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General Category => TV/Movie Reviews => Topic started by: Jor el on February 12, 2014, 07:18:33 PM

Title: RoboCop
Post by: Jor el on February 12, 2014, 07:18:33 PM

Aboot as bad as I expected.

C-
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Narco Pollo on February 12, 2014, 09:00:03 PM
That's what I've been hearing.  No real surprise though.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Jor el on February 12, 2014, 09:15:07 PM

There were some cool visuals here and there...but meh.
I'm tired of the 'hand held action cam' shenanigans.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Jor el on February 12, 2014, 09:16:40 PM

And the music was terrible.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: bitter on February 12, 2014, 11:26:00 PM
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: ez on February 13, 2014, 06:30:11 AM
You paid money to go see a PG-13 remake of Robocop? What the fuck is wrong with you?
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Jor el on February 13, 2014, 09:19:19 AM

It's a remake?
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: ez on February 13, 2014, 10:05:31 AM
seriously? holy shit.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: jmucke on February 13, 2014, 10:50:51 AM
With more screen time for the wife and the son - it must be better.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Jor el on February 15, 2014, 09:50:46 PM

After having a couple of days to think about it, I am raising the grade to C+
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: The Bandit on February 16, 2014, 10:18:27 AM
That's a relief.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Jor el on February 16, 2014, 11:23:55 AM

Well, the original was a D-, possibly an E, so....
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Narco Pollo on February 16, 2014, 11:54:33 AM
Those are some sinister letters.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Jor el on February 16, 2014, 12:24:15 PM

You're right -

I better change it to an F
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: boltthrow on February 16, 2014, 10:43:18 PM
It was... whatever. 

Production design was good, CG was terrific and fairly seamless (the new Spiderman trailer played before it and looked like shit), the shoot 'em up action was bloodless and mind-numbing, some of the political updating was clever, the Sam Jackson Pat Buchanan/Robert Novak aspect was dumb, it's always nice to see real actors like Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton and Jackie Earl Haley and Jay Baruchel making rote roles at least watchable, Jennifer Ehle was the icy bitch she is in real life (she was the ghost on A Gifted Man), the back and forths from the lab to the squad to the boardrooms were incessant and confusing as was Robocop's ability to piece together CCTV stuff and revisit plot points. 

The biggest problem was the filmmakers obviously wanted to make a more thoughful movie with all the man/machine/soul/free will/loving family stuff... but ultimately the audience just wants to see Robocop shoot bad guys and give quips and there was way too little of that.  It all devolved into inside baseball corporate politics stuff.  The bad guy who tried to kill Robocop was forgettable and even the way they tried to kill him (blowing him up) was impersonal and therefore you didn't really care if he lived or died. 

In some ways it's like they had to get all this origin story stuff out of the way and the NEXT movie will hopefully be more like the one this should've been (not that I'll see the next movie).
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: CanookieWookie on February 17, 2014, 08:40:54 PM
Quote from: Jor el on February 12, 2014, 07:18:33 PM

Aboot as bad as I expected.

C-

Why brother, why?  The original could never be duplicated. 
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Jor el on February 18, 2014, 08:34:22 AM

The original is horrible.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: boltthrow on February 18, 2014, 09:37:32 AM
Exactly.  Or close.  The original had some charms but it's not like it's some classic of cinema that can't be touched.  Problem is, the remake didn't seem to understand what charms an audience might want to see again.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Jor el on February 18, 2014, 09:38:37 AM

Exactamundo
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: gritty_fingers on February 18, 2014, 10:21:04 AM
I have fond memories of the original. I thought there were some very clever story telling. The hardcore violence was used effectively and there was some interesting commentary of 80s culture (which sadly did not age well). I thought the villain (the dude from 'That's 70s Show') was really good.

Also I like the slow-moving original bulky design as opposed to the fast moving Robocop in the remake.

In all honesty, I have no interest in watching the remake.  Judging by the comments here, I don't think I'm missing anything.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: CanookieWookie on February 18, 2014, 05:34:00 PM
Quote from: Jor el on February 18, 2014, 08:34:22 AM

The original is horrible.

