PeruvianSkies
08-31-2007, 09:12 PM
Believe it or not Paul Verhoeven's ROBOCOP turned 20 years this year. I was only 7 years old when this film came out, yet I remember seeing it that year and was just amazed at the violence of that film, even 20 years later some of it is still shocking. I thought that I would provide a little retrospective on the film after owning 3 DVD versions of the film, including the most recent anniversary release as well as the Criterion DVD and Laserdisc of the film...yeah I guess you could say I am a fan.
Underrating Verhoeven
If ever a filmmaker was misunderstood upon arrival it would have to be Paul Verhoeven, however if anything can be said about his unique filmmaking style it's that his films appreciate over time. They age to a degree of perfection. Take STARSHIP TROOPERS for instance, or even BASIC INSTINCT, which both arrived with some degree of controversy and most people write these films off as mere fluff. Then a few years go by and a few critics who actually 'get it' start to re-evaluate the films and then as more people revisit the films they realize just how 'ahead of the time' they are in many respects. ROBOCOP not only stands the test of time, but it gets better with time. Verhoeven is often a grisly director who makes tongue-in-cheek moments at the oddest times, yet microscopes some of the most untouched human behaviors and dares to go where few filmmakers dare. Everyone else thinks about it, Verhoeven just points at the elephant in the room and then zooms in and enlarges the obvious things about our nature.
Predator & Copbots
1987 saw a few interesting films at the box office....FATAL ATTRACTION, LETHAL WEAPON, PREDATOR, and ROBOCOP, which was one of the top films that year upon it's arrival and it generated tons of buzz with it's violence. The film finished 16th that year in Gross sales, but was the strongest film of the Summer with the exception of LA BAMBA, which opened a week after. What has remained strong about the film is it's action scenes, special effects, and overall story. Very few films have the guts to do what this film essentially did, which is kill it's main character early on, turn him into a Robot, and then give him unexpected emotions even as a Robot, which is one of the central themes of the film. Can a robot have emotions? Where does the man end and the robot begin? What also remains interesting about the film is the different approaches to crime fighting. We are taken into a world where Detroit is overrun by violence and crime...the solution is [as the execs say] that Detroit has a 'cancer' and the only way to eliminate it is to build OVER the city. The idea is to create a superior officer that doesn't feel or think, it just follows orders then once crime is eliminated...rebuild. Can a society really survive without crime?
A World Without Grace
We find out early in the film that this 'supercop' named ED209 isn't exactly the best solution....just ask the guy that was shot to pieces in the boardroom. So, what next? Well, in competition for the prototype that delivers the best results the answer soon becomes ROBOCOP, after an officer is shot in the line of duty, yet is still 'alive' to some degree. They are able to transfigure him into a half-man/half robot crime fighter, although this 'robocop' is not suppose to have feelings or emotions either, just do what he is programmed to do, sounds like Vietnam eh? Well, if you listen to the commentary track on the Criterion Edition of the film or this 20th Anniversary edition you get that exact impression that much of the film parallel's the state of confusion that was - Vietnam. There has been much research on cops and their emotional states and how they deal with people at their worst, which is an underlying theme within the film. Officers see the world at it's worst sometimes...how can they possibly see the good in people? Although the idea of the film is to have a world where there is no grace either. For example, you are going 66mph in a 55mph zone...you get pulled over and there is no question..you broke the law, you pay the fine. No questions asked. Just a ticket to your name. If a real human being officer is handling the situation than some emotion plays into the equation. You give the officer some excuses and sometimes, but not always, you might get off with a warning. Imagine a world without kindness...or grace.
Not Just an Action Flick
Most people downplay this film as just a bizarre action movie from the 80's, but it's a memorable one for sure. There is more going on below the surface than some may realize, but upon revisiting this film comes alive with new a new depth that many can appreciate if given the time. Many of the themes of this film were also reintroduced on a military escapade called STARSHIP TROOPERS 10 years after ROBOCOP came out, both films are Verhoeven working at his absolute best. I'm glad that this new DVD is out for several awesome reasons....
I won't do an in-depth detailed review of this particular DVD, but I can say that it's the one to own of the film if you have any interest. The best thing about this DVD is that it contains 3 audio tracks...the original 4.0 Dolby audio track that recreates the films intended 4.0 magnetic tracks and this film was the first ever to use the analog spectral recording system, which is usually known as SR upon it's release, plus it was issued on 70mm blowup prints. The 4.0 on this DVD holds up well and has some nice thickness to it, there is also a 5.1 Dolby track that is similar to what was offered on the other DVD's issued by MGM through the years. The ROBOCOP TRILOGY DVD offered by MGM was also a nicely restored print too, but the print here is much better with a cleaner print, better color definition and superior contrast. The final nail in the coffin though is a wonderful inclusion of a DTS 5.1 mix, which is really great. The film has some awesome subtle moments where the mix really takes advantage and finally a few scenes sound the way they did in theaters. For instance, the scene where ED209 enters the boardroom, which was always dull in DD 5.1 because the 'thud' of ED209's foot hitting the boardroom floor always sounded tame and ...lame. Now, the DTS adds the necessary thickness needed to give the heightened sense of that moment. I am glad that we have the ability to choose between 3 audio tracks.
