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Robocop [1988]

RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £4.48 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

When it arrived on the big screen in 1987, Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop was like a high-voltage jolt of electricity, blending satire, thrills, and abundant violence with such energized gusto that audiences couldn't help feeling stunned and amazed. The movie was a huge hit, and has since earned enduring cult status as one of the seminal science fiction films of the 1980s. Followed by two sequels, a TV series, and countless novels and comic books, this original RoboCop is still the best by far, largely due to the audacity and unbridled bloodlust of director Verhoeven. However, the reasons many enjoyed the film are also the reasons some will surely wish to avoid it. Critic Pauline Kael called the movie a dubious example of "gallows pulp," and there's no denying that its view of mankind is bleak, depraved, and graphically violent. In the Detroit of the near future, a policeman (Peter Weller) is brutally gunned down by drug-dealing thugs and left for dead, but he survives (half of him, at least) and is integrated with state-of-the-art technology to become a half-robotic cop of the future, designed to revolutionize law enforcement. As RoboCop holds tight to his last remaining shred of humanity, he relentlessly pursues the criminals who "killed" him. All the while, Verhoeven (from a script by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner) injects this high-intensity tale with wickedly pointed humour and satire aimed at the men and media who cover a city out of control. --Jeff Shannon, amazon.com

Top Notch Special Edition
Review date: 2008-06-18 Rating: 10 out of 10

I haven't seen Robocop properly since watching a dodgy VHS copy at a mate's house in the early 90s, and since I've become a huge Verhoeven fan I thought it time I saw this in high quality.

And what a joy it was - the picture is crisp and vibrant, showing off the contrasts between the low-fi tv clips and the main film. Old Detroit comes alive in widescreen, showing off Verhoeven's incredible eye for a shot. The "uncut" version of the film was a revelation (though the DVD does pause momentarily as it moves to the uncut version of each relevant scene): as the director explains in the fascinating Making Of..., it's the excess of violence in the key scenes that brings the humour of the film to the fore. The cut-down version is actually more morally ambiguous, ironically enough.

The soundtrack is also good - not the most daring surround mix ever, but it definitely helps immerse you in the action, and it's a joy to hear Basil Poledouris' celebrated score in its full glory.

With a bunch of decent extras and a good documentary including some detailed interview with Verhoeven, this is an absolute steal at its current low price tag. I'd buy that for a dollar!

Reviews

Excellent film, shame it isnt the Steelbook CE as the illustration shows!
Review date: 2008-02-17 Rating: 6 out of 10

Robocop is one of the best scifi films, not much can be said about it's awesomeness, especially this cut w/ DTS!
However - I once again fell victim to the "non-steelbook edition" syndrome that has been haunting these Definitive Edition DVDs recently (see Alien DE) hence the 3* rating - the piccie here definitely shows the steelbook version. I received a standard card slipcase version instead. Can't really complain as I sold it on straight away & got my ££ back but it's still disappointing... If you are after the steelbook / tin versions of DE's then contact the seller FIRST!

An outstanding and unforgetable 1980's futuristic vigilante classic
Review date: 2007-07-12 Rating: 10 out of 10

I don't know why but this film never gets the respect that it truly deserves, Is it snobbery against it or is is just misunderstood, either way I couldn't give a flying circus because as far as I am concerned this is a 1980's action packed five star classic. I do have to say though and I am not embarrased to admit it but I do get a little nostalgic just thinking about this film as (at the time of writing) I really can't believe that this is twenty years old, but enough of that.

I can remember when this was at the cinema and I desperately wanted to see it but I couldn't as I was too young and so I had to wait till it was available to rent on video, if you are too young, you are probably thinking so what but in those days (God that makes me sound older than I am) you had to wait ages until a film was available to rent, unlike now where a film is available to buy let alone rent almost instantly after it's cinema release. Anyway when I finally got to see it on video rental, it definitely lived up to my expectations and more.

