Detroit is under siege by a corrupt CEO in the police department...also by rapists, robbers, and the group of thugs who murdered Officer Murphy. Murphy (flawlessly played by Peter Weller) was a family man with a big heart whose body is eventually 'saved' by tech-geniuses, transforming him into a robot-cop (with a big heart, natch). The violence in the film is incredibly brutal in the manner of "Death Wish", yet it can almost be overlooked--even deemed necessary--in the context of the plot. Weller exudes sensitivity (not easy to do under that coat of armor),and he's matched very well by Ronny Cox (delightfully sinister and sniveling) and spunky Nancy Allen (in her best performance). A bleak vision of the future, though one which offers hope underneath its chestplate of destruction. Followed by "RoboCop 2" in 1990, "RoboCop 3" in 1993, and a television series in 1994. ***1/2 from ****

What makes this film such a classic is the way in which the standard, clichéd story (itself a mixture of Frankenstein-type moralising with a more teen-orientated shoot 'em up) is given greater depths as characters are fleshed out, given real relationships, and die violently at each other's hands. Director Paul Verhoeven paints a gory, violent depiction of the future, which will come as no surprise for those familiar with the director's mainstream work (namely TOTAL RECALL and STARSHIP TROOPERS). This can only be a plus. There are numerous action sequences in the film and Verhoeven sure knows how to handle the gunfire. As well as the bloodshed, the twists and turns in the plot really add to the intrigue and we even find ourselves caring for the characters as the lines of good and evil are blurred out.

Along with the great supporting story, which is kind of a hybrid Frankenstein/revenge film set in the future, there is a powerful, dramatic and pounding score which I really loved. The acting is also good. Peter Weller is very memorable and works wonders in evoking our sympathy, especially as we can only see his lower jaw for much of the film. It's here he proved his worth as a straight lead man. Nancy Allen is quite good as his sympathetic partner, the only person who really understands Murphy. Among the baddies, Kurtwood Smith has playing a callous murderer down to a tee and Ronny Cox emanates pure, sweaty, corrupted greed and evil.

The special effects really add to the film in many different forms; ED-209 the stop motion monster is especially impressive, as is Robocop's design (Rob Bottin deserves thanks once again here). Make up is also used effectively. It's interesting to see how Verhoeven uses the recurring theme of satire in his fake news reports, which are very similar to the ones in STARSHIP TROOPERS, and there is even a commercial designed by the insane Chioto Brothers. Along with the action are a number of comedic scenes, the best one being where one of the gang is dissolving in toxic waste before exploding when hit by a car! All of this makes the film well worth watching and it was popular enough to spawn two sequels (the first all right, the second, atrocious) and even a television series, all of which are not as good as the original (but then, when are they?).

Paul Verhoeven wanted to implant a Jesus like feeling to the whole notion of being reborn and there are visual clues to that (walking on water and so on). Of course no one would think of Jesus coming back in a violent fashion like that. So it's not a clear cut comparison or analogy for that matter.

The violence in the movie is extreme and there are certain scenes you will not forget that easily (and the effects are still holding up). The "you have 20 seconds to comply" scene in particular is more than (in)famous. But its also the performance by Peter Weller that carries that story. His relationships with his Ex-Partner and the strange mix of human and robot is more than appealing. A great movie that did stand the test of time