There is also the commentary from Verhoeven that is exception and quite a few extras, plus it's in a hard tin case with a second bonus disc full of extras. I find that going through these bonus features only adds more appreciation to this already underrated film that is on it's way to becoming a classic.
Underrating Verhoeven
If ever a filmmaker was misunderstood upon arrival it would have to be Paul Verhoeven, however if anything can be said about his unique filmmaking style it's that his films appreciate over time. They age to a degree of perfection. Take STARSHIP TROOPERS for instance, or even BASIC INSTINCT, which both arrived with some degree of controversy and most people write these films off as mere fluff. Then a few years go by and a few critics who actually 'get it' start to re-evaluate the films and then as more people revisit the films they realize just how 'ahead of the time' they are in many respects. ROBOCOP not only stands the test of time, but it gets better with time. Verhoeven is often a grisly director who makes tongue-in-cheek moments at the oddest times, yet microscopes some of the most untouched human behaviors and dares to go where few filmmakers dare. Everyone else thinks about it, Verhoeven just points at the elephant in the room and then zooms in and enlarges the obvious things about our nature.
Predator & Copbots
1987 saw a few interesting films at the box office....FATAL ATTRACTION, LETHAL WEAPON, PREDATOR, and ROBOCOP, which was one of the top films that year upon it's arrival and it generated tons of buzz with it's violence. The film finished 16th that year in Gross sales, but was the strongest film of the Summer with the exception of LA BAMBA, which opened a week after. What has remained strong about the film is it's action scenes, special effects, and overall story. Very few films have the guts to do what this film essentially did, which is kill it's main character early on, turn him into a Robot, and then give him unexpected emotions even as a Robot, which is one of the central themes of the film. Can a robot have emotions? Where does the man end and the robot begin? What also remains interesting about the film is the different approaches to crime fighting. We are taken into a world where Detroit is overrun by violence and crime...the solution is [as the execs say] that Detroit has a 'cancer' and the only way to eliminate it is to build OVER the city. The idea is to create a superior officer that doesn't feel or think, it just follows orders then once crime is eliminated...rebuild. Can a society really survive without crime?
A World Without Grace
We find out early in the film that this 'supercop' named ED209 isn't exactly the best solution....just ask the guy that was shot to pieces in the boardroom. So, what next? Well, in competition for the prototype that delivers the best results the answer soon becomes ROBOCOP, after an officer is shot in the line of duty, yet is still 'alive' to some degree. They are able to transfigure him into a half-man/half robot crime fighter, although this 'robocop' is not suppose to have feelings or emotions either, just do what he is programmed to do, sounds like Vietnam eh? Well, if you listen to the commentary track on the Criterion Edition of the film or this 20th Anniversary edition you get that exact impression that much of the film parallel's the state of confusion that was - Vietnam. There has been much research on cops and their emotional states and how they deal with people at their worst, which is an underlying theme within the film. Officers see the world at it's worst sometimes...how can they possibly see the good in people? Although the idea of the film is to have a world where there is no grace either. For example, you are going 66mph in a 55mph zone...you get pulled over and there is no question..you broke the law, you pay the fine. No questions asked. Just a ticket to your name. If a real human being officer is handling the situation than some emotion plays into the equation. You give the officer some excuses and sometimes, but not always, you might get off with a warning. Imagine a world without kindness...or grace.
Not Just an Action Flick
Most people downplay this film as just a bizarre action movie from the 80's, but it's a memorable one for sure. There is more going on below the surface than some may realize, but upon revisiting this film comes alive with new a new depth that many can appreciate if given the time. Many of the themes of this film were also reintroduced on a military escapade called STARSHIP TROOPERS 10 years after ROBOCOP came out, both films are Verhoeven working at his absolute best. I'm glad that this new DVD is out for several awesome reasons....
I won't do an in-depth detailed review of this particular DVD, but I can say that it's the one to own of the film if you have any interest. The best thing about this DVD is that it contains 3 audio tracks...the original 4.0 Dolby audio track that recreates the films intended 4.0 magnetic tracks and this film was the first ever to use the analog spectral recording system, which is usually known as SR upon it's release, plus it was issued on 70mm blowup prints. The 4.0 on this DVD holds up well and has some nice thickness to it, there is also a 5.1 Dolby track that is similar to what was offered on the other DVD's issued by MGM through the years. The ROBOCOP TRILOGY DVD offered by MGM was also a nicely restored print too, but the print here is much better with a cleaner print, better color definition and superior contrast. The final nail in the coffin though is a wonderful inclusion of a DTS 5.1 mix, which is really great. The film has some awesome subtle moments where the mix really takes advantage and finally a few scenes sound the way they did in theaters. For instance, the scene where ED209 enters the boardroom, which was always dull in DD 5.1 because the 'thud' of ED209's foot hitting the boardroom floor always sounded tame and ...lame. Now, the DTS adds the necessary thickness needed to give the heightened sense of that moment. I am glad that we have the ability to choose between 3 audio tracks.
There is also the commentary from Verhoeven that is exception and quite a few extras, plus it's in a hard tin case with a second bonus disc full of extras. I find that going through these bonus features only adds more appreciation to this already underrated film that is on it's way to becoming a classic.