If you have never seen this, to put it simply (don't worry I won't go into too much detail of the story) it is set in a futuristic Detroit which is in absolute chaos with crime at an all time high with some of the most repulsive and violent thugs ever to appear in a movie causing mayhem on the streets of Detroit, but they get what they deserve in the end as things are about to change. This movie is about a cop called Murphy (Peter Weller) who's bravery almost costs him his life when he takes on a gang of thugs and is almost left for dead (I remember finding these scenes in particular absolutely brutal and upsetting), he his then saved and rebuilt into a part man, part robot cyborg by the people in charge of the police force and this is where Robocop truly begins.

I admit that this film is incredibly violent at times but it is also incredibly emotional and moving at times, especially the scenes in which Robocop starts to remember his family, it is also funny at times and those sensationalised news reports are brilliantly done. I have always thought that the director of this PAUL VERHOEVEN is underrated, his films have a very over the top but unique style to them especially this, TOTAL RECALL and STARSHIP TROOPERS, these three in particular are my favourites of his.

Just one more thing that I must mention is that fantastic, underappreciated and uplifting music, I say uplifting because everytime this comes on you know that something positive has just happened and that it is another victory for Robocop against the criminals, I really can't help but smile everytime I hear it.

So then, if you like your films action packed and are intelligent enough to see past some of the brutal violence in this or for some reason you have just never seen this or any of the other films I have just mentioned, then you are in for an absolute treat. ENJOY.

Twenty years on..still seems very futuristic
Review date: 2007-04-22 Rating: 8 out of 10

Some people will think this is just the average 80's action movie; in my opinion, it's a lot more than that. It makes a statement about modern society, by presenting a horrifying look into a future that maybe isn't as distant as you'd like to believe it is. The very essence of RoboCop himself(or itself) is a perfect cop, but with almost no human emotion; and that's what the government wants in a perfect cop, at least in this movie. Apart from the perfect future cop, this movie also has a few visions of the future of advertising, the future of buying a house, the future in board games, the future in pretty much everything that exist in or modern world today. Paul Verhoeven has a very interesting science fiction future world view, and he presents it very well in this movie, just as he presents a future war in Starship Troopers; whereas that's about waging war, this is about the modern police force, the police of tomorrow. Even if you don't care about the future view presented in this movie, give it a try; it's got great action too, some of the best for an 80's action movie

Brilliant 80's Actions Flick !! !! !! !! !!
Review date: 2007-02-17 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is infamously one of the best ultra violent 80's action films and has loads of bloody shoot outs and future detroit cop (which is a slight subgenre if you look at all the B-movie actions there are) story.
Yet although this is a pretty unorigonal movie (you may say this yet it did start this thing anyway) and is more of just a simple story of a cop who is turned to a robot after bieng killed and goes around shooting criminals.
You have to look past all that and try not to steriotype this film as it has been since it was made.
Like The Terminator (Although i actually prefer this), this film is a very good film when you can actually look at it for what it is. It is actually quiet origonal. Yet also if you are a fan or generally just like the occasional action movie and arent the kind of person who goes on about how films like this are all the same and boring and pointless. The you should be able to see the excelence of this film.
RoboCop actually won quiet alot of well deserved awards too, and for its day, had great special effects.
Like many poeple say this can be rather violent at toimes, but its nothing compared to a gory slasher film of its time period so its nothing too unbareable.
Overall, what you have is a pretty well acted, origonal, violent, action movie with an emotional cyborg as the main character, plus all the other sharms that films like this got from the 80's.

Product Details/Specifications

Actor(s):
Ronny Cox
Kurtwood Smith
Peter Weller
Nancy Allen
Dan O'Herlihy

Director(s):

Recording label: MGM Entertainment
Manufacturer: MGM Entertainment
EAN: 5050070007343
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Special Edition,
Release date: 2003-07-28
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 98 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1987-07-17
Language: English (Original Language)

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Robocop [1988]

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