is still pretty fun.  There is plenty of action to be had, with lots of shoot-outs, chases, and explosive scenes of all-out revolution.  RoboCop continues to beat the snot out of bad guys (including samurai robots), and in one daring scene, he even straps on a jetpack and flies!

However, the experience of this film is substantially fluffier and more lightweight than the last two films.  As a PG-13 film, all the pulp and gore is stripped away, setting a totally different tone and style.  This also leaves the door wide open for a plethora of scenes that are silly and cheesy.  Even though the film maintains a decent pacing, and it can be serious when it wants to, most of it is ridiculous to the point of being unamusing and daft.

The story has a few bright spots:  it is pretty interesting to see how OCP becomes so Nazi-esque that they incur RoboCop's wrath.  However, the film takes a few liberties that might be upsetting for fans (especially concerning one of the series' most beloved characters).  Aside from that, the story plays out in a pretty standard fashion, and little is added to the established characters.  Despite a few interesting ideas, there's little satire or thematic depth to be found.

This film uses good, but rarely great, photography and editing.  Acting is pretty silly and over-the-top from the whole cast; it worked great under Paul Verhoeven, but with Dekker's direction, this level of excess is not nearly as effective.  Writing is average at best.  This production has some okay-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects.  The music score brings back the classic theme of the first film, but doesn't really much variation on it.

RoboCop 3 is the film where RoboCop commandeers a pimpmobile, catches a bullet with his bare hands, and where ED-209 becomes loyal as a puppy.  This is pretty much on the same level as 1995's Judge Dredd; both films have the potential for some serious edge, but it is dulled pretty heavily by simply being too cheesy and lightweight.  It's easily the worst of the original series, but still entertaining as a guilty pleasure.

Recommended only to the most diehard of RoboCop fans.

3/5 (Entertainment:  Good | Story:  Average | Film:  Marginal)

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Film Review: RoboCop 2

After a phenomenally exciting and bloody debut, who wouldn't want more of RoboCop? While this sequel doesn't quite carry as much manic energy or thematic strength as Paul Verhoeven's film, it does continue in the same vein and deliver more of the same.  It's still a wild, ultraviolent world full of rip-roaring action and pulp.

RoboCop 2 boasts some decent standout moments.  Its opening is an intensely seedy sequence that tracks multiple people getting attacked and mugged, one after another, setting things up for RoboCop to bust in and take care of business.  There are a few decent chases and shootouts, especially during the finale, which pits RoboCop against a robot criminal.  The film suffers just a little bit of drag, but it manages to maintain the same tone and spirit of the original film, making it consistently entertaining.  Yep, there are even a few great fake commercials thrown in.

The story takes a few random tangents, but they are good ones.  If you ever wondered what was going on with Murphy's family, this film expands a bit more on that.  The film takes a pretty amusing turn when OCP decides to transform RoboCop into a less violent crime-fighter, focusing more on community service and being all goody-good.  The film's main track, however, dives into a conflict surrounding drugs, gangsters, corporate greed, and OCP trying to find a better RoboCop.  It all adds up to a pretty decent expansion on the original story, and it's quite fun overall.  When it comes to the finer points, however, the satire, social themes, and themes of humanity will come up a little dry when compared to the first film.

Irvin Kershner directs this film competently, with solid photography and editing.  Peter Weller and Nancy Allen reprise their roles comfortably, and everybody else does a decent enough job.  It can be a little startling (maybe even offensive) to see a kid playing a serious gangster role, complete with adult language.  Writing is okay.  This production uses good-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects.  Music is okay.

Not quite as tight or deep as the first film, but this sequel still offers a satisfying follow-up, and it is pretty darn fun.  Recommended for anybody who wants more RoboCop.

4/5 (Entertainment:  Good | Story:  Pretty Good | Film:  Good)

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Film Review: RoboCop (1987)

Things will get worse before they get better (if they ever get better, especially in Detroit).  In one possible future, it could become a mad world of ecological, economical, political, and commercial excesses.  It could be a terrifying breeding ground for more extreme and violent crime, which would call for a more extreme and powerful type of police officer.  Enter RoboCop:  a hybrid of man and machine to make a perfect cop.

This film starts off hard and fast, and remains perfectly entertaining throughout its short run-time.  It's jam-packed with pulpy hardcore action, with loads of shootouts, chases, and some really gnarly kills.  The film strikes a perfect pace, never lingering too long on any of the action or drama, but still offering just enough to satisfy.  The film gets really extreme with its exaggerated (perhaps cheesy) level of acting, its level of bloodshed, and its satire, but it's awesome that way.

Most of the film's appeal, however, is that it's so fundamental and simple.  It goes through a basic death-and-rebirth storyline, which provides the origin of the character and drives the rest of the story through retribution and corporate conspiracy.  There is just enough attention to the characters to make them relevant and endearing.

On top of that, however, the film also packs in a lot of thought-provoking ideas.  Some of the funniest and most memorable scenes include faux news reports and commercials with a strong satirical edge, which provides more background on the crazy world RoboCop inhabits.  The film breezes through numerous themes regarding capitalism, the mass media, gentrification, and overall dystopia.  The film also raises a bunch of pertinent questions regarding technology and its application, especially with a strong man-vs-machine theme at work.  Alex Murphy proves definitively that law enforcement can't be fully automated; an officer needs human compassion and free-will.  No matter how hard the enemies try to destroy all that makes Murphy human, he triumphs every time, over the machine of society and the machine within him.

This film features some crazy and intense photography, the likes of which only Paul Verhoeven can direct.  The shots are often tight, with some scenes that use wild and unusual angles.  There are a number of point-of-view shots, which are ingenious.  Camera movements are solid and smooth.  Editing is decent.  Acting is over-the-top and exaggerated, for fantastic effect; Peter Weller and Nancy Allen are pretty earnest and great to watch, while Kurtwood Smith, Ronny Cox, and Miguel Ferrer all excel at being bad guys we love to hate.  Writing is concise and sharp, and there are quite a few good, memorable lines.  This production uses some cheap and outdated props and sets, but the architecture and technology is often used to create a unique post-modern look and style.  Costumes are great, and the special effects hold up well.  Music is pretty catchy too.

RoboCop is one of those films that feels longer than it is, because within the confines of its simple and fundamental story, it crafts a dense storytelling experience that's full of energy as it is full of ideas.  Best of all, it's a film with some serious guts:  a piece of pulp sci-fi the likes of which you probably won't find too often in Hollywood anymore.

Over the film's home video history, there has been both the original R-rated cut and the unrated director's cut available.  Really, it only amounts to 30 seconds of additional footage (mostly violence).

Recommended for mature audiences.

5/5 (Entertainment:  Perfect | Story:  Very Good | Film:  Very Good)

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