March 25, 2006
RoboCop 2
Movie Review By: SFAM
Year: 1990
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
Written by: Frank Miller & Walon Green (screenplay), Michael Miner & Edward Neumeier (characters)
Degree of Cyberpunk Visuals: Medium
Correlation to Cyberpunk Themes: Low
Key Cast Members:
Overview: Oh how the mighty have fallen. In Robocop, we get a violent, satirical look at a future with an interesting story, complete with cyborg musings and incredible visuals. In Robocop 2, we get a tripe, over-the-top monstrosity that devolves into a Godzilla versus King Kong movie. Where Robocop provided a biting commentary on the state of corporate influence and advertising, Robocop 2 settles for a simplistically evil, nonsensical, corporate stooges who are far more interested in screwing society than they are making long term profit. Put simply, Robocop 2 is a mess when compared to its original.
The Story: In Robocop 2, the OCP Corporation is bent on nefariously taking over ownership of the city so that it can squeeze every dollar out of the populace (which, interestingly, is already poor). As part of their plan, OCP tacitly supports the distribution of a new addictive drug called “Nuke.” With the cops on strike and the evil drug lord Cain distributing the drug and destroying the populace, only Robocop is there to protect Detroit from complete anarchy. But even Robocop is removed when a new scheming corporate businesswoman at OCP will do anything to get to the top, including screwing the CEO, ruining Robocop and replacing him with the Nuke drug lord, Cain. I could to into more details, but truly, the plot sucks too much to bother.
Robocop Stripped: “Christ, he’s been stripped,” is the line the policeman delivers upon seeing Robocop as a heap of parts. I couldn’t agree more. The plot points in Robocop 2 are idiotic at best. OK, so the bad guy and his 12 year-old kid beat Robocop. Of course, the logical thing to do is to drop him off, living parts and all at police HQ, right? And of course it makes sense for a Lawyer to control the Robocop project, even though there aren’t any legal issues involved. And just as logical is the corporation that gambles its entire viability on a psycho-maniac dead drug addict to be its corporate face and protector of the public, while destroying its investment in Robocop by programming him with silly parables (Gee, any reason they didn’t just re-assign Robocop to the military?). In topping this silliness, at least we know that Robocop, human brain and all, is able to easily withstand a drop from the top of a skyscraper. Interestingly, Robocop 2 tells us that the most expensive part of running a city is the police department, not the building of an ENTIRE NEW DOWNTOWN, which, we are told, will instantly pay for itself because its population will be paying for an addictive drug! I could go on, but clearly, the plot isn’t supposed to make sense. One wonders what the original script looked like as its pretty clear that Frank Miller’s script was modified significantly.
Detriot’s citizens are all millionaires!
The Bottom Line: While most of the key characters return (Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O’Herlihy, Felton Perry), they are joined by a cast that includes a parodied lunatic for a mayor (Willard Pugh), a kid for a bad guy (always the touch of death), and shallow scheming, horrible acting corporate bitch (Belinda Bauer). The interesting questions from the first movie are again posed, but this time in a sophomoric, absurd fashion – so much so that they divorce any interest in the potential answers. The FX, including the stop-motion animation are still decent enough to keep the movie from being a total waste, but just barely. If Robocop was intended as a total goof (meaning the actors realized this), it would have worked better. Instead, we get a story that qualifies as a parody while the actors seem to think they’re making a credible remake. The result is less than stellar.
Spread the word
del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Google StumbleUpon Technorati Help
30 Comments on RoboCop 2 »
March 26, 2006
Case @ 10:52 pm:
Hi SFAM. Great review, agree with every word of it. I’d say this is one of the worst sequels ever, but…well…there was ROBOCOP 3. Ahem…
On a completely unrelated topic, I landed my greasy little hands on a copy of that Danish CP film SKYGGEN (a.k.a. WEBMASTER). I watched it last night and I’m afraid it’s not very good. In fact, it’s rather horrible. Sad, too, as it comes close to working here and there…and the CP visuals and themes are both high. But it just doesn’t work…a total mess. Let me know if you have trouble scoring a copy. You can always have mine - I’m NOT eager to hang onto it!
SFAM @ 11:23 pm:
Hi Case, I’d love to have it. Someone outbid me for mine. I have to ebay another one otherwise. Lemme know how much you want for it and I can paypal you (sfam”at”cyberpunkreview.com).
March 27, 2006
Case @ 7:19 pm:
Oh, that’s entirely up to you, what it’s worth to you. I can have it in the mail ASAP.
SFAM @ 8:49 pm:
Hi Case - again, email me at sfam@cyberpunkreview.com and we can discuss.
September 16, 2006
Cybopath @ 2:47 pm:
I don’t know what the big Problem with Robocop 2 is? It’s not as smart a film as the first but it’s a very enjoyable Effects Driven Action film. Now 3 is alot of cheesy trash.
September 19, 2006
SFAM @ 12:15 pm:
Hi Cybopath, I guess you and I disagree. To me the problem is the movie is a HUGE dropoff from the first. The characters are cardboard, the plot is silly, etc. Anytime there’s an evil kid as the bad guy, you KNOW things aren’t gonna be good.
September 21, 2006
microchip @ 11:22 am:
the only Robocop for me is the first one, the other 2 sucked big time
March 8, 2007
cristian @ 7:26 pm:
hola me gustaria tener toda la pelicula de robiocop en mi msn se los agradeseria .
