★★★
To have been the cultural event it was in 1984, RoboCop now plays like a sci-if action flic with some on-the-nose moralizing. In today’s environment of wanting to
privatize everything from infrastructure to the army, RoboCop’s caution on
commercializing public services is of relevance. It clearly goes overboard in making this
point -- the flamboyant killing of board member is already excessive without
the deliberately indifferent cold-heartedness of the chairman thrown in – but this is not
a subtle message film. On a TV news show
in the film, we also learn the commercialized space program has had some
unfortunate accidents, and the refrain on TV show after TV show is “I’d buy
that for a dollar.” The film hammers its
point the way Robocop hammers bad guys.
There’s a similar lack of subtlety in the film’s director-acknowledged
Christ symbolism. As Alex is being
gruesomely shot in the early part of the film, his body assumes an open,
crucifixion posture, and the incredibly dead policeman is next resurrected as
RoboCop to save Detroit. There’s even a
scene analogous to Jesus’ walking on water.
In a film that deliberately lacks subtlety, this symbolism is very
obvious.
This same rule of excess applies to the infamous violence in
the film. But this excessive violence
points to the aesthetic weakness of the film -- RoboCop can’t
decide if it wants to be an action thriller drama or a self-conscious parody of
sci-fi thrillers. The film calls us to
sympathize with Alex as he demonstrates his love for his family and tries to figure
out who he is. But the film just as
quickly turns to heavy-handed parody and posture as it does in the boardroom
scene or the dialog in the confrontation in the drug factory. After Emil runs his car into a boldly labeled
“TOXIC WASTE” tank, he staggers around until he suddenly bursts into a
subsequent scene with his rubber makeup mask dripping. It’s hard for a viewer to know whether to
take this film as cop drama or a parody.
As both, it isn’t effective.
RoboCop has some fine visuals, and it’s been very important
for its effect on future films. While
the movie isn’t totally successful for a contemporary viewer, it still has a
few thrills and historical importance. And its theme is worth thinking about.