This should never be written.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: CanookieWookie on February 18, 2014, 05:37:04 PM
Quote from: boltthrow on February 18, 2014, 09:37:32 AM
Exactly.  Or close.  The original had some charms but it's not like it's some classic of cinema that can't be touched.  Problem is, the remake didn't seem to understand what charms an audience might want to see again.

It was impossible to make a remake of this movie, and make it better.  No one is clever enough to do it.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Jor el on February 18, 2014, 09:08:57 PM

The remake is better...which means it's only slightly less horrible.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: CanookieWookie on February 18, 2014, 09:25:02 PM
Impossible.  I'm sorry, I just can't believe the remake is as good as the original.  It just doesn't make sense.

Now, I'm not saying the original was a fantastic movie, but it had something, something that made it decent.  When I see the trailer(s) for the new one, it looks typical of a shitty Hollywood remake.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Lumpy on February 18, 2014, 09:46:57 PM
The original is relatively low-budget, but has a lot of good things going for it. Don't make me start listing them.

Hollywood needs to come up with new material, the remake trend is shit. It just shows that some people are all out (or incapable) of new ideas, in which case they need to GTFO of the movie business.

There are no more good ideas left to explore, said no one with a brain ever.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: CanookieWookie on February 18, 2014, 10:14:05 PM
Quote from: Lumpy on February 18, 2014, 09:46:57 PM
The original is relatively low-budget, but has a lot of good things going for it. Don't make me start listing them.

Hollywood needs to come up with new material, the remake trend is shit. It just shows that some people are all out (or incapable) of new ideas, in which case they need to GTFO of the movie business.

There are no more good ideas left to explore, said no one with a brain ever.


Well said.  I couldn't agree more. 
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Narco Pollo on February 19, 2014, 03:10:07 PM
The problem isn't people don't have new ideas.  New ideas are flying out people's asses.  The problem is Hollywood won't risk putting money on a new idea when they have data that shows enough retards will pay to see a remake that doesn't carry the same risk.
The whole "Hollywood is out of ideas." concept is too Ayn Rand for me. "Once the creators are gone, the leeches will starve."  Bullshit, one second after a single "creator" leaves, the void is immediately fought over by thousands of "leeches."
YouTube is our only hope.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Lumpy on February 19, 2014, 06:47:33 PM
I wasn't criticizing the writers.

Star Wars ruined American mainstream cinema for Hollywood. The "blockbuster" mentality, where movies want to be a box office home run. The remake aspect is supposed to be an additional selling point. "Remember how you loved the Flintstones? Well now they're back, in 3D!"
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: ez on February 20, 2014, 04:13:15 AM
Big Hollywood movies these days are business ventures, where return on investment is just as important as it is in any other business venture.

That being said, with an estimated budget of USD 100 Million, and only about USD 31 Million made to date, RoboCop has not been that successful (yet?). One can only hope that numbers like this will deter Hollywood from making more soulless remakes of classic movies.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Lumpy on February 20, 2014, 06:40:17 AM
Anybody who doesn't think the first version is great, I don't want to know you.

Remember when the barrel of acid splashes on one of the henchmen, and he starts melting? Is that in the new version ??!!??!!??
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: lftwng4 on February 20, 2014, 08:35:59 AM
Quote from: Lumpy on February 20, 2014, 06:40:17 AM
Anybody who doesn't think the first version is great, I don't want to know you.

Remember when the barrel of acid splashes on one of the henchmen, and he starts melting? Is that in the new version ??!!??!!??

Yeah, the first Robocop is a classic.  Don't know how that can even be debated.  Maybe the second one not so much. 
I loved the little things in the movie, the guy who keeps saying "I'd buy that for a dollar" the SUX6000, "Bitches leave", the aforementioned acid bath, "Dead or alive, you're coming with me"-all great stuff.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Jor el on February 20, 2014, 09:25:35 AM

"Bitches Leave" is indeed funny.

