RoboCop is a bonafide sci-fi action classic that still holds up, packing a massive impact that has never really been rivaled. I spent a lot of time at the drive-in in the ’80s and will be forever grateful to my parents for taking me there. I remember seeing films like Gremlins, Porky’s Revenge, Big Trouble in Little China, E.T., and many more. One particular double feature I distinctly remember seeing was the Brian De Palma classic The Untouchables (1987) and Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop.
Both of those films are iconic and hit me in a way that resonates with me today, and I revisit them often. While The Untouchables lacks a definitive physical release, Arrow Video has unleashed a pretty impressive 4K set for RoboCop that blows away any other release.
Society is on the verge of collapsing in the near future when the corporation Omni Consumer Products takes control of the Detroit Police Department. The company’s president is trying to implement a new program that would employ a droid as the main form of protection. When the droid malfunctions, their program is shut down and another is implemented when officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is gunned down by a crazed gang.
Murphy is rebuilt and introduced to the Detroit Police Department as RoboCop, programmed with three prime directives: serve the public trust, protect the innocent, and uphold the law. There happens to be the fourth directive, but that is classified. RoboCop returns to duty and begins to clean up the streets.
Everything is far from perfect when remnants of who he used to begin to seep through the programming. RoboCop will have to maneuver through the memories of who he was and continue to exact a form of justice, unlike anything humanity has seen.
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There really is no need to review the movie itself, but the 4K transfer makes the film worth viewing once again. With the crystal clear image and booming sound, a new layer to the film must be seen. What struck me the most was how brilliant the effects look in this new transfer.
I’ve always been a huge fan of traditional practical effects, and RoboCop has so many brilliantly orchestrated gags that have never looked better. The ED-209 killing the executive and the dozens of squib effects, Murphy being mutilated, and, of course, the melting man just really stands out and shows just how talented all those artists really are. Even better is the director’s cut with the extra footage.
The 4K release was given two editions from Arrow, a Limited Collector’s Edition and a Standard Edition. The Standard release features the director’s cut and all the extras from the Limited Edition on that disc. The Limited is a two-disc set. The second disc features the theatrical version, postcards, an 80-page booklet, and a double-sided foldout poster featuring new and original artwork. Whichever edition you go with, you get your money’s worth and won’t be disappointed having this on your shelf.
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