A New Tinman
With the army having used their robots and drones in battle overseas, Omnicorp president Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton) is frustrated by not only the opposition to using his robots in America but also the law which prohibits it. So with the aid of scientist Dr. Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman) they come up with a plan to build a robot around a severely injured service man. When Detroit law enforcement officer Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is all but killed in an explosion he is the perfect serviceman for the experiment. But whilst Alex is perfect for the experiment deep in his brain is the desire to bring in the criminals and corrupt officials who almost killed him.
It's easy to get frustrated when the rumours start circulating that Hollywood are going to remake yet another movie you have fond memories of from your childhood. The thing is that if I think back to my youth and the movies I would watch during the 80s there were plenty which were remakes and whilst it didn't bother me I am sure an older generation of movie fans were just as upset, the only thing is that back then there was no internet, no blogs and no way for people to vent their frustration at yet another remake being made. As such whilst I loved the original "RoboCop" I accept that for a new generation it doesn't work but a remake full of CGI bells and whistles as well as more recent stars does.
Now the good news about the 2014 version of "RoboCop" is that the basic storyline is simple enough as firstly we have the greed of those at Omnicorp to bring robots to America, we have Alex who still has a human side and wants to catch those responsible for almost killing him and we also have those who are against not just the use of robot law officers but the integration of a human into a robot. All of which comes together to create an incredibly simple but not dull movie to follow. Throw on top of that a familiar cast with such house hold names as Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton and Abbie Cornish and you have a mainstream crowd pleaser.
But of course we all know what "RoboCop" is really all about; it is about the special effects from a clever night vision shoot em up scene to the head of Alex with just his lungs moving under him. And let me say that even though the special effects in a movie have long stopped being the driving force behind what entertains me these are certainly very good. It is why I can see why modern audiences will probably love the new "RoboCop" as scene after scene is full of visual entertainment.
What this all boils down to is that the 2014 version of "RoboCop" is entertaining and not only for a new generation but also for those who loved and still love the original. But it is a movie driven more by the visuals than the storyline so if you expect anything more you likely going to end up feeling slightly disappointed.
