RoboCop
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Featured article Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use list-defined references Template:Infobox film RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferrer. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit in the near future, RoboCop centers on police officer Alex Murphy (Weller) who is murdered by a gang of criminals and revived by the megacorporation Omni Consumer Products as the cyborg law enforcer RoboCop. Unaware of his former life, RoboCop executes a campaign against crime while coming to terms with the lingering fragments of his humanity.
The film was conceived by Neumeier while working on the set of Blade Runner (1982), and he developed the idea with Miner. Their script was purchased in early 1985 by producer Jon Davison on behalf of Orion Pictures. Finding a director proved difficult; Verhoeven dismissed the script twice because he did not understand its satirical content, until he was convinced of its value by his wife. Filming took place between August and October 1986, mainly in Dallas, Texas. Rob Bottin led the special-effects team in creating practical effects, violent gore and the RoboCop costume.
Verhoeven emphasized violence throughout the film, making it so outlandish that it became comical. Censorship boards believed that it was too extreme and several scenes were shortened or modified to receive an acceptable theatrical rating. RoboCop was a financial success upon its release in July 1987, earning $53.4Template:Nbspmillion. Reviewers praised it as a clever action film with deeper philosophical messages and satire, but were conflicted about its extreme violence. The film was nominated for several awards, and won an Academy Award and a number of Saturn Awards.
RoboCop has been critically reevaluated since its release, and it has been hailed as one of the best films of the 1980s and one of the greatest science fiction and action films ever made. The film has been praised for its depiction of a robot affected by the loss of humanity, in contrast to the stoic and emotionless robotic characters of that era. RoboCop has continued to be analyzed for its themes such as the nature of humanity, personal identity, corporate greed and corruption, and is seen as a rebuke of the era's Reaganomics policies. Its success created a franchise: the sequels RoboCop 2 (1990) and RoboCop 3 (1993), children's animated series, live-action television shows, video games, comic books, toys, clothing and other merchandise. A remake was released in 2014.
PlotEdit
In a near-future dystopia, Detroit is on the brink of social and financial collapse. Overwhelmed by crime and dwindling resources, the city grants the mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products (OCP) control of the Detroit Police Department. OCP senior president Dick Jones demonstrates ED-209, a law-enforcement droid designed to supplant the police. ED-209 malfunctions and brutally kills a volunteer, allowing ambitious junior executive Bob Morton to introduce OCP's chairman ("the Old Man") to his own project: RoboCop.
Meanwhile, police officer Alex Murphy is transferred to the Metro West precinct. Murphy and his new partner, Anne Lewis, pursue notorious criminal Clarence Boddicker and his gang: Emil Antonowsky, Leon Nash, Joe Cox, and Steve Minh. The gang ambushes and tortures Murphy until Boddicker fatally shoots him. Morton has Murphy's corpse converted into RoboCop, a heavily armored cyborg with no memory of his former life. RoboCop is programmed with three prime directives: serve the public trust, protect the innocent, and uphold the law. A fourth prime directive, Directive 4, is classified.
Assigned to Metro West, RoboCop is hailed by the media for his brutally efficient campaign against crime. Lewis suspects that he is Murphy, recognizing the unique way he holsters his gun (a trick Murphy learned to impress his son). After experiencing a nightmare of Murphy's death during maintenance, RoboCop encounters Lewis, who addresses him as Murphy. While on patrol, RoboCop arrests Emil, who recognizes Murphy's mannerisms, which furthers RoboCop's recall. RoboCop then uses the police database to identify Emil's associates and review Murphy's police record. He recalls further memories while exploring Murphy's former home, his wife and son having moved away after his death.
Elsewhere, Jones gets Boddicker to murder Morton as revenge for Morton's attempt to usurp his position at OCP. RoboCop tracks down Boddicker's gang. After a shootout, RoboCop brutally interrogates Boddicker until he admits to working for Jones. He cannot kill Boddicker as that would violate his prime directives. RoboCop attempts to arrest Jones at the OCP Tower, but Directive 4 is activated: a fail-safe measure to neutralize RoboCop when he acts against an OCP executive. Jones admits his culpability in Morton's death and releases an ED-209 to destroy RoboCop. Although he escapes, RoboCop is attacked by the police force on OCP's order and is badly damaged. He is rescued by Lewis, who brings him to an abandoned steel mill to repair himself.
Angered by OCP's underfunding and short-staffing, the police force goes on strike; Detroit descends into chaos as riots break out throughout the city. Jones frees Boddicker and his remaining gang, arming them with high-powered weaponry to destroy RoboCop. Boddicker's men are quickly eliminated at the steel mill, but Lewis is badly injured by Clarence, who RoboCop kills in turn by stabbing him in the throat. RoboCop confronts Jones at the OCP Tower during a board meeting, revealing the truth behind Morton's murder. Jones takes the Old Man hostage, but the Old Man fires Jones, nullifying Directive 4. RoboCop shoots Jones, causing him to crash through a window to his death. The Old Man compliments RoboCop's shooting and asks his name. He replies, "Murphy."
CastEdit
- Peter Weller as Alex Murphy / RoboCop: A Detroit police officer murdered in the line of duty and revived as a cyborg<ref name="DallasHistory"/>
- Nancy Allen as Anne Lewis: A tough and loyal police officer<ref name="SunSentinelLewis"/>
- Daniel O'Herlihy as "The Old Man": The chief executive of OCP<ref name="BBCOherlihy"/>
- Ronny Cox as Dick Jones: The Senior President of OCP<ref name="BloodDisgustingCox"/>
- Kurtwood Smith as Clarence Boddicker: A crime lord in league with Dick Jones<ref name="DallasHistory"/>
- Miguel Ferrer as Bob Morton: An ambitious OCP junior executive responsible for the "RoboCop" project<ref name="DallasHistory"/><ref name="DOGWhereareThey"/>
In addition to the main cast, RoboCop features Paul McCrane as Emil Antonowsky, Ray Wise as Leon Nash, Jesse D. Goins as Joe Cox and Calvin Jung as Steve Minh, members of Boddicker's gang. The cast also includes Robert DoQui as Sergeant Warren Reed,<ref name="BFICast"/><ref name="CBRCast"/> Michael Gregory as Lieutenant Hedgecock, Felton Perry as OCP employee Donald Johnson, Kevin Page as OCP junior executive Mr. Kinney (who is shot to death by ED-209), and Lee de Broux as cocaine warehouse owner Sal.<ref name="BFICast"/><ref name="CBRCast"/><ref name="THRPage"/>
Mario Machado and Leeza Gibbons play news hosts Casey Wong and Jess Perkins, respectively,<ref name="BFICast"/><ref name="CBRCast"/> and television-show host Bixby Snyder is played by S. D. Nemeth.<ref name="BFICast"/><ref name="IGNBixby"/> Angie Bolling and Jason Levine appear as Murphy's wife and son.<ref name="BFICast"/> RoboCop director Paul Verhoeven makes a cameo appearance as a dancing nightclub patron,<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="VultureTidbits"/> producer Jon Davison provides the voice of ED-209,<ref name="DOGWhereareThey"/> and director John Landis appears in an in-film advertisement.<ref name="BFICast"/> Smith's partner, Joan Pirkle, appears as Dick Jones's secretary.<ref name="EsquireOral"/>
ProductionEdit
Conception and writingEdit
RoboCop was conceived in the early 1980s by Universal Pictures junior story executive and aspiring screenwriter Edward Neumeier.Template:Efn A fan of robot-themed science-fiction films, Star Wars, and action films, Neumeier had developed an interest in mature comic books while researching them for potential adaptation.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="SFX"/>Template:Sfn The 1982 science-fiction film Blade Runner was filming on the Warner Bros. lot behind Neumeier's office, and he unofficially joined the production to learn about filmmaking.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>Template:Sfn<ref name="SFX"/> His work there gave him the idea for RoboCop: "I had this vision of a far-distant, Blade Runner–type world where there was an all-mechanical cop coming to a sense of real human intelligence".<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>Template:Sfn He spent the next few nights writing a 40-page outline.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>
While researching story submissions for Universal, Neumeier came across a student video by aspiring director Michael Miner.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Sfn The pair met and discussed their similar concepts: Neumeier's RoboCop and Miner's robot-themed rock music video. In a 2014 interview, Miner said that he also had an idea called SuperCop.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>Template:Sfn They formed a working partnership and spent about two months discussing the idea and two to three months writing together at night and over weekends, in addition to their regular jobs.Template:Efn Their collaboration was initially difficult because they did not know each other well, and had to learn how to constructively criticize each other.Template:Sfn
