Movies in General

Finally got around to watching the 2014 Robocop, what a pleasant surprise! It is very much a different movie from the original, and I think the better for it. It is more intellectually and emotionally sophisticated like classic science fiction where it is not just the science that is of interest but also how it affects and reflects the human condition. Too bad it seems like a lot of people who reviewed it on IMDB judges it purely by unthinking entertainment value as compared to the 1987 movie.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
I watched that movie pan and in my opinion IMDB gave it to many stars.

Yeah That night in fact I had a late dinner at the Arizona Pizza next to the Cinimark, A nice couple came in complaining the same about Robocop.
They had the production value, they had some ideas but they kept playing the political. even to the point of insult. I mean there was a large portion of the Movie set in China, So what do you see? A massive factory in a single sequence, a huge Rice paddy, ED209's and a lab. 90% of the time in "China" is spent in the lab. that's it. the people are either peasants picking rice or Technicians assembling Military machines. The impression you get is Omni Corp (representing America) has dominated the world and everyone has grudgingly accepted the only nation with a choice on using the product? The USA. No Drones on US soil. Even China and Iran are using or under the thumb of the US military and ED209's talons.
The Worst though was Samuel L Jackson. Normally I enjoy him in a movie. In this one though He was Annoying, Doing a Bill O'Reilly Parody. He has nothing to do with the movie yet you sit though Half an hour of him.

The First Robocop movies played Murphy as a Tragic character, a lonely sole with only his sense of Duty and Mechanisms keeping him alive. desperately clinging to some sense of humanity. A humanity that OCP wanted stripped from him. RoboCop being the branding of OCP.

In this Reboot. Murphy is not stripped of his identity, At least not intentionally. He is not totally severed from his Identity, has contact with his wife and son. The moniker Robocop is a press Headline.the Character is treated more like a individual with a prosthetic. in some ways an analog would be a returning soldier. the Character is a "detective" although in his metal skin he's not going to be doing much in the way of low profile. He's got more of a Attitude then The original Robocop.
Unless the reedited the film I don't see how you came away with your feelings for it. It felt to me like 60% of the movie was Samual L Jackson's Novak character trying to make some point about the Hypocrisy of american culture. 20% Omni corp's internal power plays, 15% violent action and robo money shots with 5% Actual human interaction ad Murphy trying to deal with his family
 

Equation

Lieutenant General
Finally got around to watching the 2014 Robocop, what a pleasant surprise! It is very much a different movie from the original, and I think the better for it. It is more intellectually and emotionally sophisticated like classic science fiction where it is not just the science that is of interest but also how it affects and reflects the human condition. Too bad it seems like a lot of people who reviewed it on IMDB judges it purely by unthinking entertainment value as compared to the 1987 movie.

I know, I liked the movie too.
 
I think the movie made a bold gambit to be set in a recognizable near future real world to reflect the human condition, the risks are for it to hit too close to home thereby turning people off and for it to be taken to represent sides in the real world it does not intend to represent. But that's what differentiates meaningful artwork from button pressing entertainment.

There was no accusation of hypocrisy in American culture at all. The movie shows how a sensationalist AV-bite media is alternately manipulated, manipulative, doesn't provide sufficient coverage, yet also brings important facts to light. There is a complex presentation of corporations and its constituent members' utility and benevolence, greed and arrogance, and power relationships with the public and government. There is also a pretty neutral and accurate portrayal of the democratic and republican elements of the American political system at work. There was no gratuitous violence or sex, yet the violence present was also not very spectacular so that may not be a good thing. The movie doesn't get too deep into the technology but what is shown is definitely realistic or near-realistic. Scenes of manual work on robocop does seem archaic, it would have been both more cool and more convincing to have robotic tools working on him instead.

The choice of robots in Iran rather than say Iraq and the suicide bombing team as well as the paddy fields just outside the factory in China are classic Hollywood exoticism and jumbling real life. They are definitely flaws, but not unique to this movie and are just set pieces that don't alter the main messages of the movie.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Murphy and his family were a bit underdeveloped as both characters and relationships, if this was done better it definitely would have helped but not altered the main messages of the movie. Murphy being made into a tool and subsequently regaining his individuality is as American a theme as they come. Mrs. Murphy is also as strong a character as possible in the movie's scenario and no mere damsel in distress.

The biggest problems I have with the movie is the relative helplessness of the police on Murphy's side and the killing of Michael Keaton's character towards the end of the movie. It would have kept with the tone of the movie better to end with the police on Murphy's side arresting a living Michael Keaton who had inadvertently confessed.
 

Equation

Lieutenant General
Here's an interesting movie that's coming out soon called "Insurgent".

Check out this weapon used in the movie. It's got be modified from an exiting weapon, but never the less looks pretty cool.

images
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Here's an interesting movie that's coming out soon called "Insurgent".
I saw the first in the series..."Divergent." it is a three part apocalyptic tale by Veronica Roth that tracks a young woman who does not fit into the pre-cast societal molds created after the fall. Divergent...then Insurgent, and finally Allegiant.

It was pretty good and we will see this second of the three part series.

It's another book series like "Twilight," that is three parts and being made into a three part trilogy at the theaters.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Here's an interesting movie that's coming out soon called "Insurgent".

Check out this weapon used in the movie. It's got be modified from an exiting weapon, but never the less looks pretty cool.

images
Style wise it looks like a two barrel weapon. The Forward portion looks to be inspired by the Kriss Vector and if you look at the way the magazine sits it's on the same angle as a high capacity Vector SMG but they seem to have modded it to look like a Assault rifle with a over barrel 25mm grenade launcher.insergent Vector.jpg
that's a guess mind you I figure that if you take off the fiber glass you would probably find a Vector
KrissSuperV.jpg
 
Last edited:
I saw the first in the series..."Divergent." it is a three part apocalyptic tale by Veronica Roth that tracks a young woman who does not fit into the pre-cast societal molds created after the fall. Divergent...then Insurgent, and finally Allegiant.

It was pretty good and we will see this second of the three part series.

It's another book series like "Twilight," that is three parts and being made into a three part trilogy at the theaters.

Sounds like the Hunger Games.
 
Top