Robocop (1987)

DVD, Somerville, MA

June 25, 2007

**** / ****

Notorious Dutch director Paul Verhoeven delivered his first American product, Robocop, in 1987. The response was both critical acclaim, appalling delight from the masses, and a springboard into infamy as the ultimate purveyor of violently flashy bad taste. Only in the 1980s do we get ludicrousness this good and Verhoeven’s masterpiece is one of the best.

No matter your opinion of his flicks, the director’s ability to make the absurd curiously entertaining is without question. A quick summary of Robocop’s plot explains half the reason why: in the world of the near-future, corporations rule as cities crumble in decay. Privatization has taken over the public sector while greed is not only good but a commandment. When one good cop (Peter Weller) is killed on the beat, a giant conglomerate, Omni Consumer Products, resurrects him in a marketing stunt as a half-man, half-robot cyborg. Troubled by memories of his human past, Robocop goes on a rampage cleaning up crime on Detroit’s streets while he pursues the man responsible for taking his life (a pre-That ‘70s Show Kurtwood Smith, who is both outstanding and perfectly evil as Robo’s chief nemesis). In the end, much blood is spilled, the techno-symphony soars, and Robocop turns the tables on his bitter enemies.

This bizarre plot is complemented by little touches of cleverness that truly take Robocop from B-movie to Bad Ass cult fave. Heavy on the satire the movie merges bits of phony news coverage (featuring a pre-Entertainment Tonight Leeza Gibbons!) with outrageously hilarious and pointed commercials (The SUX 6000 automobile gets 9 miles per gallon!) and awesome for its time special effects making the whole thing a stand out ultimate ‘80s sci-fi action classic.

Two effects in particular steal the show: A man melts after falling into a vat of toxic waste and is then plowed by an oncoming car, splattering in a hundred directions, and a rival robot named ED-209 stop-motions his way into cinema infamy with bad programming and fits of uncontrolled violence. These gory marvels are the cherry atop Verhoeven’s tasty sundae of violence, satire, action, and the bizarre.

Verhoeven went on to direct several more cult-camp classics in the ‘90s (Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Showgirls, and Starship Troopers) but none have been nearly as well-received as his first. Some may be more notorious, others far sleazier, and still others more outrageously preposterous, but Robocop is most surely his best, most complete, and most entertaining work.

For science-fiction affocionados, ‘80s obsessives, and satire junkies, Robocop is essential viewing and an all-around terrific film.