Neumeier was influenced to kill off his main character early by the psychological horror film Psycho (1960), whose main character is killed early in the film. Inspired by comic books and his experience with corporate culture, Neumeier wanted to satirize 1980s business culture. He noted the increasing aggression of American financial services in response to growing Japanese influence and the popularity on Wall Street of The Book of Five Rings, a 17th-century book about how to kill more effectively. Neumeier also believed that Detroit's declining automobile industry was due to increased bureaucracy. ED-209's malfunction in the OCP boardroom was based on Neumeier's office daydreams about a robot bursting into a meeting and killing everyone.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>Template:Sfn<ref name="ViceNeumeier"/> Miner described the film as "comic relief for a cynical time" during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, when economist "Milton Friedman and the Chicago Boys ransacked the world, enabled by Reagan and the Central Intelligence Agency. So when you have this cop who works for a corporation that insists 'I own you,' and he still does the right thing—that's the core of the film." Neumeier and Miner conceived the in-universe news and advertisement "Media Breaks" that appear throughout RoboCop, and a spec script was completed by December 1984.<ref name="EsquireOral"/>
DevelopmentEdit
The first draft of the script, RoboCop: The Future of Law Enforcement, was given to industry friends and associates in early 1985.Template:Efn A month later, Neumeier and Miner had two offers: one from Atlantic Releasing<ref name="LATimesNeumeier"/> and another from director Jonathan Kaplan and producer Jon Davison with Orion Pictures.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Sfn An experienced producer of exploitation and B films such as the parody Airplane! (1980), Davison said that he was drawn to the script's satire.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Sfn He showed Neumeier and Miner films—including Madigan (1968), Dirty Harry (1971), and Mad Max 2 (1981)—to demonstrate the tone he wanted. After Orion greenlit the project, Neumeier and Miner began a second draft.Template:Sfn
Davison produced the film with his Tobor Pictures company.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Neumeier and Miner were paid a few thousand dollars for the script rights and $25,000 between them for the rewrite. They were entitled to eight percent of the producer profits upon release.<ref name="LATimesNeumeier"/><ref name="DeadlineBlomkamp"/> Davison's contacts with puppeteers, animators, and practical effects designers were essential to Verhoeven, who had no prior experience with them.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/> The producers discussed changing the Detroit setting, but Neumeier insisted on its importance because of its failing auto industry. The connection between Clarence Boddicker and Dick Jones was added at Orion's suggestion.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>
Kaplan left to direct Project X (1987), and finding his replacement took six months; many prospects declined because of the film's title.Template:Efn The project was offered to David Cronenberg, Alex Cox, and Monte Hellman; Hellman joined as second-unit director.<ref name="LATimesNeumeier"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/><ref name="AVClubAlexCox"/> Miner asked to direct, but Orion refused to trust a $7Template:Nbspmillion project to an untested director.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>Template:Sfn He declined the second-unit director position in order to direct Deadly Weapon (1989);<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>Template:Sfn Orion executive Barbara Boyle suggested Paul Verhoeven—who had been praised for his work on Soldier of Orange (1977) and his first English-language film, Flesh+Blood (1985)—for director.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Sfn Verhoeven looked at the first page and rejected the script as awful, stalling the project.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Sfn Boyle sent Verhoeven another copy, suggesting that he pay attention to the subtext.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/> Verhoeven was still uninterested until his wife Martine read it and encouraged him to give it a chance, saying he had missed the "soul" of the story about someone losing his identity. Not fluent in English, Verhoeven said that the satire did not make sense to him;<ref name="EsquireOral"/> the scene that attracted his attention was RoboCop returning to Murphy's abandoned home and experiencing memories of his former life.<ref name="DallasHistory"/><ref name="EsquireOral"/>
Davison, Neumeier and Verhoeven discussed the project at Culver Studios' Mansion House.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/> Verhoeven wanted to direct it as a serious film; Neumeier gave him comic books to explain the tone they wanted, including 2000 AD with the character Judge Dredd.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>Template:Sfn Neumeier and Miner wrote a third draft based on Verhoeven's requests, working through injuries and late nights; the 92-page revision included a subplot about a romantic affair between Murphy and Lewis.<ref name="VultureTidbits"/><ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>Template:Sfn After reading it, Verhoeven admitted that he was wrong and returned to the second draft in search of a comic-book tone.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
CastingEdit
Six to eight months were spent searching for an actor to play Alex Murphy / RoboCop.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Sfn Arnold Schwarzenegger,<ref name="UproxxRetro"/> Michael Ironside,<ref name="EmpireIronside"/> Rutger Hauer, Tom Berenger, Armand Assante,<ref name="IndieWireCast"/> Keith Carradine and James Remar were considered.Template:Sfn Orion favored Schwarzenegger, the star of their recent success The Terminator (1984),<ref name="IndieWireCast"/> but he and other actors were considered too physically imposing to be believable in the RoboCop costume; it was thought that Schwarzenegger would look like the Michelin Man or the Pillsbury Doughboy.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Sfn<ref name="EmpireIronside"/> Others were reluctant because their face would be largely concealed by a helmet.Template:Sfn Davison said that Weller was the only person who wanted to be in the film.Template:Sfn The low salary he commanded was in his favor, as were his good body control from martial-arts training and marathon running and his fan base in the science-fiction genre after his performance in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984). Verhoeven said he hired him because "his chin was very good".<ref name="IndieWireCast"/>Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Weller spent months working with mime Moni Yakim, developing a fluid movement style with a stiff ending while wearing an American football uniform to approximate the finished costume.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IGNHistory"/> Weller said that working with Verhoeven was his main reason for choosing the role over appearing in King Kong Lives (1986).<ref name="SFX"/><ref name="EWWeller30th"/>
Stephanie Zimbalist was cast as Murphy's partner Anne Lewis, but dropped out because of contractual obligations to Remington Steele (which had been canceled in 1986, but was revived because of its popularity).Template:Efn Her replacement, Nancy Allen, thought the film's title was terrible but found the script engrossing. Allen was known for her long blonde hair, but Verhoeven wanted it cut short so the character was not sexualized. Her hair was cut eight times before the desired look was achieved.<ref name="SyFyAllen"/> Allen undertook police-academy training for her role, and sought advice from her police lieutenant father.<ref name="SyFyAllen"/> Verhoeven encouraged her to act masculine and gain weight, which she accomplished by quitting smoking.<ref name="VultureTidbits"/>
Kurtwood Smith auditioned for Boddicker and Jones. He was known mainly for television work, but had not had film success, and saw RoboCop as a B-film with potential.<ref name="EsquireOral"/> The character was scripted to wear glasses so he would look like Nazi Party member Heinrich Himmler. Smith was unaware of this, and interpreted it as the character having an intelligent and militaristic front to conceal being a "sneering, smirking drug kingpin".<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Ironside was offered the role, but did not want to be involved with another special effects-laden film or play a "psychopath" after working on Extreme Prejudice (1987).<ref name="IndieWireCast"/><ref name="EmpireIronside"/><ref name="DOGCast"/> Robert Picardo also auditioned for the role.<ref name="SyFyat30"/>
Ronny Cox had been stereotyped as playing generally nice characters, and said that this left the impression that he could not play more masculine roles.<ref name="LATimesRonnyCox"/> Because of this, Verhoeven cast him as the villainous Dick Jones.<ref name="SYFYCox"/> Cox said that playing a villain was "about a gazillion times more fun than playing the good guys".<ref name="AVClubCox"/> Jones, he said, has no compassion and is an "evil [son of a bitch]".<ref name="LATimesRonnyCox"/> Miguel Ferrer was unsure if the film would be successful, but was desperate for work and would have accepted any offer.<ref name="SFX"/> The Old Man was based on MCA Inc. CEO Lew Wasserman, whom Neumeier considered a powerful and intimidating individual.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/> Television host Bixby Snyder was written as an Americanized, more-extreme version of British comedian Benny Hill.<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Radio personality Howard Stern was offered an unspecified role, but turned it down because he thought the idea was stupid (although he later praised the finished film).<ref name="Stern"/>
