In 1987, Paul Verhoeven brought to the screen a film that so many have embraced and loved over the years, RoboCop. When it was released in July of that year, it held the number one slot at the box office for two weeks straight, eventually bringing in $53.4 million. It was a modest success for Orion Pictures. The film was praised for its satire and social commentary by critics, while the crazed film fans lamented it for its graphic violence and practical effects.
The film was a big enough success that it would be followed by RoboCop 2 (1990) and RoboCop 3 (1993). While the second film did really well at the box office, the PG-13-rated third film failed to bring in much business. So, it would be a surprise that in 1994, a television series based on the property would hit the airwaves. 28 years later, the series is finally hitting Blu-ray, and the show is… interesting.
Police officer Alex Murphy (Richard Eden) was near-fatally wounded in the line of duty. His partner, Lisa Madigan (Yvette Nipar) was unable to help and watched in horror. When he is brought in, doctors scramble to save his life with new technology, to create an unstoppable police officer. Murphy’s human memories are erased, but as time goes by, things begin to trigger what’s left of his humanity, and bits and pieces begin to seep through. Once back on the force, he is once again teamed with Lisa to fight crime in a way they were never able to before.
The series began with a 90-minute pilot episode, which was put together from an unused script by the writers of the original film. It was fine, but this show was ahead of its time in a sense, which caused it to suffer. After the pilot, there were an additional 21 episodes making up the first and only season. The series is pretty silly, as it didn’t particularly translate well, and was aimed at a much younger audience, shying away from the violence that made the first two films so memorable. Robocop is kinder and gentler in the series, and never uses his weapons to kill anyone.
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This does open up the opportunity for recurring villains, which is essential for a show like this. One episode really stood out to me, since the special guest star was none other than the great Rowdy Roddy Piper. Though it was a bit goofy, his presence really brought something special to it. This episode was titled “RoboCop vs. Commander Cash” and is certainly a highlight.
It should also be noted that rock legends Joe Walsh and Lita Ford recorded the show’s theme. In case you’re wondering, the brilliant theme from the film is present and often used to great effect. With Robocop: The Series aimed at children, there were far too many limitations and drawbacks, which would have alienated many fans of the films. Regardless of the fact that each episode cost over $1 million, the show still felt like a cheap imitation of the films.
That’s not to say there’s nothing redeemable about the show. I certainly had fun watching it, but it just didn’t work the way those first two movies did. It’s worth it to see some of the storylines, or how they deviate from the films, and how they handle the material.
The Blu-ray set is pretty nice. The episodes look clear, and there are a decent amount of bonus features to delve into, that attempt to give you a better understanding of what everyone was up against while trying to deliver something new, while still being true to the source material.
