Customer Reviews

Robocop [VHS]

5 star:		(182)
4 star:		(83)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

This review is for the Blu-Ray edition. You know about the movie, so I won't rehash the plot.

As a Blu-Ray disc, this is mediocre at best. This is no posterboy for the next-gen format. The quality of the transfer is not very good. Lots of grain and not as sharp and clean as you might expect for Blu-Ray. Part of it has to do with the movie begin 20 years old, but this edition was clearly not done with TLC. It's a barebones transfer of the movie.

There are **NO** special features. The Special Features menu has two options: the Robocop trailer and Resume Movie. I don't count trailers as special features. Why even put this on the menu? Sort of silly.

No audio commentary, nada. WB didn't even include any of the features it already put on the 2 disc 20th Anniversary DVD. They could've just thrown it on here, like most other studios do by putting standard def extras onto Blu-Ray or HD DVD. If you already own the DVD version, I'd say skip this.

Buy this edition only if it's part of the BUY 1 GET 1 sale (I did) or if you must own this piece of 80's cultural memorabilia.

On the cusp of HD, RoboCop gets re-released as a 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition DVD that portends quick obsolescence but you shouldn't let that dissuade you from purchasing this standard def DVD to tide you over until the HD format war has ended. However, it appears that there is a "glitch" more severe than a malfunctioning ED-209 present on Canadian versions of disc 2 with a duplication of disc 1 onto disc 2 and the first copy I purchased here in the US had an authoring glitch that would not allow me to select the DTS or alternate audio tracks on Disc 2. I can already hear the Old Man yelling "You call this a glitch!?" If you own the legendary Criterion release featuring the "Extended Cut" you will be pleased to know that the upgrade is well worth getting, though you will probably want to hold on to your original Criterion disc for some of the extras that didn't make the migration over to the new 20th Anniversary disc.

Disc 1 features the original theatrical cut in anamorphic 1:85:1 widescreen (The Criterion release was presented in 1:66:1 which is Paul Verhoeven's "preferred" aspect ratio) and Dolby 5.1 and DTS sound but the real treat on this disc is the excellent documentary "Flesh & Steel: The Making of RoboCop" featuring interviews with Paul Verhoeven, Jon Davison, Ed Neumeier, Basil Poledouris, and Peter Weller. There's also a couple of 8-minute 1987 featurettes: "Shooting RoboCop" featuring Miguel Ferrer in character as Bob Morton introducing RoboCop like an OCP publicity gimmick and "Making RoboCop" with a behind-the-scenes look at the production and interviews from back in the day. "The Boardroom" is a storyboard-to-film comparison of ED-209 accompanied with Phil Tippet commentary, 4 deleted scenes and the theatrical trailer with music from, appropriately enough, "The Terminator," another cyborg sci-fi smash from Orion Pictures.

Disc 2 features the "Extended Cut" in anamorphic widescreen 1:85:1 and Dolby 5.1 and DTS sound which is a phenomenal enhancement over the old Dolby surround mix on the Criterion release and restores :23 seconds of graphically violent shots of ED-209 gunning Mr. Kinny into hamburger in the OCP executive board room, Murphy's hand getting blown-off and his stump spurting blood, and Clarence Boddicker's jugular squirting blood after Robo stabs him in the throat which were edited from the theatrical version to garner an R-rating and have been seamlessly restored back into the film. Why they couldn't just make this a seamless-branching feature on the same disc as the theatrical version like the Commando Director's Cut DVD and put all of the bonus features on the second disc is puzzling though. Disc 2 also features another outstanding featurette: "Villains of Old Detroit" with new interviews with Kurtwood Smith, Ronny Cox, Miguel Ferrer, and Ray Wise and is a terrific follow up after watching the film. "Special Effects: Then and Now" talks about the advances in digital compositing versus the in-camera matte shots and stop-motion animation employed on creating ED-209. "RoboCop: Creating a Legend" features interviews with Peter Weller, Paul Verhoeven, Rob Botin, et al. about designing and engineering the suit and took between 10-11 hours each day to fit Peter Weller into before shooting.