FilmingEdit
Principal photography began on August 6, 1986, on an $11Template:Nbspmillion budget.<ref name="afi"/><ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> Jost Vacano was the cinematographer, after working with Verhoeven on Soldier of Orange.Template:Sfn<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> Verhoeven wanted Blade Runner production designer Lawrence G. Paull, but Davison said he could afford either a great production designer or a great RoboCop costumeTemplate:Sndnot both.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="SyFyAllen"/> William Sandell was hired.<ref name="NYTimesGoodmanSandell"/> Monte Hellman directed several of the action scenes.<ref name="AVClubHellman"/>
RoboCop was filmed primarily on location in Dallas,<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/><ref name="DallasNewsLocations"/> with additional filming in Las Colinas and Pittsburgh.<ref name="THRPage"/><ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/><ref name="LAtimesDesign"/> Verhoeven wanted a filming location which suggested the near future.<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> Detroit was dismissed because it had many low buildings, many brownstones and Victorian-style buildings.Template:Sfn<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> Neumeier said that it was also a union city, making it more expensive to film there.Template:Sfn Detroit made a brief appearance in nighttime, stock aerial footage at the beginning of the film.Template:Sfn Chicago was dismissed for aesthetic reasons, New York City for high costs, and California because according to Davison, Orion wanted to distance itself from the project.Template:Sfn<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> Dallas was chosen over Houston because it has modern buildings and older, less-maintained areas where explosives could be used.<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> The filming schedule in Dallas was nine weeks, but it soon became clear that it would take longer. Based on filmed footage, Orion approved the schedule extension and a budget increase to $13.1Template:Nbspmillion.<ref name="IGNHistory"/><ref name="afi"/><ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/> The weather fluctuated during filming; Dallas in summer was often Template:Cvt,Template:Sfn<ref name="SyFyAllen"/>Template:Sfn and the weather in Pittsburgh was frigid.<ref name="EsquireOral"/>
RoboCop's costume was not finished until some time into filming. This did not impact the shooting schedule, but it denied Weller the month of costume rehearsal he had expected.Template:Efn Weller was frustrated with the costume; it was too cumbersome for him to move as he had practiced, and he spent hours trying to adapt.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/>Template:Sfn He struggled to see through the thin helmet visor and interact with (or grab) objects while wearing the gloves.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Weller fell out with Verhoeven and was fired, with Lance Henriksen considered as a replacement; because the costume was designed for Weller, however, he was encouraged to mend fences.<ref name="IndieWireCast"/> Mime Moni Yakim helped Weller to develop a slower, more deliberate way of moving.<ref name="SFX"/> Weller's experience in the costume was worsened by the warm weather, which made him sweat off up to Template:Cvt per day.Template:Sfn<ref name="IGNHistory"/> Verhoeven began taking prescription medication to cope with stress-induced insomnia, and he filmed scenes under the influence.<ref name="EWWeller"/>
He often choreographed scenes with the actors before filming.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Improvisation was also encouraged, because Verhoeven believed that it could produce interesting results. Smith improvised some of his character's quirks, such as sticking chewing gum to a secretary's desk and spitting blood onto the police-station counter: Template:"'What if I spat blood on the desk?'Template:Nbsp... [Verhoeven] got this little smile on his face, and we did it."<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Neumeier was on set throughout filming and occasionally wrote additional scenes, including a New Year's Eve party after seeing some party-hat props and a news story about the Strategic Defense Initiative platform misfiring.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>Template:Sfn Verhoeven found Neumeier's presence invaluable, because they could discuss how to adapt the script or location to make a scene work.<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/>
Verhoeven gained a reputation for verbal aggression and unsociable behavior on set; Smith said that he never yelled at the actors, however, but was too engrossed in filming to be sociable.<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Cox and Allen spoke warmly of Verhoeven.<ref name="SyFyAllen"/>Template:Sfn Weller spent his time between filming with the actors who played his enemies (including Smith, Ray Wise and Calvin Jung), who maintained healthy lifestyles that supported Weller in his training for the New York City Marathon.<ref name="SFX"/>
A number of locations in and around Dallas were used in production. An office in Renaissance Tower was used for the OCP interior of; the company's exterior is Dallas City Hall, modified with matte paintings to appear taller.Template:Efn The OCP elevator was that of the Plaza of the Americas.<ref name="DallasNewsLocations"/><ref name="DallasFilmCommission"/> The Detroit police station's exterior is Crozier Tech High School; its interior is the Sons of Hermann hall, and city hall is the Dallas Municipal Building.<ref name="DallasFilmCommission"/> Scenes of Boddicker's gang blowing up storefronts were filmed in the Deep Ellum neighborhood. One explosion was larger than anticipated; actors can be seen moving out of the way, Smith had to remove his coat because it was on fire, and the actors involved received an additional $400 in stunt pay.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> The Shell gas station that explodes was in the Arts District,<ref name="DallasNewsLocations"/><ref name="DallasFilmCommission"/> where local residents unaware of the filming called the fire department.<ref name="DallasHistory"/> The scene was scripted for flames to modify the sign to read "hell"; Davison approved it, but it does not appear in the film. Miner called it a disappointing omission.<ref name="EsquireOral"/>
The nightclub was the former Starck Club. Verhoeven was filmed demonstrating how the clubbers should dance, and used the footage in the film.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="VultureTidbits"/> Other Dallas locations included César Chávez Boulevard, the Reunion Arena<ref name="DallasFilmCommission"/> and the parking lot of the Crescent.Template:Sfn The final battle between RoboCop and Boddicker's gang was filmed at a steel mill in Monessen, outside Pittsburgh.Template:Efn Filming ended in late October 1986.Template:Sfn
Template:AnchorPost-productionEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:Anchor {{#invoke:Listen|main}} An additional $600,000 budget increase was approved by Orion for post-production and the music score, raising the budget to $13.7Template:Nbspmillion.Template:EfnTemplate:Efn-lr
Frank J. Urioste was the film's editor.<ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> Several pick-up shots were filmed during this phase, including Murphy's death, RoboCop removing his helmet, and shots of his leg holster.Template:Sfn After the OCP boardroom scene in which RoboCop calls himself Murphy, another scene revealed that Lewis was alive in a hospital before showing RoboCop on patrol. The latter scene was thought to lessen the former's triumphant feeling, and was removed.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Verhoeven wanted the in-film Media Breaks to abruptly interrupt the narrative and unsettle the viewer. He was influenced by Piet Mondrian's art, which featured stark black lines separating colored squares.<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Peter Conn directed many of the Media Breaks, but "TJ Lazer" was directed by Neumeier.Template:Sfn
RoboCopTemplate:'s violent content made it difficult to receive an R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which restricted the film to viewers over 17 unless accompanied by an adult. It initially received the more-restrictive X rating, limiting the film to those over 17.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/><ref name="LATimesRating"/> Although some reports suggest it was refused an R-rating eleven times, Verhoeven said that the number was actually eight.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/> The MPAA took issue with several scenes, including Murphy's death and ED-209 shooting an executive.<ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/><ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> The violent scenes were shortened and Media Breaks were added to help lighten the mood; Verhoeven recalled that one reviewer was confused by their jarring appearance in the film, and complained that the projectionist had used the wrong film reel.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/>
