Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
In a violent, near-apocalyptic Detroit, evil corporation Omni Consumer Products wins a contract from the city government to privatize the police force. To test their crime-eradicating cyborgs, the company leads street cop Alex Murphy into an armed confrontation with crime lord Boddicker so they can use his body to support their untested RoboCop prototype. But when RoboCop learns of the company's nefarious plans, he turns on his masters.
RoboCop is a genuinely exceptional piece of satirical science fiction — its plot operates on multiple allegoric levels (corporate greed, identity, resurrection, privatization) with a sharpness rare in action films of its era. Verhoeven's vision is utterly singular, blending ultraviolence with biting social commentary and darkly comedic fake TV spots in a way no one else was doing. The novelty is sky-high for a mainstream Hollywood action film. Acting is competent-to-solid — Weller's physicality is impressive and Kurtwood Smith's Boddicker is a standout villain, but the cast is uneven. Cinematography by Jost Vacano is punchy and functional with some striking compositions but not transcendent. The ending resolves satisfyingly on the identity theme but is somewhat conventional in its action-movie climax structure, keeping it from being truly outstanding.