As Murphy's Law would have it, ironically, I ended up having to return my first copy to the store I purchased it from because I was not able to select the DTS track on disc 2. The department manager and I tested this on different players and on another copy and confirmed the problem. Since originally writing this review I have recently obtained another copy from a different retailer and it did not have any of the problems selecting the audio tracks so I must have got one from a bad batch and hopefully it is fairly isolated. This is also going to be released on Blu-Ray but too bad it won't be a combo disc. I'd buy that for a dollar.

**Note: This review deals with the "Criterion Collection" edition**

Still hailed as a sci-fi classic even today (and happens to be one of my personal favorites), "Robocop" is a marvelous and outstanding film. This is one of the few movies I can watch over and over again and never get sick of it. I may not be a big sci-fi buff, but that's one of the great things about this movie; you don't have to be one.

"Robocop" takes place in the future where Detroit is plagued with crime and murder. Cops are threatening to go on strike while crime lords and gangs run amuck. And when a police officer is brutally murdered by a relentless crime lord and his band of thugs, that's when corporation giant OCP resurrects him and transforms him into the ultimate crime-fighting machine. In all of it's violent and dark glory, "Robocop" is a film that proves to be both a successful action thriller and a clever satire.

I love everything about this movie. The story, the plot, the characters, everything! This is one of the few movies that when I pop it in the DVD player and hear the music for the opening titles, I get chills. It's like seeing it for the first time every time I watch it. It's very well written and directed. It also has some terrific acting. (Who would've thought that the father from "That 70's Show" could prove to be a very effective villain?) And for an older movie, it has some incredible special effects.

Be warned, this is not a movie for people who do not like excessively violent movies. This one's as violent as they come. Gun shot wounds, arms and heads getting blown off, people getting shot multiple times... you get the idea. After all, this is Paul Verhoeven we're talking about (the very man behind "Total Recall," and "Starship Troopers"). So be warned.

The version I have is the "Criterion Collection" edition. It's a shame that this one is so hard to find, because I do think this is the best version out there. Not only is it loaded with some very cool features, it's also the unrated director's cut that offers a few extra seconds of extra gore in two specific scenes. (I think it's only two.) Now, that's not a very big deal and doesn't really add much to the movie, but it is something at least. And the picture and sound is great. I am aware that the newer version is supposed to look a lot better than this one, but that DVD doesn't appear to have ANY special features on it. So I will stick with this one until a better one comes out. (I have a feeling that a better one will come out in the future.)

Some special features included on the Criterion version are storyboards, theatrical and teaser trailers, commentary, film-to-storyboard comparison, and more. It would've been nice to have a few more extras, but it's not a bad package if you ask me.

"Robocop" will forever remain a classic in my eyes. It's one of the few sci-fi flicks I can watch over and over again. THIS is the one to see (while #2 wasn't too bad of a movie, the third one is a complete embarrassment). If you want to see a great sci-fi movie with brains and action, this is the one to experience.

In the very wise words of Robocop himself, "Stay out of trouble."

I worked for Ed Neumeier during the development of the first Robocop concept, which owes a little something to Iron Man and Judge Dredd comic books, among other influences. Robocop turned into such a great screenplay that it is often taught in scriptwriting classes in Hollywood. I remember getting calls from Ed (who was also co-producer) on location, worrying that the movie wouldn't become all he hoped for. As it turns out, the movie works just great -- the story of a cop named Murphy who struggles, after being horribly wounded, to maintain his humanity inside a metal shell. Such a touching ending this clever movie has, with the "Old Man" firing the villain (with Robo's help) and then asking Robo, "what's your name, son?" A cheer went up in the theater when Robo replies "Murphy!"

A perfect little gem of an action comedy (yes, a comedy, Ed was very clear about that element), this film was cut slightly for violence to obtain the R rating, and the Criterion DVD offers the opportunity to study the uncut version, notable for two longer scenes: first, when ED 209 malfunctions he doesn't just shoot the hapless young executive -- he shoots and shoots and shoots and shoots him. The scene, as funny as it was in the final cut, is even funnier that way. And of course, there is the more graphic scene in which Murphy is blown apart by the pack of thugs. The so-called X version has additional shots of Murphy's skull blown apart and hand blown off. All in all, a very informative and worthwhile Criterion DVD for the student of this movie, which I thought was out of print, but looks like you can still have it here.

