When the government regime changed in the Netherlands, director Paul Verhoeven found himself unable to make the kind of films he’d been making and for a while was worried his career might be dead. Until producer Jon Davison and screenwriters Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner sent him the script for Robocop. Verhoeven didn’t like the idea at first, and as the famous story goes – he threw the script in the trashcan, dismissing it as a “dumb robot movie“. Luckily, his wife took a look at it, and told Verhoeven there was a bit more to it and he should read it properly.

Despite it’s futuristic setting, the screenplay was very much a product of it’s time, and had a faint political tone which in a lot of ways parodied 80’s Reagan era America. Verhoeven, who was looking for exciting new projects and broader horizons knew that a trip to Hollywood was definitely on the cards, and was surprised to realise that Robocop was in fact the perfect project for him to make his mark. This was more than a dumb sci-fi movie, it also worked as a political satire. After careful consideration – Verhoeven accepted the project. Robocop was made and released in 1987.

The story begins as Dick Jones (Ronny Cox), vice president of OCP reveals the ED-209 at a boardroom demonstration. The ED-209 is a robot military unit, much like a tank with legs. OCP have privatised the police force, and want to knock down the crime ridden city of Detroit, and replace it with Delta City – a futuristic utopia. However, crime is rampant and they realise that this problem must be dealt with if construction of this gleaming metropolis is to take place. They need a cop who doesn’t eat, doesn’t sleep, can’t be killed – and he believes that the ED-209 unit is the answer.

However, the demonstration goes ghoulishly wrong and Rob Morton (Miguel Ferrer) a CEO takes this opportunity to present his “Robocop” project to the company chairman – known only as the Old Man. To Dick Jones’ anger and humiliation, Morton’s project is greenlighted. When asked when construction will begin on the Robocop unit, Morton answers ominously “When some poor schmuck volunteers…”

We soon meet Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) when he’s transferred into Metro South Detroit Precinct, and paired up with Officer Lewis (Nancy Allen). Immediately, they respond to a bank robbery in process, track the gang down in their van and begin a high speed chase. The leader of the gang Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith) engages in a gunfight with the cops, and the gang flee to a warehouse, where Murphy and Lewis eventually track them down. The partners decide to go in and not wait for backup – and Officer Lewis is quickly taken out of action by one of the gang, however, she is just knocked unconscious.

Murphy is eventually cornered by the gang members – who sadistically blow him to pieces with shotguns. He is then finished off by a gunshot to the head. The gang leave the warehouse, and Lewis regains consciousness. She is horrified to find Murphy’s remains and calls for a medical helicopter. The attempts to save Murphy are in vain and he is pronounced dead.

He then wakes up in a lab with doctors and scientist working on him. He watches as new arms and legs are attached to him  and then has his memory erased. He is rebuilt as Robocop. A part man, part machine police unit, covered from head to toe in almost indestructible armour. A mask, bolted to his face to conceal his identity. He is sent out onto the street and automatically the crime rate goes down.

However, Officer Lewis notices some familiar characteristics such as the way he twirls his gun on his finger before he holsters it, something Murphy used to do. It isn’t long before she suspects who he really is. On top of that, Robocop begins having nightmares whilst in shutdown, nightmares about the day he died… and dreams about his wife and son. Robocop is on a collision course – to once again face the gang responsible for his death, to find out the truth about his identity and to rid Detroit of crime and political corruption  for good.

The production of this movie was famously tough – but the results are worth it. Robocop is a very well made film. Made before the days of CGI, Phil Tippet’s stop motion effects are impressive and still hold up very well. Rob Bottin’s costume design for the title character is sleek and looks very much like a product of Detroit – famously known as the “motor city”.

Peter Weller’s performance in the title role is very impressive, considering that he spends much of the film behind a mask. When the mask is taken off toward the end, Weller’s face has the kind of pained beauty of Frankenstein’s monster, one of the many sources that this movie  pays homage to. He adds a heart and soul to this strange cyborg creature- making him an easy hero to root for. He’s like the new Sherriff, riding into town to clear up the corruption, and settle a few personal scores as well. It’s a clever performance, enhanced by a well written screenplay – all expertly directed by Paul Verhoeven, who makes his Hollywood debut with self assuredness and confidence.

As the plot thickens, the company executives reveal their true colours and people start getting killed. Capitalism is more important than human life in this dark cynical world, with these corporate suits genuinly believing that it’s OK for boardroom one-upmanship to escalate into murder. That’s just life in the big city. This movie paints a picture of a very nihilistic and unpleasant world – making it more ironic that Robocop, a being who is largely a robot – is the one who has the most soul and humanity, and is the only one that can’t be bought, can’t be corrupted and who will not stop until justice is done.

Good sci-fi films should predict the future in an intelligent way and Robocop is a stark warning to that 80’s audience about where boardroom politics could take humanity if allowed. It also, quite cleverly, foretells the advent of DVD when in the time the movie was made – CD’s had only just started to be mass produced. Clever stuff.

Robocop in closing, is a very clever and intelligent sci-fi movie. It’s aged extremely well. If you haven’t seen it, watch it before Hollywood inevitably ruins it with the rumoured upcoming remake.

Oh, and avoid the sequels too.

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