The MPAA also objected to a scene of a mutated Emil being disintegrated by Boddicker's car, but Verhoeven, Davison and Orion refused to remove it because it consistently received the biggest laughs during test screenings.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Sfn Verhoeven made the violence comical and surreal, and believed that the cuts made the scenes appear more (not less) violent.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/> He said that his young children laughed at the X-rated cut, and audiences laughed less at the R-rated version.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/> According to Verhoeven, people "love seeing violence and horrible things".<ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/> The film is 103 minutes long.<ref name="BBFCRuntime"/>
Basil Poledouris composed the film score after working with Verhoeven on Flesh + Blood.<ref name="DOGWhereareThey"/> The score combines synthesizers and orchestral music, reflecting RoboCop's cyborg nature. The music was performed by the Sinfonia of London.<ref name="FilmTracks"/><ref name="Sinfonia"/>
Special effects and designEdit
Special effectsEdit
The special-effects team, led by Rob Bottin, included Phil Tippett, Stephan Dupuis, Bart Mixon and Craig Davies.Template:Efn The effects were very violent because Verhoeven believed that that made scenes funnier.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/> He compared the brutality of Murphy's death to the crucifixion of Jesus, an effective way to evoke sympathy for the character.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWire10Things"/>Template:Sfn The scene was filmed at an abandoned auto-assembly plant in Long Beach, California, on a raised stage that allowed operators to control the effects from below.Template:Sfn To show Murphy being dismantled by gunfire, prosthetic arms were cast in alginate and filled with tubing that could pump artificial blood and compressed air. Weller's left hand, attached to his shoulders by velcro and controlled by three operators, was designed to explode in a controllable way so it could be easily put back together for repeat shots.Template:Sfn The right arm was jerked away from Weller's body by a monofilament wire.<ref name="ViceNeumeier"/>Template:Sfn A detailed, articulated replica of Weller's upper body was used to depict Boddicker shooting Murphy through the head.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn A mold was made of Weller's face using foam latex that was baked to make it rubbery and flesh-like, and placed over a fiberglass skull containing a blood squib and explosive charge. The articulated head was controlled by four puppeteers, and had details of sweat and blood. A fan motor attached to the body made it vibrate, as if shaking in fear. The charge in the skull was connected to the trigger of Smith's gun by wire to synchronize the effect.Template:Sfn
Emil's melting condition was inspired by the 1977 science-fiction film The Incredible Melting Man.<ref name="EmilGamesRadar"/> Bottin designed and constructed Emil's prosthetics, creating a foam-latex headpiece and matching gloves that gave the appearance of Emil's skin melting "off his bones like marshmallow sauce".<ref name="EmilGamesRadar"/>Template:Sfn A second piece, depicting further degradation, was applied over the first. Dupuis painted each piece differently to emphasize Emil's advancing degradation. The prosthetics were applied to an articulated dummy to show Emil being struck by Boddicker's car. The head was loosened so it would fly off; by chance, it rolled onto the car's hood. The effect was completed with Emil's liquified body (raw chicken, soup, and gravy) washing over the windscreen.Template:Sfn The same dummy stands in for RoboCop when he is crushed by steel beams (painted wood).Template:Sfn Verhoeven wanted RoboCop to kill Boddicker by stabbing him in the eye, but it was believed the effort to create the effect would be wasted due to censorship concerns.Template:Sfn
Dick Jones's fatal fall is shown by a stop-motion puppet of Cox, animated by Rocco Gioffre. The limited development time forced Gioffre to use a foam-rubber puppet with an aluminum skeleton instead of a better-quality, articulated version. It was composited against Mark Sullivan's matte painting of the street below.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn ED-209's murder of OCP executive Mr. Kinney was filmed over three days. Kevin Page's body was covered with 200 squibs, but Verhoeven was unhappy with the result and brought him back months later to re-shoot it in a studio-built recreation of the board room. Page was again covered in over 200 squibs and plastic bags filled with spaghetti squash and fake blood. Page described intense pain as each squib detonation felt like a punch.<ref name="THRPage"/> In the cocaine-warehouse scene, Boddicker's stuntman was thrown through glass panes rigged with detonating cord to shatter microseconds before he hit.Template:Sfn Gelatin capsules filled with sawdust and a sparkling compound were fired from an air gun at RoboCop to create the effect of ricocheting bullets.Template:Sfn
RoboCopEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Bottin was tasked with designing the RoboCop costume.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Sfn He researched the Star Wars character C-3PO and its stiff costume, which made movement difficult.Template:Sfn Bottin was also influenced by robot designs in Metropolis (1927), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951),Template:Sfn<ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> and several comic-book superheroes.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He developed about 50 designs based on feedback from Verhoeven (who pushed for a more machine-like character),Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn before settling on a sleek aesthetic inspired by the work of Japanese illustrator Hajime Sorayama.Template:Sfn Verhoeven admitted his unrealistic expectations after reading Japanese science-fiction manga; it took him a while to realize it, which contributed to the costume delay.<ref name="EsquireOral"/>
The scope of the RoboCop costume was unprecedented, with its design and construction exceeding cost and schedule.Template:Sfn<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/>Template:Sfn The costume took six months to build with flexible foam latex, semi-and completely-rigid polyurethane, and a fiberglass helmet.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Moving sections were joined with aluminum and ball bearings.Template:Sfn The costume is supported by an internal harness of hooks, allowing for sustained movement during action scenes.Template:Sfn Seven costumes were made, including a fireproof version and costumes depicting sustained damage.Template:Sfn Reports on their weight vary from Template:Cvt.Template:Efn RoboCop's gun, the Auto-9, is a Beretta 93R with an extended barrel and larger grip. It was modified to fire blank bullets, and vents were cut into the side to allow for multi-directional muzzle flashes with every three-shot burst.Template:Sfn
ED-209Edit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} To budget for ED-209's development, Tippett developed preliminary sketches and hired Davies to design the full-scale model which was constructed with the help of Paula Lucchesi.Template:Sfn Verhoeven wanted ED-209 to look mean, and thought that Davies' early designs lacked a "killer" aesthetic. Davies was influenced by killer whales and a United States Air Force LTV A-7 Corsair II. He approached the design with modern American aesthetics and a corporate-design policy that he believed prioritized looks over functionality, including excessive and impractical components. He did not add eyes, thinking that they would make ED-209 more sympathetic.Template:Sfn The fully-articulated fiberglass model took four months to build, cost $25,000, stood Template:Convert tall, and weighed Template:Cvt.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn The 100-hour work weeks took their toll and Davies minimized the detail of ED-209's feet, since he did not think they would be shown.Template:Sfn The model was later used on promotional tours.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Davies spent another four months building two Template:Convert miniature replicas for stop motion animation.Template:Sfn The two small models allowed scenes to be animated and filmed more efficiently, which saved time in completing the 55 shots needed in three months.Template:Sfn Tippett was the lead ED-209 animator, assisted by Randal M. Dutra and Harry Walton.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Tippett conceived ED-209's movement as "unanimal"-like, as if it were about to fall over before catching itself.Template:Sfn To complete the character, the droid was given the roar of a leopard. Davison provided a temporary voiceover for ED-209's speaking voice, which was retained in the film.Template:Sfn
Template:AnchorOther effects and designsEdit
RoboCop contains seven matte effects, mainly painted by Gioffre. Each matte was painted on masonite. Gioffre supervised on-site filming to mask the camera where the matte is inserted, and remembered having to crawl out from a five-story-high ledge to get the right shot of the Plaza of the Americas.Template:Sfn The burnished steel RoboCop logo was developed using photographic effects that supervisor Peter Kuran based on a black-and-white sketch from Orion. Kuran created a scaled-up matte version and backlit it. A second pass was made with a sheet of aluminum behind it to create reflective detail.Template:Sfn RoboCop's vision was created with hundreds of ink lines on acetate composited over existing footage. Several attempts had to be made to get the line thickness right; at first, the lines were too thick or too thin.Template:Sfn Assuming that thermographic photography would be expensive, Kuran replicated thermal vision using actors in body stockings painted with thermal colors and filmed the scene with a polarized lens filter.Template:Sfn RoboCop's mechanical recharging chair was designed by John Zabrucky.<ref name="Chair"/> The OCP boardroom model of Delta City was made under the supervision of art director Gayle Simon.Template:Sfn