The later films got the emphasis wrong -- the first film spent its entire length focusing on the importance of Robo's human side, called Murphy, and the later films jettisoned the humanity for the Robo character. ... Suffice to say this franchise could be re-invented by studying the first film and getting it right next time. Meanwhile, enjoy the only good Robocop movie here, and see why Paul VerHoeven's career in America really took off afterward (as well as that of Ed Neumeier, Michael Miner, et al).

If anyone cares, there are 3 additional scenes in this version. The dude who is shot by the robot at the board meeting-there is a gruesome scene of him falling backwards on a table while being shot with blood spraying everywhere. It's only a few seconds and doesn't add much, but it's a cool scene. The next scene is only about 3 seconds long. During the cop chase, there is a close up of Murphy shooting one of the robbers 2x in the leg. The R version just shows a distant shot of him being hit once. Murpheys death is a bit longer also. You see blood pour out of his lost hand, watch his entire left arm get shot off (not just the hand), and he gets shot at a bit longer. You do feel worse for Murphy after watching this version-especially the scene where blood is pouring from his hand stump. Overall, maybe 20 seconds of cut material. I wouldn't spend extra to see it, but if you get the choice, this is the version to get.

Robocop is one of those classic Sci-Fi films, borderlining between campiness and ultra-violence, making it an interesting experience. Throw in a creative and original story, a well-rounded cast, great special effects, and you've got one hell of a movie. Robocop looks great on DVD and the director's cut for the Criterion collection adds in a couple great extra scenes of bloodletting which didn't make the final cut, so now audiences can see Robocop the way it was meant to be shown. Unfortunately I was a little dissapointed at the lack of features on this DVD, considering that it is a Criterion Collection disc. I mean, other than the director's cut, all this disc has is 2 trailers, commentary, and a couple of storyboards. Given there's nothing wrong with this, but since the disc costs so much more than most DVD's, you think they could have thrown in a couple more things, like a documentery, or behind-the-scenes footage or something. Overall though, Robocop is a great movie, and if you don't want to shell out the extra cash for this disc, you could always just get the regular version, but one thing's for sure: this movie is a must-have for any DVD collector.

Despite its simplistic and quite-laughable title, Robocop is a wonderful piece of satirical science-fiction. In the Criterion edition, the amount of "excessively violent" added footage amounts to less than a couple of minutes but helps to make the story whole. This violence isn't there just for kicks; it actually fits the overall context of the particular scenes and further defines the story. Despite the MPAA's decision to give the added scenes a rating of "X" (remember, this was in 1987, well before the NC-17 rating existed), I can honestly say that I've seen worse violence in other R-rated films. In any case, the movie is now restored to its entirety and one aspect of Murphy's execution scene suddenly makes a lot more sense. The Criterion edition includes many extras, only a few of which are excellent. Most, however, are for ardent movie fans only. The audio commentary by director Verhoeven, executive producer Jon Davison, and co-writer Neumeier is very interesting but uneven: some passages are quite enlightening while others are awfully banal. The film-to-storyboard comparison is mildly interesting, for once you've seen it, it's enough. The two storyboards showing unfilmed scenes are rather unremarkable novelties, although the cemetary scene would have been a great touch to add in the movie. The illustrated essay on the making of the movie is very lengthy and sometimes overly detailed. The amount of time devoted to the design/production/animation of the ED 209 robot is excessive and goes on ad nauseam. An index feature within this essay would have been helpful because if you exit at any time before reaching the end, you must start all over again. The two trailers are surprising in that they somehow made the movie look like a low-budget snorefest. Fortunately for us, it's exactly the opposite. I would have given 5 stars for the restored movie alone, but some of the Criterion extras being what they are, I subtracted one star. Still worth getting, however.

1.66:1 IS Widescreen. As is 1.85:1, As is 2.35:1, As is 3:33:1. Although the "letterboxing" effect on your screen may not be as deep, the screen is still wider than the standard screen 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

The movie Robocop was FILMED in 1.66:1 and cropped for cinescope (1.85:1) to be shown in theaters. So when you see the non criterion version, you actually LOSE a good portion of the orginal filmed and intended information. The Criterion version restored the original ratio upon request of the director.

Showing Robocop in 1.85:1 or even 2.35:1 would be as equally unjust to the original intent as showing 2.35:1 films in Pan and Scan--- it is not the way the movie was filmed, not the way the director intended the movie to be shown.

