A Look At Robocop (2014)

When you hear the word reboot it's natural to assume the movie will blow, past experiences have shown time and again that reimagination of a classic doesn't always yield good results. However of late they have done a pretty decent job expecially with the new Spiderman (yes I really like it, though in all honesty anything can be better the two movies that preceded it) even though its strictly not a reboot per se, but that's a discussion for another time. I'm here to talk about Robocop.

I caught literally the last show of the day at 11 30 at night and to my genuine surprise the movie theatre was empty when we walked in, literally. Even the attendant wasn't in the hall. There were a total of 3 people including tanks(my friend) and myself. Goes to show the sad state of affairs when it comes to english movies in Delhi/Gurgaon at least, if not all of India.

Now I know most people were sceptical about the reboot with all the shiny robots and whatnot but trust me its ok; you know what they say 'if the shoe fits, wear it'. The movie started off on a wicked note with the surprise inclusion of a slightly tweaked version of the Original Theme, gave me goosebumps. Though I was sad not to hear more of it throughout the movie. When looking at this remake you need to understand 2 basic things; 1- Movies are made to make money. In this day and age PG 13 will sell more than an Rated M movie, despite those 'limitations' Robocop does a pretty good job and has its fair share of action. 2- More importantly you need to realize this reboot serves as a base for future additions to the series and as such is laying the foundation for Murphy and his new life. At times the movie is a little slow so to speak with a few awkward scenes when he tries to reconnect with his family after his 'procedure'. These are extremely important in his character development and in understanding the changes he is going through. They set up rest of the movie and build up his character to one you try and relate to by the end. If you have played the new Tomb Raider you will understand how putting in elements to help viewers/players relate to the protagonist is important for them to get really immersed in the what they are seeing.

I quite enjoyed the movie and to be honest I don't know what all the fuss is about. Sure it wasn't as gory but hey its still a good movie. Look at the movie for what it offers and how well it does that rather than what it could have or should have done. The only real complaint I have with the new Robocop is how his mobility at times seems too fluid for folks who have been used to the original movies. Sometimes he's a little clunky but in battle he goes all acrobatic in a few scenes and it throws you off to say the least. Other than that I think the reboot was good and really goes to show that not all reboots are bad.

Ps: Samuel L Jackson was awesome!