RoboCop (1987)
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy
Synopsis:
A Detroit policeman is brutalized by criminals and left for dead, only to be brought back as a state-of-the-art cyborg.
Impressions:
First off, let me say that I'm not a fan of Paul Verhoeven. I loathe his butchery of Starship Troopers and I think Total Recall is overrated. Despite my dislike for him as a filmmaker and our very differing views, I will say that this is a rather good movie. The sociopolitical commentary makes me roll my eyes, but as satire goes, I've seen worse. It does play fairly well to the era. I particularly like the villainous duo of Ronny Cox as executive Dick Jones and Kurtwood Smith as gang boss and cop-killer Clarence Boddicker. They make for a strong combo. Peter Weller does quite well in the title role and Nancy Allen is a good complement to his character as Officer Lewis. Boddicker's goons make for a colorful assortment as well. The special effects and the action are quite good as well. I did find the ED-209's animal noises a little silly, though. I also want to credit the score by Basil Poledouris. The main theme in particular is brilliant.
This is an altogether solid film and people who share Verhoeven's views are likely to get extra enjoyment out of it. Even if you just watch it for the action, it'll be worth your time. I'd buy that for a dollar.
Rating:Watch It