The below statement that it is "similar to most pan-and-scan movies" is completely untrue-- unlike P&S, no shots were at all cropped for screen formatting- no edits were changed to fit on sreen- and nowhere in the film is there any added panning to follow the action. The 1.66:1 is the PROPER aspect ratio of the film.

The review of Robocop, as posted below may seriously undermine someones decision to purchase this title-- using completely incorrect and uninformed information. Stating this version of is NOT widesceen is a falsehood, as it is widescreen. Stating it is similar to pan and scan is a falsehood because it is not. The incorrect use of these terms creates a false sense in the minds of a person who is aware of the proper meaning of each term. A person familiar with the meanings of widescreen and p&s could read this review and incorrectly decide against buying the title- which would be a mistake.

This title, in this version, A must for collectors, a must for scifan fans, a must for DVD film enthusiasts! Now, if only Criterion would do 16x9 enhancements.

I don't think too much can really be done for Robocop visually as it's never been a really great looking film in whatever format... be it VHS, DVD or now Blu-ray high-definition. It's always looked grainy because of the film print used during that time. Many films from the 1980s have suffered in that respect. I have the Criterion Collection DVD, the Robocop Trilogy set with the MGM remaster and this Blu-ray release as well. This BD is by far the best the film has ever looked in the home market. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that there's no upgrade from the DVD, those people are out of their minds. There is so much more detail in the film print and scenes that looked dull and two dimensional before have a sparkle and three dimensional life to them now. However all is not rosy as the many reviews on this page can attest to.

There is grain throughout, the colors don't exactly pop off the screen but Robocop is not a very colorful film anyway. The director's cut scenes with the additional violence from the so called X-rated cut always looked really lousy and didn't mesh as well with the rest of the film. This was a problem on the Criterion disc and the MGM releases too. That problem persists on the Blu-ray. Without a big restoration by the studio Robocop won't look much better than this in any format. The sound quality is actually really good, with a solid DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 track. All the gunfire, explosions, dialogue and of course the fantastic musical score hit all the right marks. This is an impressive sounding Blu-ray for an action film from the 1980s. The extras are non-existent as others have noted and complained about save for the trailer. Not very impressive work by the studio. The Robocop 20th Anniversary DVD release had some good extras and that DVD sports the exact same cover art as this Blu-ray. It was released almost at the same time I believe and yet MGM's home video distributor is Fox Home Entertainment. Fox was at the time notorious for releasing a multitude of Blu-rays stripped of all special features while charging full price. All the DVDs had extras but the Blu-rays were stripped almost completely. Ridiculous is all I have to say about that. Now that this Blu-ray has come down in price, it's a solid deal for the Robocop enthusiast. I haven't heard of any news for a Blu-ray double dip. If you love this film like I do, there's no current better way of seeing it than right here.

Here are my actual thoughts on the movie, taken from my review of the Robocop Trilogy box set.

"As for the movie itself, what else can be said? It's a bonafide classic. The film works on so many levels. As science fiction, as satire of capitalist society, as a document of social depravity and immorality, as a human story about a man who loses everything and then regains his soul. Existentialism and all that and the film even works as an action movie, a revenge story for god sakes! Peter Weller gives his greatest contribution to cinema in his noble, dignified performance and this film is not only the best American movie Paul Verhoeven directed, it's the best film he's ever made period. Did I forget to mention the score by Basil Poledouris, wow! Does Hollywood even attempt such multi-layered sci-fi films nowadays? Doesn't seem like it!"

One of my favorite films of all time, in my top 10. I saw it for the first time back in the late 80s while I was still a citizen of the Soviet Union. Imagine watching Robocop in a Russian movie theater dubbed into Russian while you're a seven year old kid! Things like that stick with you and I've always found this movie to be fantastic entertainment with a human heart at it's center. That's why it remains a classic. I'm very skeptical of the supposed remake by Darren Aronofsky since I consider this film perfect in it's own unique way.

Even though this shares the same cover as the 20th Anniversary DVD, none of the features are carried over with the exception of a theatrical trailer. Other than that, the only plus side is that you get the high def movie. However, the movie itself isn't the best transfer job I've seen. I've seen older movies transferred better. Don't get me wrong, it's decent-but I personally feel that it could be better. To put it simply, unless you are a huge Robocop fan, don't bother. Any DVD version of this movie that you have will do the job.