ROBOCOP
US, 2014, 117 minutes, Colour.
Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Jennifer Ehle, Jay Baruchel, Samuel L. Jackson, Marianne Jean- Baptiste.
Directed by Jose Padilha.
By the end of the 1980s, Robo Cop had not only been a film with sequels, it had become a word that was part of the English language. This was the cop who was part human and part machine. He was unleashed on to a criminal world and made his substantial physical and metallic presence felt, a crusade eliminating crime in American cities. He was played by Peter Weller.
While the concept might be much the same in 2014, there is a great deal of difference in the technology available, for the armour for Robo Cop himself, for machines doing similar work, like drones, and for the information available to Robo Cop as he goes on his mission of cleaning up Detroit.
The film starts on an interesting, somewhat satiric tone, with Samuel L. Jackson as a right-wing television compere of his own show, The Pat Novak Show. He is prone to rant and rave, and takes up the drones and machine capacities for surveillance and for keeping law and order. He has a reporter in Tehran where the drones seem to have everything under control, until some terrorist suicide attacks. Cut immediately from Tehran and a move to discussions about legislation to support the drones, support for the company which has been making them, Omni Corp, and its head and an attack on the Senator who is sponsoring a bill to outlaw them. So it can be seen that there are political issues, big business issues, the ethics of this kind of fighting machine – more especially so when the issue of the Robo Cop is announced.
In the meantime, there is a lot of crime in Detroit, especially in drug dealing, manufacture and distribution. We are introduced to a number of Detroit police, undercover, overt, indicating problems with deep cover and corruption. One of the police, Alex (Joel Kinnaman), is under some suspicion because of the death of his partner. He is determined to target and bring to justice the main drug villain in the city. Since he is going to be the Robo Cop, it is inevitable that we see an attack on him, a firebomb in the car at his home, which will have such effect on his physical condition that he is like a waking dead. But, he is considered the best opportunity for developing the Robo Cop.
The film has a strong cast besides Joel Kinnaman, with Michael Keaton as the president of Omni Corp, plausible, sinister, and finally ruthless. Gary Oldman is the doctor who has been able to help patients with artificial limbs to continue their lives. It is he who is commissioned to develop the armour for the Robo Cop and to help him function as human. Jennifer Ehle is Michael Keaton’s assistant, all businesslike and unemotional. Jay Baruchel is the head of public relations, a combination of shrewdness and being a nerd. Abbie Cornish plays Robo Cop’s wife.
Alex is dismayed to find himself in the depleted physical condition but finally agrees to his role. One of the big differences from 1987 is the technology available for him, the downloading into his brain of all the available data about criminals, DNA, fingerprinting, identification of criminals, which actually goes into overload. Once he goes into action, there is plenty for the action entertainment audience. He is on his motorbike, speeding around the city, using his inner screen to find and locate people, able to detect whether they are a threat or not, wreaking havoc ultimately on the drug boss.
But, is he able to be controlled? And what about his relationship with his wife and son? And what about changing the legislation in Washington and the lobbying of Congress men and women, Omni Corp’s financial outlay for changing legislation, aided with more haranguing by Pat Novak on his show.
Obviously this is going to lead to a crisis, shootouts, ethical crises… While there is a happy ending for Robo Cop, we are still left with Pat Novak at the end, almost a parody of commentators from Fox News and other right-wing outlets in the United States, urging the audience to develop law and order, militaristic attitudes for preserving their way of life.
Action, science fiction, futuristic imaginings, ethical issues, and a critique of some extremist media commentators.
1. The popular films of the 1980s? The idea of the Robo Cop? His appearance? His mission? The transition to the 21st century? How different? How similar?
2. The importance of the special effects, the drones and their activity, creating the armour for Alex, Robo Cop in action, riding his motorbike, assessing the threats of the assailants, the weaponry?
3. The future, the near-future, situations of law and order, international problems, the drama at the opening in Tehran, the locals, their being scanned as being dangerous or not, the drones and their patrolling, the terrorists, their attacks, the young man and his mother, the suicide bombers, chaos in the streets? The US, crime, law and order, legislation for such Robo Cop weaponry? The musical score and atmosphere?
4. The framing of the film with the Pat Novak Show, right-wing television and commentators? Samuel L. Jackson and his screen presence? Propaganda, criticism of the legislators, wanting the machines on the street, promoting law and order, Novak and his prejudices, haranguing, controlling of his guests – the hologram of the Senator and his being switched off? Pro Omni Corps and capitalism? The public? Being persuaded? What was Novak left with at the end – a kind of Fox News rant?
5. The role of the police, Alex and his partner being killed, the interviews with the corrupt police, with the drug leads, the role of police corruption, the role of the Detroit chief? Drugs?
6. Alex, home, Clara, his young son, the bonds?
7. The drug villain, his thugs, corrupting the police, the confrontations?
8. Raymond Sellers as the head of Omni Corps, the perfect capitalist, his company and the design of the drones, the idea for Robo Cop? His staff, Liz Kline and her support, impersonal? Tom Pope, ideas, the publicity, his throwaway line personality? Sellers going on television, interviews with Novak? The issue of the Senator and the confrontation between the two?
9. Dr Dennett Norton, his personality, his skills, achievement, the example of the young man and the artificial fingers, trying to play the guitar, control?
10. Alex at home, going out to the car, the explosion, the burns and so much destruction of his body? Going to the hospital? The care?
11. The discussions about Robo Cop, the officials, the chief of police? The decision for Alex to become Robo Cop? The fitting, only his chest and his face, his brain working? The armour to fit him, his waking, his horror, being unable to move, his being programmed, the drugs, enabling him to move around, to coordinate? His wife and the visit?
12. The training for Robo Cop, Rick and the weaponry, the training and the testing, his cynicism towards Alex? The later confrontation, thinking he was immune, his being destroyed?
13. Alex ready, becoming Robo Cop, coordinated, the data in his brain, the extraordinary range of information, the overload? The press conference, Clara and her son and her reaction?
14. His going on his mission, the motorbike, speeding through the city, the use of the technology, confronting people in estimating their being a threat or not, the range of arrests, the information, people’s fears, giving up the information?
15. The drug chief, going out of business, fixated on Robo Cop, and vice versa? The corrupt police, tracking them down, getting the information, the chief? The set up, to trap Robo Cop, the factory, the villain and his squad, Robo Cop, unafraid, going in, destroying the warehouse, the workers, the thugs, the villain?
16. Clara and her son, wanting to see her husband, the traumatic effect on the boy?
17. Sellers and his team, buying of the senators, the vote and their success? Making money out of RoboCops?
18. Alex, not functioning well, reaction to his wife and child, continually on mission? Her concern? Her plea? His priorities?
19. Dr Denton, his assistant and their working together, building up the program, controlling the drugs? Alex going out of control? Dr Denton and his trying to reprogram? Sellers and his dismissal of him?
20. Dr Denton, taking control of Robo Cop while Sellers was planning his demise? Alex and his foray into the weapons department?
21. Liz Kline and her trying to smooth-talk Clara? Tom Pope and his underestimating the situation?
22. Sellers and his preparing to announce the death of RoboCop? Everybody on the roof? The helicopter, Clara and her son? Alex’s arrival, the confrontation?
23. Things being settled? The possibility of future drones and RoboCop’s? The happy family? But Pat Novak and his continued campaign?
24. Action adventure but with a great deal of social conscience?
