MGM Announces Robocop SE 6/8 (1 Viewer)

[Scott_MacD]

I should love to read someone articulate some solid positive critique on Robocop 2. Really.

My own thoughts are, what a vile movie! It's one of the most purposelessly mean movies I've seen, an orgy of absurd violence and cruelty without reason. Verhoeven's first film has several points in it's favour when it goes wickedly over the top, it's either 1) making a point, or serving the story or 2) making us laugh. Robocop 2's attempts at humour are ridiculously heavy handed and without real wit, and also lacking the cleverly layered script and structure of the original, it falls apart badly.

Or maybe I misunderstand the film? And I'm also missing it's cleverly hidden subtleties?

Back on topic, I'll wait for the first film to be released on it's own.

 

[Paul Linfesty]

And 1.66 was the projection ration the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood showed it in (which they also did for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Interview With the Vampire).

 

[Patrick Mirza]

Just wanted to let everyone know that the package art has been revised. The new pack shot is on page one of this thread.

 

[CraigL]

And it's ugly as hell.

 

[CraigL]

Oh...and I'll let you know what the aspect ratio is projected soon. They're having a showing of it here in NYC next month!

 

[Grant H]

I'll have to watch my Criterion extras again (couldn't have been all that great; I can't remember them), and then hand-down that and the orginal Robocop 2 and 3 DVD releases to my dad.

 

[Dave H]

Does anyone know of anything in regards to the color timing of Robocop? The Criterion has a cooler look, where as the MGM is very saturated. Is the current MGM colors director approved?

 

[Jonathan.e]

This is available for pre-order - only $17USD at DVDSoon. Cancels out the bad taste of paying for the third.

Robocop 2 is excellent IMO. Be interesting to see if the upcoming Sin City translates Miller’s ideas to the screen better. I somehow doubt it.

 

[CraigF]

^^ My attitude exactly. So contrary to what I said before, I'm in for this. Like with BTTF, I didn't want 2 & 3, but after re-watching them they grew on me. The movies didn't change, so it must have been me who did...

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

I do admire you for keeping an open mind. However, it's not quite an "apples to apples" comparison. BTTF retained its original creative team (including director Robert Zemeckis) through the trilogy, while Paul Verhoeven bailed after the first Robocop. This would not necessarily mean that the sequels would automatically suck, but it does stack the deck in favor of that possibility.

 

[Ruz-El]

Man, at $17 I'll consider the sequels to be bonus features! My hats off to MGM for keeping the price down!

 

[CraigF]

Mark: Good point about the directors changing. Offhand, the Aliens sequel is the only sequel I can think of where doing that matched or improved on the original. Not that IMO Verhoeven has never done a stinker himself...

Similarly to the Airport quad, the price is sufficiently low (like for a single movie) that like Russell I'll consider the other movies as bonus features at worst, and they're sure better than most bonus features.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

What about the Bond flicks?

 

[CraigF]

Well, the Bond flicks are stand-alone films, whereas Aliens was a true sequel by a different director. I suppose we have to differentiate between a franchise and a continuing story.

It is pretty tough for me to come up with good sequels by different directors, as opposed to good sequels by the same director, or good "subsequent" episodes in a franchise by different directors.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Empire Strikes Back?

 

[CraigF]

You are correct! That was my first thought of a sequel IMO superior to the original: I had *no* idea GL didn't direct it! Not being a big SW nut (but like it), I just assumed GL directed them all.

 

[Magnus T]

Any new info on how the first Robocop will be mastered though? I sincerely hope they don't use extended branching as they did with the R2 release.

Give me seamless branching or give me nothing!!!

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Nope - just the first one from the OT.

Personally, I'd add Predator 2 as a superior sequel from a different director. If we're just looking for GOOD sequels from a different director, I'd toss in T3 - not as good as the first two, but surprisingly solid...

 

[Dave H]

With this low $17.00 price, I may even consider it now.

 

[Sean Patrick]

colin and craig -

you guys know the same guy who directed EMPIRE STRIKES BACK directed ROBOCOP 2, right?