March 29, 2007
David @ 11:15 am:
I wouldn’t give this film 4/10, but 8/10.
If you liked the first movie, then you will like the sequel just as much.
In terms of the plot, what the heck were you expecting out of it? -Ghost in The Shell type?
Without a doubt though, the 3rd movie sucked big time. Very few III’s are any good, and usually when it’s announced, you know it’s gonna be shit just by looking at the promotion board.
SFAM @ 1:42 pm:
Hi David, sorry but we totally disagree on this. The first Robocop was absolute top-notch cyberpunk. To me, this flick is a HORRID follow-up. What do I expect? Well for starters, anytime the kid is the bad guy, you know you’re in for a world of hurt. Truly, the characters are all weak imitations of their previous selves, the story sucked, and the plot was completely nonbelievable.
David @ 2:49 pm:
Isn’t that’s whats good about the movie though?- I remember that saying ‘eat shit pencil fukka’ (or whatever), and it’s a kid talking like an adult- it makes it looks like society has just taken a real nose dive since the first movie. A world ‘of hurt,’ such as the one seen in Robocop 2 is what a makes a cyberpunk flick, and is usually what they consist of if you look at Akira, and others.
I really didn’t expect the main villain to be converted into Robocop 2 either- I thought murphy would end up battling some stolen OCP highjacked cyborg.
March 30, 2007
SFAM @ 2:08 am:
Hmm…no, this is what makes Robocop a “B” movie - this does not make it a good cyberpunk flick. The fact that it came from a top notch cyberpunk movie is what makes this all the more depressing.
June 10, 2007
hugo @ 11:55 pm:
hola q tal comoe stan soy hugo y soy d peru soy un fanatico d robocop me gusta un monton e scheverfeesa pelicula cadavez q la dan el la tl la veo aaa pngan d nuevo robocop en dibujo ps y robocop la serie por las puras lo quitan gracias por su atencion chauuuu
July 1, 2007
ömer @ 10:56 am:
yaa manyak güzel filmde hiç televizyona çıkmıyo
randomrob @ 7:35 pm:
this movie was ghastly… Robocop had pathos, raised important questions about cyberization, the rental-police society, the corporatization of cities and the military, news as entertainment.. so many angles handled in a wonderful tongue-in-cheek way. Robocop was pure dreck. Crap. Doo-doo.
randomrob @ 7:36 pm:
Robocop2 was pure dreck I meant…
September 2, 2007
Alberto @ 1:52 am:
In Argentina of where I write, it was a great movie, that excellently mixes the dark of the plot. The best one beaten although is raw to be able to see it again if you already do not have it in your video.
September 19, 2007
Rusty james @ 10:36 pm:
Hey this is film isnt bad.cain is cool,especially when he gets his brain taken out.always remembered that part as a kid.
September 21, 2007
Burnt_Lombard @ 5:49 pm:
Yeah the plot is just a jumbled mess. The original is def. one of my favorite films.
And it says all it needs to, there was no need for a franchise to come out of Robocop.
September 22, 2007
Noir @ 2:17 pm:
Any film which gets heavily sampled by Front Line Assembly owns!
September 29, 2007
asad013 @ 8:20 pm:
robocop 2 - i dint like too much id give it 3stars !!!
October 3, 2007
zachari mock @ 6:01 pm:
bring robocop back they to its not the same with out robo try to bring him please.
zachari lamar mock @ 6:03 pm:
this is it robocop is cool right? so i think they shound bring him back like back to the movies robocop returns avery body got to see it so try it please.
zachari lamar mock @ 6:07 pm:
dont give up on robocop movies little brother loves him its hes fav movie
October 5, 2007
SolidSnake @ 4:37 am:
Needless to say, i think Robocop 2 a really bad turn in plot points…i mean a kid being a bad guys..sounds like the kid from home alone only thing that the kid is a bd GUY…i didint like it as much as the first one which totally rock and part 3 i give a 7..but part 2 man that was bad plotting…
Solid Snake @ 4:38 am:
Not even the Main Robocop Theme song came out!! >_
January 14, 2008
timbob @ 6:46 pm:
I grew up watching robocop2 since i was five lol the only part that would never happen is making a drug lord a robot. The whole movie was based on robo getting these drug lords of the street. And having the kid in the movie with the drug lords happens in real life. So i kinda agree with David. But i do enjoy the first one to with the bad guy being from that 70’s show haha. the 3rd one sucked ass! i was like 10 when i watched it and some parts made me feel so uncomfortable cause it was so gay. I rather belive the 2nd plot then the 3rd one. a little girl hijacking into a ed-209 please gag me with a spoon. if they made a 4th one i would never see it.
March 9, 2008
Juan Sebastián @ 8:53 pm:
Si alguien sabe, me gustaría saber de quien es la canción o cómo se llama la canción que suena en la escena de la discoteca, cuando descubren que el agente duffy es corrupto
juan Sebastián @ 9:14 pm:
if somebody knows, i would like to know, who is the autor of the song in the scene when the official duffy is discovered by robocop in the disco…
April 2, 2008
SSAdams @ 12:53 am:
I began writing a defense for Robocop 2, but then realized that this isn’t an imdb forum - this is all about cyberpunk. Robocop2 isn’t cyberpunk. However, I will say that I enjoy R2 over R1.