The film's police cars are 1986 Ford Taurus models painted black.<ref name="LAtimesDesign"/> The Taurus was chosen because of its futuristic, aerodynamic styling for the vehicle's first production year. The car was intended to feature a customized interior that would show graphical displays of mug shots, fingerprints, and other related information, but the concept was considered too ambitious.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Sfn The 6000 SUX driven by Boddicker and others was an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, modified by Gene Winfield and based on a design by Chip Foose. Two working cars were made with a third, non-functional one that was used when the vehicle exploded.Template:Sfn The 6000 SUX commercial features a plasticine dinosaur animated by Don Waller and blocked by Steve Chiodo.Template:Sfn
ReleaseEdit
ContextEdit
Template:See also Industry experts were optimistic about the theatrical summer of 1987 (June–September).<ref name="LATimes87SummerPrev"/> The season focused on genre films—science fiction, horror, and fantasy—that were proven to generate revenue, if not industry respect.<ref name="LATimesGenrePrev"/> Other films—such as Roxanne, Full Metal Jacket and The Untouchables—were targeted at older audiences (over age 25), who had been ignored in recent years by films targeted at teenagers.<ref name="NYTimesummerHits"/><ref name="NYTimesummerPostMortem"/> The action comedy Beverly Hills Cop II was predicted to dominate the theaters<ref name="LATimes87SummerPrev"/> but many other films were expected to perform well, including the action adventure Ishtar, the comedies Harry and the Hendersons, Who's That Girl and Spaceballs, the action film Predator and sequels such as Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and The Living Daylights, the latest James Bond film.<ref name="LATimes87SummerPrev"/><ref name="NYTimesummerPostMortem"/> With the musical La Bamba, RoboCop was predicted to be a sleeper hit.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="NYTimesleeper"/> It received positive feedback before release, including a positive industry screening (considered a rarity) and pre-release screenings that demonstrated the studio's confidence in the film.<ref name="LATimesIndustryPrev"/><ref name="LATimesEarlyBuzz"/>
MarketingEdit
Marketing the film was considered difficult.<ref name="LATimesJuly21Marketing"/> For the Los Angeles Times, Jack Mathews described RoboCop as a "terrible title for a movie that anyone would expect an adult to enjoy". Orion head of marketing Charles Glenn said it had a "certain liabilityTemplate:Nbsp... it sounds like 'Robby the Robot' or Gobots or something else. It's nothing like that."<ref name="LATimesJuly21Marketing"/> The campaign began three months before the film's release, when 5,000 adult-oriented and family-friendly trailers were sent to theaters. Orion promotions director Jan Kean said that children and adults responded positively to the RoboCop character.<ref name="LATimesJuly21Marketing"/> Miguel Ferrer recalled a theater audience laughing derisively at the trailer, which he found disheartening.<ref name="AVClubFerrer"/> Models and actors in fiberglass RoboCop costumes made appearances in cities throughout North America. The character appeared at a motor-racing event in Florida, a laser show in Boston, a subway in New York City, and children could take their picture with him at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Los Angeles.<ref name="LATimesJuly21Marketing"/>
An incomplete version of the unrated film was screened early for critics, which was unconventional for an action film. Glenn reasoned that critics who favored Verhoeven's earlier work would appreciate RoboCop. Feedback was generally positive, providing quotes for promotional material and making it one of the best-reviewed films of the year up to that point.<ref name="LATimesJuly21Marketing"/> The week before release saw the introduction of television commercials and limited theatrical screenings for the public.<ref name="LATimesJuly21Marketing"/> The film was released in the United Kingdom without cuts, which the BBFC justified by the comic excess of the violence and the clear line between the hero and villains.<ref name="BBFCViolence"/>
Box officeEdit
RoboCop began a wide North American release on JulyTemplate:Nbsp17, 1987.<ref name="BOMOverall"/><ref name="TheNumbersOverall"/> During its opening weekend, the film earned $8Template:Nbspmillion from 1,580 theaters—an average of $5,068 per theater.<ref name="BOMWeekendJuly17toJuly19"/><ref name="LATimesBOJul21"/> It was the weekend's number-one film, ahead of a re-release of the 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ($7.5Template:Nbspmillion) and the horror sequel Jaws: The Revenge ($7.2Template:Nbspmillion), both of which were also in their first week of release.<ref name="BOMWeekendJuly17toJuly19"/><ref name="LATimesBOJuly22"/> RoboCop retained the number-one position in its second weekend with an additional gross of $6.3Template:Nbspmillion, ahead of Snow White ($6.05Template:Nbspmillion) and the debuting comedy Summer School ($6Template:Nbspmillion).<ref name="BOMWeekendJuly24toJuly26"/><ref name="NYTimesBOWeekend"/> It was the fourth-highest-grossing film in its third weekend with a gross of $4.7Template:Nbspmillion, behind La Bamba ($5.2Template:Nbspmillion) and the debuts of the horror film The Lost Boys ($5.2Template:Nbspmillion) and The Living Daylights ($11.1Template:Nbspmillion).<ref name="BOMWeekendJuly31toAug2"/>
RoboCop never regained the number-one spot, but remained in the top ten for six weeks.<ref name="BOMOverall"/><ref name="TheNumbersOverall"/> By the end of its theatrical run, the film had grossed about $53.4Template:Nbspmillion and was a modest success.<ref name="IndieWireCast"/><ref name="BOMOverall"/><ref name="TheNumbersOverall"/>Template:Efn-lr It was the year's fourteenth-highest-grossing film, behind Crocodile Dundee ($53.6Template:Nbspmillion), La Bamba ($54.2Template:Nbspmillion) and Dragnet ($57.4Template:Nbspmillion).<ref name="BOMNA1987"/> Figures are unavailable for the film's performance outside North America.<ref name="BOMOverall"/><ref name="TheNumbersOverall"/>
Due in part to higher ticket prices and an extra week of the theatrical summer,<ref name="NYTimesummerHits"/> 1987 set a record of $1.6Template:Nbspbillion in box-office gross and exceeded the previous record of $1.58Template:Nbspbillion record set in 1984. Unlike that summer, which featured several blockbusters such as Ghostbusters and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the summer of 1987 delivered only one: Beverly Hills Cop II. More films (including RoboCop) performed modestly well, however, earning a collective total of $274Template:Nbspmillion—a 50-percent increase over 1986.<ref name="NYTimesummerPostMortem"/><ref name="LATimes87PostMortem"/> The average audience age continued to increase, as teen-oriented films such as RoboCop and Beverly Hills Cop II had a 22-percent drop in performance from similar 1986 films. Adult-oriented films had a 39-percent increase in revenue.<ref name="LATimes87PostMortem"/> RoboCop was one of the summer's surprise successes, and contributed to Orion's improving fortunes.Template:Sfn<ref name="LATimesOrions"/>
ReceptionEdit
Critical responseEdit
RoboCop opened to generally positive reviews.<ref name="IndieWireCast"/><ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/> Audience polls by CinemaScore reported that moviegoers gave the film an average letter grade of A−.<ref name="CinemaScore"/>
Critics noticed influences in the film from the action of The Terminator (1984) and Aliens (1986), and the narratives of Frankenstein (1931), Repo Man (1984) and the television series Miami Vice.<ref name="PhillyInquirReview"/><ref name="WaPoReviewDesson"/><ref name="WaPoReviewKempley"/> RoboCop built a distinct, futuristic vision for Detroit, wrote two reviewers, as Blade Runner had done for Los Angeles.<ref name="NYTimesleeper"/><ref name="PhillyInquirReview"/> A number of critics struggled to identify the film's genre, writing that it combined social satire and philosophy with elements of action, science fiction, thrillers, Westerns, slapstick comedy, romance, snuff films, superhero comics and camp without being derivative.Template:Efn
Some publications found Verhoeven's direction smart and darkly comic, offering sharp social satire that The Washington Post suggested would have been just a simple action film in another director's hands.<ref name="WaPoReviewKempley"/><ref name="CSMReview"/><ref name="LATimesWilmingtonReview"/> Others, such as Dave Kehr of the Chicago Reader, believed the film was over-directed with Verhoeven's European filmmaking style lacking rhythm, tension and momentum. According to the Chicago Reader review, Verhoeven's typical adeptness at portraying the "sleazily psychological" through physicality failed to properly use RoboCop's "Aryan blandness".<ref name="ChicagoReaderReview"/><ref name="ChicagoTribuneKehr"/> The Washington Post and Roger Ebert praised Weller's performance and his ability to elicit sympathy and convey chivalry and vulnerability while concealed beneath a bulky costume. Weller offered a certain beauty and grace, wrote The Washington Post reviewer, that added a mythic quality and made his murder even more horrible.<ref name="WaPoReviewKempley"/><ref name="RogerEbertReview"/> In contrast, Weller "hardly registered" behind the mask for the Chicago Reader.<ref name="ChicagoReaderReview"/> Variety cited Nancy Allen as providing the only human warmth in the film, and Kurtwood Smith as a well-cast "sicko sadist".<ref name="VarietyReview"/>