The movie is horrible.
Verhoeven is HORRIBLE.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: boltthrow on February 20, 2014, 11:38:33 AM
The best re-purposing of "Bitches leave."

Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: peoplething on February 20, 2014, 11:41:47 AM
I've revisited the original in the last couple years and yeah, it didn't age well for me either - seemed the 80's cheesiness over shadowed the good stuff.

BUT, there is some good stuff in it. alot was already mentioned,  and Kurtwood Smith's Clarence Boddicker is, for my money, one of the best pure sociopath's I've ever seen. I'll also add that the scene were they shoot up weller before he's robocop. the cinematography and gore in that scene holds up even by today's standards.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: JkFlesh on February 20, 2014, 11:59:05 AM
Quote from: lftwng4 on February 20, 2014, 08:35:59 AM
Quote from: Lumpy on February 20, 2014, 06:40:17 AM
Anybody who doesn't think the first version is great, I don't want to know you.

Remember when the barrel of acid splashes on one of the henchmen, and he starts melting? Is that in the new version ??!!??!!??

Yeah, the first Robocop is a classic.  Don't know how that can even be debated.  Maybe the second one not so much. 
I loved the little things in the movie, the guy who keeps saying "I'd buy that for a dollar" the SUX6000, "Bitches leave", the aforementioned acid bath, "Dead or alive, you're coming with me"-all great stuff.

100% agree.

The original is a really nasty, dead-on satire and its predictions were remarkably  prescient, especially the way traditionally public functions have become increasingly privatized.  Plus, it's a shitload of fun.

The remake was okay, not a travesty, mostly just forgettable.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Narco Pollo on February 22, 2014, 12:21:38 PM
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Lumpy on February 22, 2014, 07:27:34 PM
(http://hollywoodsigngenerator.com/cache/42249.jpg)
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: MikeyT on April 09, 2014, 02:43:14 AM
Quote from: JkFlesh on February 20, 2014, 11:59:05 AM
Quote from: lftwng4 on February 20, 2014, 08:35:59 AM
Quote from: Lumpy on February 20, 2014, 06:40:17 AM
Anybody who doesn't think the first version is great, I don't want to know you.

Remember when the barrel of acid splashes on one of the henchmen, and he starts melting? Is that in the new version ??!!??!!??

Yeah, the first Robocop is a classic.  Don't know how that can even be debated.  Maybe the second one not so much. 
I loved the little things in the movie, the guy who keeps saying "I'd buy that for a dollar" the SUX6000, "Bitches leave", the aforementioned acid bath, "Dead or alive, you're coming with me"-all great stuff.

100% agree.

The original is a really nasty, dead-on satire and its predictions were remarkably  prescient, especially the way traditionally public functions have become increasingly privatized.  Plus, it's a shitload of fun.



    + 1
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: MikeyT on April 17, 2014, 10:51:16 PM

      Saw the 2014 RoboCop last night. Not bad. I'd say it's a 6 or 6.5.
  The idea that regularly driving through heavy traffic at extreme speeds on a motorcycle could be done without any complications is absurd. That got on my nerves.

It's been a long time since I saw the first one, but I remember it being a lot more fun. The new one is interesting, though.

I sprung for a large popcorn and large Pepsi so unfortunately I had to hit the RR to take a pee at the exact moment RoboCop stormed  the OmniCorp building. Typical.  ::)


Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: black on April 18, 2014, 02:04:21 PM
You're supposed to pee in the cup.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: MikeyT on April 22, 2014, 06:43:30 AM
 
   There was still some Pepsi in there!   :P


     
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: bitter on April 23, 2014, 12:20:56 AM
Peepsi.
Title: Re: RoboCop
Post by: Overfloater on May 14, 2014, 08:28:50 PM
Yeah this gargled. They should learn not to remake classics movies.
Recent Thing remake, Robocop, Rob Zombies Halloween, and the mother of all failures the remake of Total Recall with Colin Farell.