4 out of 5.Fans of the original will also notice the many winks and nods to the world of RoboCop 1987 peppered throughout Padilha's version. The fan service extends beyond the film's Detroit setting, with highlights being a reprise of the classic RoboCop theme, the inclusion of cult-favorite mech, ED-209, line references ("I wouldn't buy that for a dollar!") and even a rendition of the original RoboCop's fourth directive (which finds its contemporary counterpart in the new RoboCop's programmed inability to harm "Red Assets"). But that's where the similarities end. For the most part, Padilha and screenwriter Joshua Zetumer forge their own unique take on RoboCop — a faster-paced, more action-oriented (and less violence-oriented) iteration of the character. Aside from familiar names like Murphy and Lewis, there aren't any Dick Joneses or Clarence J. Boddickers to be found — though elements of those characters are certainly present in Keaton's portrayal of Sellars, and in characters like Jackie Earl Haley's military tactician, Rick Mattox, and Patrick Garrow's villainous Antoine Vallon. Yet, with all the effort expended on action, the film still finds time (and justly so) to focus on Murphy's emotional and physical vulnerabilities, as in a scene where he gazes upon his disembodied visage, removed from the RoboCop suit, for the first time.
My full review can be found here.