Many reviewers noted the film's violence.Template:Efn It was so excessive for Ebert and the Los Angeles Times that it became deliberately comical, with Ebert writing that ED-209 killing an executive subverted audience expectations of a seemingly serious and straightforward science-fiction film. The Los Angeles Times reviewer believed that the violent scenes simultaneously conveyed sadism and poignancy.<ref name="RogerEbertReview"/><ref name="LATimesWilmingtonReview"/> Other reviewers were more critical, including Kehr and Walter Goodman, who believed that RoboCopTemplate:'s satire and critiques of corporate corruption were excuses to indulge in violent visuals.<ref name="ChicagoTribuneKehr"/><ref name="NYTimesGoodman"/> The Chicago Reader found the violence had a "brooding, agonized qualityTemplate:Nbsp... as if Verhoeven were both appalled and fascinated" by it, and The Christian Science Monitor said critical praise for the "nasty" film demonstrated a preference for "style over substance".<ref name="ChicagoReaderReview"/><ref name="CSMReview"/>
Kehr and The Washington Post said that the satire of corporations and the interchangeable use of corporate executives and street-level criminals was the film's most successful effort, depicting their unchecked greed and callous disregard with witty criticism of game shows and military culture.<ref name="WaPoReviewKempley"/><ref name="ChicagoTribuneKehr"/> Some reviewers appreciated the film's adaptation of a classic narrative about a tragic hero seeking revenge and redemption, with the Los Angeles Times writing that the typical cliché revenge story was transformed by making the protagonist a machine that keeps succumbing to humanity, emotion and idealism. The Los Angeles Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer considered RoboCop's victory satisfying because it offered a fable about a decent hero fighting against corruption, villains and the theft of his humanity, with morality and technology on his side.<ref name="PhillyInquirReview"/><ref name="WaPoReviewDesson"/><ref name="LATimesWilmingtonReview"/> The Washington Post agreed that the film's "heart" is the story of Murphy regaining his humanity: "[W]ith all our flesh-and-blood heroes failing us—from brokers to ballplayers—we need a man of mettle, a real straight shooter who doesn't fool around with Phi Beta Kappas and never puts anything up his nose. What this world needs is 'RoboCop'."<ref name="WaPoReviewKempley"/>
AccoladesEdit
RoboCop received a Special Achievement for Best Sound Editing (Stephen Flick and John Pospisil) at the 60th Academy Awards. The film had two other nominations: Best Film Editing for Frank J. Urioste (losing to Gabriella Cristiani for the drama film The Last Emperor) and Best Sound for Michael J. Kohut, Carlos Delarios, Aaron Rochin and Robert Wald (losing to Bill Rowe and Ivan Sharrock for The Last Emperor).<ref name="Academy1988"/> In a comedy routine at the event, the RoboCop character rescued presenter Pee-wee Herman from ED-209.<ref name="OscarsAppearance"/><ref name="OscarsAppearance2"/>
At the 42nd British Academy Film Awards, RoboCop received two nominations: Best Makeup and Hair for Carla Palmer (losing to Fabrizio Sforza for The Last Emperor), and Best Special Visual Effects for Bottin, Tippett, Kuran, and Gioffre (losing to George Gibbs, Richard Williams, Ken Ralston, and Edward Jones for the 1988 fantasy film Who Framed Roger Rabbit).<ref name="BAFTA"/>
At the 15th Saturn Awards, RoboCop was the most-nominated film. It received awards for Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director for Verhoeven, Best Writing for Neumeier and Miner, Best Make-up for Bottin and Dupuis, and Best Special Effects for Kuran, Tippett, Bottin, and Gioffre. The film received three more nominations, including Best Actor (Weller) and Best Actress (Allen).<ref name="SaturnPast"/><ref name="SaturnNoms"/>
Template:AnchorAfter releaseEdit
Home mediaEdit
RoboCop was released on VHS on January 28, 1988, priced at $89.98;<ref name="LATimesVHS"/><ref name="LATimesVHS5"/><ref name="NYTimesVHS"/> and had an estimated $24Template:Nbspmillion in sales.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Efn-lr Orion promoted the film by having former United States president Richard Nixon shake hands with a RoboCop-costumed actor. Nixon was paid $25,000, which he donated to the Boys Club of America.<ref name="IndieWireCast"/>Template:Sfn RoboCop was a popular rental, peaking at number one in mid-March 1988.<ref name="LATimesVHS2"/><ref name="LATimesVHS3"/> Rental demand outstripped supply; estimates suggested that there was one VHS copy of a film per 100 households, making it difficult to find new releases such as Dirty Dancing, Predator and Platoon. The longest waiting list was for RoboCop.<ref name="LATimesVHS4"/> The film was released in S-VHS in 1988, one of the earliest films to adopt the format, and was offered free of charge when buying branded S-VCR players.<ref name="LATimesVHS"/>
The extended violent content removed from the U.S. theatrical release was restored on a Criterion Collection LaserDisc, which included audio commentary by Verhoeven, Neumeier and Davison.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/><ref name="IndieWireLaserdisc"/> The uncut version of the film has been made available on other home-media releases.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/> It was released on DVD by Criterion in September 1998.<ref name="IGNHomeMedia2007"/><ref name="IGNHomeMedia2008"/> In June 2004, the DVD version was released in a trilogy box set with RoboCop 2 (1990) and RoboCop 3 (1993). This edition included featurettes about the making of the film and the RoboCop design.<ref name="IGNHomeMedia2007"/> A 20th-anniversary edition was released in August 2007 which included the film's theatrical and uncut versions, previous extras, and new featurettes on the special effects and villains.<ref name="IGNHomeMedia2007"/>
Its scheduled Blu-ray debut in 2006 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment was canceled days before release, with reviews indicating poor video quality. A new version was released in 2007 by Fox Home Entertainment without extra features.<ref name="EngagetBluRay"/><ref name="HiDefDigestBluRay1"/><ref name="HiDefDigestBluRay2"/> Reviews indicated that the film's visual quality had improved, but images were still perceived as grainy or too dark.<ref name="HiDefDigestBluRay2"/><ref name="BluRay2007BReview2"/> The trilogy was released as a Blu-ray Disc box set in October 2010.<ref name="IGNHomeMediaBluRay"/><ref name="IGNHomeMediaBluRay2"/>
The film was restored in 4K resolution from the original camera negative in 2013.<ref name="2013Restoration"/> A two-disc limited-edition Blu-ray set was released in 2019 by Arrow Video which included collectible items (a poster and cards), new commentaries by film historians and fans, deleted scenes, new featurettes with Allen and casting director Julie Selzer, and the theatrical, extended and television cuts of the film.<ref name="BloodyDisgustingBluRay"/><ref name="SlantBluRay"/> Arrow re-released the set on Ultra HD Blu-ray in 2022, which included the uncut scenes re-scanned from the negative to match the quality of the theatrical-cut scans.<ref name="BluRay2022Slate"/><ref name="BluRay2022Dread"/>
Other mediaEdit
Template:See also RoboCop was considered easier to merchandise than other R-rated films and,<ref name="LATimesJuly21Marketing"/> despite its violent content, its merchandise was targeted at a younger audience. Merchandise included cap guns and other toys, comic books,Template:Efn theme-park rides, novels<ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> and RoboCop Ultra Police action figures, which were released with the 1988 animated series RoboCop.<ref name="DOGDiminishing"/> By the time of the film's release, Marvel Comics had published a black-and-white comic-book adaptation of the film without violence and adult language;<ref name="LATimesJuly21Marketing"/><ref name="DOGCOmics"/> a video game was in development, and negotiations were underway to release T-shirts, other video games and RoboCop dolls by Christmas. The film's poster, painted by Mike Bryan, was reportedly more popular than the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue<ref name="LATimesJuly21Marketing"/><ref name="PosterBryan"/> and its novelization, written by Ed Naha, was in its second printing by July.<ref name="LATimesJuly21Marketing"/><ref name="NPRNaha"/> Since its release, RoboCop has continued to be merchandised with collectible action figures, clothing and crockery.Template:Efn A 2014 book, RoboCop: The Definitive History, details the RoboCop franchise.<ref name="ScreenRangMerch"/><ref name="BMDBook"/><ref name="SlashFilmBook"/>
The story of RoboCop has been continued in comics, initially by Marvel. The adaptation of the film was reprinted in color to promote a 23-issue series that ran between 1987 and 1992, when the rights were transferred to Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse released a number of miniseries, including RoboCop Versus The Terminator (1992), which pitted RoboCop against Skynet and its Terminators from The Terminator franchise.<ref name="IGNHistory"/><ref name="DOGCOmics"/> The story was well-received and was followed by other series, including Prime Suspect (1992), Roulette (1994) and Mortal Coils (1996).<ref name="IGNHistory"/> The RoboCop series was continued by Avatar Press (2003), Dynamite Entertainment (2010) and Boom! Studios (2013).<ref name="IGNHistory"/><ref name="DOGCOmics"/>
