Plot: What’s it about?
On the surface, RoboCop may appear to be a trite, B-movie that attempts to infiltrate the always popular sci-fi category. If you haven’t seen this movie the premise alone is enough to make you pass by this one for something a little more plausible. Despite its ridiculous premise, Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi masterpiece has a very strong statement contained within an interesting and engaging story.
Verhoeven (who later went on to direct Starship Troopers and Total Recall) tells the story of Alex Murphy, a family man and cop in a futuristic Detroit. After being reassigned to one of the worst precincts in Detroit, Murphy falls victim to a band of drug runners. OCP, the company that runs the police department in Detroit, transforms Murphy’s mind into RoboCop; a robot meant to replace human police officers. The remainder of the movie is spent watching RoboCop hunt down the drug lords who killed him and the corrupt OCP officials that are exploiting him. For sentimental points, there is also a scene in which RoboCop attempts to investigate his past life as Alex Murphy.
In the film, writers Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner try to convey that American Big Business is a detriment to society and that our commercialism and materialism have gotten the best of us. Particularly biting is that the most popular car in Detroit at the time is the 6000SUX, a sure knock at the American auto industry.
As a final note, please realize that this film is not for the kiddies. The film is excessively violent and was cut before theatrical release to avoid an X-rating. The version shown here is Verhoeven’s original cut.
Video: How does it look?
Remember that this film is 13 years old now and that it wasn’t an extremely high budget film to begin with. Criterion is known for exceptional transfers and this one mostly lives up to their previous reputation. Firstly, I must note that the film is presented in its original 1.66:1 aspect. This is unusual as 1.85:1 is the standard for widescreen, but 1.66:1 has been used in other films. The transfer is of much better than average quality, but some nicks and scratches have managed to sneak in as has a small bit of digital artifacting. Also, the colors just dont seem as vivid as I like. It may be that the movie was filmed this way, but it all does seem a bit bland. Nothing much to complain about but present nonetheless. Still way ahead of the average transfer, but not quite perfect.
Audio: How does it sound?
As with the video, the audio also shows its age. The film was originally released with a two track Dolby Surround Soundtrack. Criterion decided not to make a 5.1 soundtrack for this film. The soundtrack was adequate for the film but nothing special. Bass was merely OK and with mono-surrounds the surround effects weren’t all that compelling. Still, the audio was good enough and kept me engaged in the film.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As usual Criterion comes through with high quality extras, and lots of them! With so many DVD hobbyists screaming for extras from studios like Fox or Buena Vista, it is nice to know that Criterion discs always offer a huge amount of value added content. Included on this disc is an audio commentary from Verhoeven, Neumeier producer Jon Davison and RoboCop expert Paul M. Sammon. Listening to this commentary alone makes this disc a worthwhile addition to you collection. In addition, Criterion has included storyboard comparisons, an extremely informative essay on the making of RoboCop interspersed with video and stills, and the requisite trailers. The quality of these extras is superb and makes this disc a definite must own for any sci-fi or DVD fan.
