Robocop

By Simon Woodhouse

Each era since the invention of the motion picture can be summed up by a few keynote movies. For the latter half of the 80s, it's films like Wall Street (rise and fall of the yuppie), Platoon (post-post Vietnam blues), and Broadcast News (changing face of the media). All of these captured certain attitudes that shaped the end of the decade. They also featured top-notch acting, keen direction and powerful dialogue. But perhaps none of them really appealed to the younger generation, the movie going audience who just want a good time - explosions, fast cars etc., without having poignant messages rammed down their throats. For them, there was Robocop. Even though Robo delivered plenty of cheap thrills, it also passed comment on the 80s in a way that perhaps some of the audience missed.

There are violent films, there are very violent films, and then there's Robocop. However, it's not violence for violence sake. The bloodshed is part of the story. Although perhaps the same tale could have been told with a bit less splatter.

In the opening few scenes we meet Alex Murphy (Peter Weller), a loving father, diligent husband and passionate policeman. He lives and works in a near future version of Detroit. Following his transfer into the inner city precinct of Metro West, he's gunned down by a gang of thugs who've just robbed a security van. Though riddled with bullets (too many to count), he doesn't die.

In the meantime OCP, the private contractors who now run the police force in Detroit, are looking for a way to get rid of human police officers. They want to replace cops with something that doesn't bitch and whine, doesn't call in sick and most of all doesn't want a pay cheque at the end of every month. Enter the Robocop program. Murphy doesn't know it, but he's just 'volunteered' to be the first prototype.

The last we see of Murphy the man, is when he's pronounced dead in the emergency room. However, OCP take what's left of him (which isn't much), and attach it to a super-strong, super-tough robotic body. Though nothing about Robocop is subtle, the transformation from man to man-machine is shown with a degree of style. To start with all you see is what Robocop sees, which is the inside of a lab come computer workshop. Robo-vision is a blurred, video quality view of the world, over which his creators add all sorts of graphical layers, a bit like the heads up display in a fighter plane.

Weaved into the story as a whole is a subplot of corporate heartlessness, something that epitomised the late 80s. OCP care nothing for their employees. It's all about the bottom line, and as far as they're concerned Robocop is product. Had all gone according to plan, Robocop would have been as uncaring as the OCP execs. During the transformation process his memory was wiped, but despite this, something of Murphy lingers within the metal body. This is where the film steps beyond the boundaries of its ultra-violent premise. Robocop isn't just a one-dimensional killing machine; he's a troubled soul. Though bloodshed and splatter dominate the film, it's Robocop's genuine inner conflict that raises it above the level of something like The Terminator.

Anyway, the movie rolls on and Robocop eventually faces off against the same bad guys who killed Murphy. This bunch of heavies feature throughout most of the film, as they're on the payroll of one of the OCP execs, a subtext that suggests corporate America is only one step away from being a gang of thugs. Robo is aided during the final show down by Murphy's former partner, Officer Lewis (Nancy Allen). She's the only one who's had the insight to realise something of the man still exists within the machine.

Besides the violence and the emotional part of Murphy/Robocop's inner turmoil, the film also includes a healthy dose of black humor. This usually involves violence, but it's still funny. Most notable amongst these scenes is the testing of a pre-Robocop prototype in the OCP boardroom.

Though this is an out and out action flick, the acting isn't half bad. For the most part, Weller doesn't have much to say (Robocop is a machine of few words). The emotional side of Robo's struggle is conveyed through body language. The design of the Robocop costume means that most of Weller's face is hidden from view. But this doesn't stop him showing the audience just what he's feeling. It's a mime-like performance, the strength of which is most notable during a scene where Robo is being shot at by fellow police officers. Besides Weller, Kurtwood Smith turns in a fine performance as Clarence Boddicker, the leader of the thugs - surely one of the nastiest screen villains of the 80s. Miguel Ferrer plays the role of Bob Morton, the archetypal yuppie, whose rapid rise and crashing fall some up the business culture of the late 80s.

The film did reasonably well at the box office, which meant it spawned two dire sequels. As such, it's a movie that's best viewed as a standalone story. And if you want a slice of 80s culture at its heartless best, you won't go far wrong with Robocop.