I decided to start my quest with Paul Verhoeven's Robocop. Let me just start by saying, I think Verhoeven is a bit of a visionary. He manages to blend violence and a hit of camp with characters that you actually care about, though for the life of me I am not sure why.
The same goes for Robocop. When the ending credits rolled, I coudln't help but smile as Murphy walked away triumphantly from the OCP boardroom. Somewhere inbetween Murphy being blown to pieces, reassembled as a crime-fighting cyborg and loads of violence, Verhoeven just likes to to remind is that while Robocop is half machine, his spirit will never be broken. Cheesy, but surprisingly endearing.
This all comes as quite a surprise, especially in a movie that oozes sleaze as deliciously as Robocop. From the get-go, slightly "futuristic" Detroit seems quite believable as a city where crime is out of control, and I found myself wondering the plot for 8 Mile was taking place off-camera somewhere.
I have to say, Kurtwood "Red" Smith stole the show as Clarence Boddicker, the film's main protagonist. Sadistic and strangely charismatic, he chews up and spits out his dialogue with such enthusiasm that it takes the film to a whole new level.
I was slightly disappointed with the ED-209, I hoped it would be a tad more formidable but judging by how terribly it was animated, a decision must have been made to cut down on its screen time.
As I stated earlier, I enjoyed Robocop more than I thought I would. I was expecting a 80's violence-fest and while I wasn't disappointed, Verhoeven crafted a cult classic with inspired casting, sufficient amounts of violence and an unexpected amount of charisma.
One question remains: Seeing as Robocop eats baby food, does he also poop? Some questions might never be answered.
Cult-o-meter: 5/10 - Great film, doesn't take itself too seriously but still manages to wag a finger at media and corporations.
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