Several games based on, or inspired by, the film have been released. A side-scroller of the same name was released for arcades in 1988, and was ported to other platforms such as the ZX Spectrum and Game Boy.<ref name="DOGDiminishing"/><ref name="AVClubGameBoy"/> RoboCop Versus The Terminator, an adaptation of the comic of the same name, was released in 1994. RoboCop, a 2003 first-person shooter, was poorly received and resulted in the shuttering of developer Titus Interactive.<ref name="IGNHistory"/> RoboCop: Rogue City (2023) continues the narrative of RoboCop, being set between RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3.<ref name="RogueCity"/>
Thematic analysisEdit
Corporate powerEdit
A central theme in RoboCop is the power of corporations. Those depicted in the film are corrupt and greedy, privatizing public services and gentrifying Detroit.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/><ref name="SyFyThemes"/> A self-described hippie who grew up during the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War, Miner was critical of Ronald Reagan's pro-business policies and believed that Detroit was destroyed by American corporations.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="UproxxRetro"/><ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> The Detroit presented in the film is described as beset by rape, crime and "Reaganomics gone awry", where gentrification and unfettered capitalism result in corporations waging war as the police become a profit-driven entity.<ref name="IndieWire10Things"/><ref name="WaPoReviewKempley"/><ref name="ChicagoReaderReview"/> Miner said that out-of-control crime was a particularly Republican or right-wing fear, but RoboCop puts the blame for drugs and crime on advancing technology and the privatization of public services such as hospitals, prisons and the police.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/> Although criticism of Reagan-era policies was in the script, Verhoeven did not understand urban politics such as the privatization of prisons.<ref name="SFX"/><ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/> Weller said that the trickle-down economics espoused by Reagan was "bullshit" and did not work fast enough for those in need.<ref name="SFX"/>
Michael Robertson described the Media Breaks throughout the film as direct criticisms of neoliberal Reagan policies. Robertson focused on OCP's claim that it has private ownership of RoboCop, despite making use of Murphy's corpse. The Old Man was based on Reagan, and the corporation's policies emphasize greed and profit over individual rights. The police are deliberately underfunded, and the creation of RoboCop aims to replace them with a more efficient force. Jones admits that it does not matter if ED-209 works, because they have contracts to provide spare parts for years. He plots with Boddicker to corrupt workers brought in to build Delta City with drugs and prostitution.Template:Sfn Davison believed that the film is politically liberal, but the violence makes it "fascism for liberals".<ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> It takes a pro-labor stance; the police chief, believing in the essential nature of his service, refuses to strike but the underfunded, understaffed and under-assault police eventually walk out. OCP sees the strike as an opportunity to develop more robots.<ref name="VulureThemes"/>
Humanity and deathEdit
Another central theme is the question of what humanity is, and how much of Murphy is left in RoboCop.<ref name="WaPoReviewKempley"/><ref name="RogerEbertReview"/> Neumeier wanted to leave audiences asking "what's left" of Murphy, and described the character's journey as coping with his transformation.Template:Sfn As an officer, Murphy works for a corporation that insists it owns individuals based on waivers and can do what it wants with Murphy's remains. He does the right thing, however, and fights against the demands of his corporate masters.<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Despite his inhuman appearance, RoboCop has a soul, experiences real human fears, and has a core consciousness that makes him more than a machine.<ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> Brooks Landon says that Murphy is dead, however; although he remembers Murphy's life, RoboCop is not (and can never be) Murphy and regain enough of his humanity to rejoin his family.Template:Sfn Dale Bradley writes that RoboCop is a machine who mistakenly thinks it is Murphy because of its composite parts, and only believes it has a human spirit within.Template:Sfn An alternative view is that RoboCop's personality is a new construct, informed partially by fragments of Murphy's personality.Template:Sfn Slavoj Žižek describes Murphy as a man between life and death, who is deceased and simultaneously reanimated with mechanical parts. As he regains his humanity, he transforms from being programmed by others to his former state as a being of desire. Žižek calls this return of the living dead a fundamental human fantasy, a desire to avoid death and take revenge against the living.Template:Sfn
Murphy's death is prolonged and violent, so the audience can see RoboCop as imbued with the humanity taken from him by Boddicker's gang and OCP.<ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/> Verhoeven considered it important to acknowledge the inherent darkness of humanity to avoid inevitable mutual destruction. He was affected by his childhood experiences during World War II and the inhuman actions he witnessed. Verhoeven believed that the concept of an immaculate hero died after the war, and subsequent heroes had a dark side they had to overcome.<ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/> Describing the difference between making films in Europe and America, Verhoeven said that a European RoboCop would explore the spiritual and psychological problems of RoboCop's condition; the American version focuses on revenge.<ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/> He incorporated Christian mythology into the film; Murphy's brutal death is analogous to the crucifixion of Jesus before his resurrection as RoboCop, an American Jesus who walks on water at the steel mill and wields a handgun.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> Verhoeven said that he did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus, but "[he] can see the value of that idea, the purity of that idea. So from an artistic point of view, it's absolutely true".<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> The scene of RoboCop returning to Murphy's home is compared to finding the Garden of Eden or a similar paradise.<ref name="DallasHistory"/><ref name="EsquireOral"/>
Brooks Landon describes the film as typical of the cyberpunk genre because it does not treat RoboCop as better or worse than average humans (just different), and asks the audience to consider him a new life form.<ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/>Template:Sfn The film does not treat this technological advance as necessarily negative, just an inevitable result of a progression that will change one's life and one's understanding of what it means to be human.Template:Sfn The RoboCop character embodies the struggle of humanity to embrace technology.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/> The central cast do not have romantic interests or overt sexual desires. Paul Sammon described the scene of RoboCop shooting bottles of baby food as symbolic of the relationship he and Lewis can never have.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>Template:Sfn Taylor agreed, but believed that the confrontation between Morton and Jones in the OCP bathroom was sexualized.<ref name="IndieWire10Things"/>
Masculinity and authorityEdit
Vince Mancini describes the 1980s as a period in which cinematic heroes were unambiguously good, as depicted in films that promoted suburban living, materialism and unambiguous villains such as Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Back to the Future (1985).<ref name="UproxxRetro"/> Some films of the decade send the message that authority is good and trustworthy, but RoboCop demonstrates that those in authority are flawed and Detroit has been carved up by greed, capitalism and cheap foreign labor.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/> Weller described RoboCop as an evolution of strait-laced 1940s heroes such as Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart, who lived honorably; modern audiences now cheer a maimed police officer taking brutal revenge.<ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/>
Susan Jeffords considers RoboCop among the many "hard body" films of the decade that portray perfect, strong, masculine physiques who must protect the "soft bodies": the ineffectual and the weak. RoboCop portrays strength by eliminating crime and redeeming the city through violence. Bullets ricochet harmlessly off his armor; attempts to attack his crotch (a typical weak point) only hurt the attacker, demonstrating the uncompromising strength and masculinity needed to eliminate crime.<ref name="GuericaMag"/> According to Darian Leader, the addition of something unnatural to a biological body is required to be truly masculine. RoboCop's body incorporates technology, a symbolic addition that makes him more than an average man.Template:Sfn
LegacyEdit
Cultural influenceEdit
