"RoboCop" came in third in its box office opening weekend, making $21.5 million. The action-packed thriller was outshined by romantic comedy "About Last Night" and the No. 1 movie of the weekend, "The Lego Movie" ($48.4 million). RoboCop, is he man or machine?
Omnicorp, a multibillion dollar company, creates military machines and robots in the year 2028 to protect human soldiers. Head of Omnicorp, Raymond Sellers (Michael Keaton), hopes to bring robots to the streets of America's most dangerous cities to protect citizens and police officers.
Robots and machines roaming our streets would be a huge step in technology and science. The movie portrays a reality of how the United States would react if a "pro-robot" bill was brought to Congress. Sellers knows that, in order to gain the public's vote, Omnicorp needs something, or someone, to root for.
A good job, a beautiful wife and a loving son are what keep Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnamin) moving in his life. Murphy is a detective, a man of justice working with the Detroit Police Department, who digs his nose into the wrong case and the wrong men. After a near-fatal accident suffered, Murphy's life is saved by making him the first half-man, half-robot experiment.
Dr. Dennet Norton (Gary Oldman), a scientist who has dedicated his life to medical advancement, is put in charge of creating this robot-man hybrid. Dr. Norton needs to create something that can protect people and someone who has a heart, just like the people this robot will be saving, all in the same "body."
This 2014 sci-fi/thriller has a good plot line that delves into the feelings of the main characters. The flashy and hi-tech weaponry is fun to watch and is used quite often throughout the movie. There was a decent amount of emotion mixed in with violence.
The acting was relatively strong among the cast. Kinnamin played a good Alex Murphy and an even better RoboCop. The emotional and distressed side of Murphy was well done, including his stoic monotone interpretation of Robocop. Abbie Cornish played a loving wife and an emotionally unstable woman who stays strong for her scared and confused young son.
The movie definitely provides appropriate times to feel sympathy for the Murphy family during this chaotic time in their lives. Prepare to feel a little choked up when you see Alex Murphy try to adjust to the new life he's been brutally forced into. Maybe save a teardrop for Murphy's distressed wife and son who miss the man they love so much.
"RoboCop" might not have achieved the expectations of fans of the original 1987 ," but if you're a "RoboCop" beginner, this movie can definitely give you a good story. The movie is attention grabbing, and fun to watch, but it won't be as memorable as the 1987 classic. Director José Padhila, tried but did not succeed, to get the public ecstatic for a new RoboCop.
rblake@ramapo.edu
