Themes: Rogue Cops, Fighting the System, Vigilantes
Main Cast: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, Dan O'Herlihy
Release Year: 1987
Country: US
Run Time: 103 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Paul Verhoeven's American breakthrough film, Robocop, is an exceedingly violent blend of black comedy, science fiction, and crime thriller. Set in Detroit sometime in the near future, the film is about a policeman (Peter Weller) killed in the line of duty whom the department decides to resurrect as a half-human, half-robot supercop. The RoboCop is indestructible, and within a matter of weeks he has removed crime from the streets of Detroit. However, his human side is tortured by his past, and he wants revenge on the thugs who killed him. The film was later followed by two feature-length sequels and a live-action television series, neither of which were as successful as the original film. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
Review
Dutch director Paul Verhoeven's bloody, glossy B-movie sensibilities first reached a mass audience with this science-fiction vigilante fantasy. The idea of a crime-ridden Detroit of the near future (mostly shot in Dallas), combined with an indestructible android (Peter Weller) and a slew of tech-noir trappings appealed to '80s audiences weaned on Blade Runner, Ronald Reagan, and the idea of American society backsliding into amoral corporate ruin. The casting is sublime: Weller's creepy, Aryan good looks are a perfect match for the role, and he and love interest Nancy Allen seem aware of the script's more preposterous moments. Robocop's attempts at social commentary and satirical jabs at corporate authority are, like much of the rest of the film, juvenile but effective. Above all else, the film established Verhoeven as a slick, dark director with an uncanny knack for making ludicrous material compelling. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Robert DoQui - Sgt. Reed; Miguel Ferrer - Robert Morton; Tyrees Allen - Starkweather; Angie Bolling - Murphy's Wife; Mark Carlton - Miller; Darryl Cox - Technician #2; Lee de Broux - Sal, Drug Dealer; Edward Edwards - Manson; Executive; Leeza Gibbons - Jesse Perkins, TV Newscaster; Jesse D. Goins - Joe; Michael Gregory - Lt. Hedgecock; Kim Greist; Jerry Haynes - Dr. McNamara; Michael Hunter - Peter the Homeowner; Calvin Jung - Minh; Rick Lieberman - Walker; Jo Livingston - Grocery Pop; Mario Machado - Casey Wong, TV Newsman; Paul McCrane - Emil Antonowsky; Mike Moroff - Hophead; David Packer - Emergency Doctor; Kevin Page - Kinney, OCP marketing executive; Sage Parker - Tyler; Felton Perry - Johnson; Diane Robin - Chandra; Neil Summers - Dougy; Ray Wise - Leon Nash; Del Zamora - Kaplan; Fred Hice - Bobby; Karen Radcliffe - Technician #1; Bill Farmer - Justin Ballard-Watkins; Spencer Prokop - Gas Station Attendant; John S. Davies - Chessman; S.D. Nemeth - Bixby Snyder; Charles Carroll - Bail Bondsman
Credit
Gayle Simon - Art Director, Phil Tippett - Associate Producer, Stephen J. Lim - Associate Producer, Sally Dennison - Casting, Julie Selzer - Casting, Ed Neumeier - Co-producer, Erica Phillips - Costume Designer, Paul Verhoeven - Director, Mark Goldblatt - Second Unit Director, Frank J. Urioste - Editor, Robert Urioste - Editor, Jon Davison - Executive Producer, Rob Bottin - Composer (Music Score), Basil Poledouris - Composer (Music Score), William Sandell - Production Designer, Jost Vacano - Cinematographer, Charles James Newirth - Production Manager, Arne Schmidt - Producer, James Tocci - Set Designer, Rob Bottin - Special Effects, Craig Davies - Special Effects, Dale Martin - Special Effects, Peter Ronzani - Special Effects, Robert Wald - Sound/Sound Designer, Michael Miner - Screenwriter, Ed Neumeier - Screenwriter, Rick Anderson - Second Unit Director Of Photography, Robert Gould - Set Decorator, Rob Bottin - Character Design