RoboCop is considered a groundbreaking entry in the science-fiction genre.<ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> Unlike many protagonists at the time, the film's central character is not a robotic-like human who is stoic and invincible but a human-like robot who is affected by his lost humanity.<ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> In a 2013 interview following Detroit's bankruptcy and the city's labeling as the most dangerous place in the United States, Neumeier spoke about the film's prescience: "We are now living in the world that I was proposing in RoboCopTemplate:Nbsp... how big corporations will take care of us andTemplate:Nbsp... how they won't."<ref name="GuericaMag"/><ref name="CNNThemes"/> Verhoeven described RoboCop as a film ahead of its time, which could not be improved with digital effects.<ref name="ActionEW"/> Weller said that the filming experience was among the worst of his life, mainly because of the RoboCop costume.<ref name="EbertWeller"/> Verhoeven also considered filming RoboCop a miserable experience, in part due to the difficulties with special effects and other things going wrong.Template:Sfn Ferrer, however, described it as the best summer of his life.<ref name="AVClubFerrer"/>
The film's impact was not limited to North America, and Neumeier recalled finding unlicensed RoboCop dolls for sale near the Colosseum in Rome.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/> He has said that many robotics labs use a "Robo-" prefix for projects in reference to the film, and he was hired as a United States Air Force consultant for futuristic concepts because of his involvement with RoboCop.<ref name="ViceNeumeier"/> In the years immediately after its release, Verhoeven parlayed his success into directing the science-fiction film Total Recall (1990, also with Cox) and the erotic thriller Basic Instinct (1992).<ref name="DOGWhereareThey"/><ref name="CBRCast"/> He also worked with Neumeier on the tonally-similar science-fiction film Starship Troopers (1997).<ref name="DOGWhereareThey"/> In 2020, the GuardianTemplate:'s Scott Tobias wrote that in hindsight, RoboCop was the beginning of Verhoeven's unofficial science-fiction trilogy about authoritarian governance (followed by Total Recall and Starship Troopers).<ref name="TheGuardianREtro"/> Previously typecast as someone who played moral characters, Cox credited RoboCop with changing his image and—with the Beverly Hills Cop films—boosting his film career to make him one of the decade's most iconic villains.<ref name="LATimesRonnyCox"/><ref name="AVClubCox"/><ref name="THRCox"/>
The RoboCop, ED-209 and Clarence Boddicker characters are considered iconic.Template:Efn Lines such as RoboCop's "Dead or alive, you're coming with me", ED-209's "You have 20 seconds to comply" and television host Bixby Snyder's "I'd buy that for a dollar" are among the film's most recognizable.Template:Efn The film has been referred to in a variety of media, from television (including Family Guy,<ref name="CulturalFamilyGuy"/> It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,<ref name="CulturalSunny"/> Red Dwarf,<ref name="CulturalRedDwarf"/> South Park,<ref name="CulturalSouthpark"/> and The Simpsons<ref name="CulturalSimpsons"/><ref name="CulturalSimpsons2"/>) to films (including Hot Shots! Part Deux<ref name="CulturalHotShots"/> and Ready Player One<ref name="CulturalRPO"/>) and video games (Deus Ex<ref name="CulturalDeusEx"/> and its prequel, Deus Ex: Human Revolution<ref name="CulturalDeusExHR"/>). Doom Eternal (2020) creative director Hugo Martin cited it as an inspiration.<ref name="PolyGonDoom"/> RoboCop (voiced by Weller) is a playable character in the fighting game Mortal Kombat 11 (2019).<ref name="MortalKombat"/> The character was a design inspiration for the Nintendo Power Glove (1989),<ref name="MFPowerGlove"/> and appeared in advertisements for KFC in 2019 (again voiced by Weller),<ref name="SYFYKFC"/> and Direct Line in 2020 with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Bumblebee.<ref name="DirectLineAd"/>
For the 30th anniversary of RoboCopTemplate:'s release in 2017, Weller attended a screening by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at Dallas City Hall (in his home town) and called the film an homage to the city.<ref name="EWWeller30th"/><ref name="DallasNewsLocations"/> The crowdfunded making-of documentary RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop was released in August 2023. It covers the production and influence of RoboCop, with interviews of many of the cast and crew involved.<ref name="BloodyDisDocu"/><ref name="BloodDisDocuWell"/><ref name="ColliderRoboDoc"/> A Template:Convert RoboCop statue is to be erected in Detroit. First proposed in 2011, $70,000 was crowdfunded for its construction and, Template:As of, the statue was complete and awaiting installation.Template:Efn
Modern receptionEdit
RoboCop has been called one of the best science-fiction and action films of all time,Template:Efn and among the best films of the 1980s.Template:Efn Several publications have listed it as one of the greatest action films of all time:<ref name="ActionEW"/><ref name="ActionTimeOut"/><ref name="ActionEmpire2016"/> On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it has a Template:RT data approval rating based on Template:RT data reviews, with an average rating of Template:RT data. According to the website, "While over-the-top and gory, RoboCop is also a surprisingly smart sci-fi flick that uses ultraviolence to disguise its satire of American culture."<ref name="RottenTomatoes"/> Rotten Tomatoes listed the film at numberTemplate:Nbsp139 on its list of 200 essential movies to watch, and one of 300 essential movies.<ref name="RT200"/><ref name="RT300"/> The film has a score of 70 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 17 "generally favorable reviews".<ref name="Metacritic"/> In the 2000s, The New York Times listed it as one of its 1,000 "Best Movies Ever",<ref name="NYTimesBest"/> and Empire ranked the film numberTemplate:Nbsp404 on its list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.<ref name="Empire500"/>
Filmmakers have spoken about their appreciation for RoboCop and cited it as an inspiration in their own careers, including Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck,<ref name="NerdistMarvel"/> Neill Blomkamp<ref name="DeadlineBlomkamp"/> and Leigh Whannell<ref name="Whannell"/> and Ken Russell, who called it the best science fiction film since Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927).<ref name="KenRussell"/> During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was among the action films recommended by director James Gunn.<ref name="IGNGunn"/>
Sequels and adaptationsEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} By November 1987, Orion had greenlit the development of a sequel targeting a PG rating, which would allow children to see the film unaccompanied by adults,Template:Sfn<ref name="LATimesequelAug87"/><ref name="LATimesequelNov87"/> and tying into the 12-episode animated series RoboCop, released by Marvel Productions in 1988.<ref name="IGNHistory"/><ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> Neumeier and Miner began writing the film but were fired after refusing to work during the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike and were replaced by Frank Miller, whose second draft was made into RoboCop 2 and first draft became the second sequel, RoboCop 3.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>Template:Sfn Weller reprised his role in the Irvin Kershner–directed first sequel,<ref name="DOGRoboCop2"/> which was released to mixed reviews and was estimated to have lost money.<ref name="RottenTomatoesRobo2"/><ref name="NYTimesMediaBusiness"/>
RoboCop 3, directed by Fred Dekker, was targeted at younger audiences who were driving merchandise sales. Robert John Burke replaced Weller in the title role, and Allen returned as Anne Lewis for the third and final time in the series.<ref name="IGNHistory"/><ref name="SyFyAllen"/><ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> The film was a critical and financial failure.<ref name="DOGRobo3"/>
A live-action television series was released in 1994, but had a poor critical reception and was canceled after 22 episodes. Starring Richard Eden as RoboCop, the series used aspects of Neumeier and Miner's RoboCop 2 ideas.<ref name="IGNHistory" /><ref name="IndieWire10Things" /><ref name="DOGDiminishing" /> A second animated series, RoboCop: Alpha Commando, followed in 1998.<ref name="IGNHistory" /><ref name="IndieWire10Things" /> Page Fletcher starred as RoboCop in a four-part live-action miniseries, RoboCop: Prime Directives (2001). The series, set ten years after the events of the first film, ignores the events of the sequels.<ref name="IGNHistory" /><ref name="IndieWire10Things" /> After years of financial difficulties, Orion and the rights to RoboCop were purchased by MGM in the late 1990s.<ref name="IGNHistory" /><ref name="THRReturns" /><ref name="UPI" />
A 2014 reboot of the first film, also called RoboCop, was directed by José Padilha and starred Joel Kinnaman. The film received mixed reviews, but was a financial success.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="DeadlineBlomkamp"/><ref name="ScreenRantRobo2014"/> Verhoeven said that he "should be dead" before a reboot was attempted, and Allen believed that an "iconic" film should not be remade.<ref name="SyFyAllen"/> RoboCop Returns, a sequel to RoboCop that ignores the series' other films, was announced to be in development in 2019.<ref name="THRReturns"/><ref name="SyFyReturns"/><ref name="Deadline2024TV"/> However, MGM was purchased by Amazon in 2022, and a television series was announced in 2024.<ref name="Deadline2024TV"/>
FootnotesEdit
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External linksEdit
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- Projection Booth Episode 16: Robocop (1987) – Special guests: Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Miguel Ferrer, Monte Hellman, Michael Miner, Ed Naha, Ed Neumeier, and Jerry Paffendorf
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