If you read my original RoboCop and my RoboCop 2 review, you will see that this is a franchise that has been a huge part of my life. I loved the first two movies and the video games and it was something that I got excited about each time something new was announced. Granted the RoboCop TV series and especially RoboCop 3 were not great. However, I still had action figures and awesome video games like RoboCop vs Terminator to keep me going.
How to Download Robocop (2014)
Robocop (2014) was released on February 12, 2014. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
Rebooting the RoboCop Franchise – the Movie Review
When I heard that RoboCop was going to be rebooted, I was actually all for it. Outside the first two movies, this franchise had not been treated all that well, and enough time has passed that I felt something cool could come from this. I had high hopes and I thought that the casting of Joel Kinnaman as RoboCop/Alex Murphy was great.
A Star-Studded Cast
RoboCop is an iconic 80s and 90s franchise and they managed to get a great cast here. Gary Oldman, Samuel L Jackson, Michael Keaton, Jackie Earle Harley, Jay Baruchel, and a few others that escape my mind as I write this are all here. It is a stacked cast and I truly think that they all came into this as fans of the original movie and wanted to make something special.
Familiar Storyline with a Modern Twist
The basics of the story here are the same, Alex Murphy gets gravely injured and he is given a second chance at life as RoboCop. Detroit is still a hellhole and there is a giant corporation that is up to no good. We have RoboCop trying to clean up the streets, get rid of the corruption in Detroit, and also deal with the trauma that is coming from the memories he has of his life as Alex Murphy. They did kind of play it safe with the story, but it all makes sense and feels in line with the original.
A Flawed but Entertaining Reboot
Here is the thing, RoboCop 2014 is not a horrible movie at all! Trust me, I have seen way worse remakes, especially some that came out around this time, Point Break and Total Recall I am looking at you! While this RoboCop does not come close to the first RoboCop of the 80s or even RoboCop 2, I would put this third on my list of RoboCop movies.
This has some gritty action and I do like the stuff they did with RoboCop/Alex and the trauma of him being a cyborg. The thing is, it feels more like an homage to the original movie than them trying to do something completely new. People pretty much dumped all over this when it came out and I remember going to see it in the theatre and when I came out, I was happy and I had been entertained. I thought that RoboCop was back and this could kickstart a whole new franchise.
What’s Next for RoboCop?
There was to be a sequel, but that got canned. We then got told that there was going to be a movie called RoboCop Returns and it was going to be a direct sequel to the original movie! That also got canned. However, Amazon Studios now has the rights to RoboCop and they have said that they have a TV series and a movie planned, that along with the fantastic RoboCop: Rogue City video game that was released last year makes me very optimistic about the franchise.
Time for RoboCop vs Terminator?
However, if I am being 100 percent honest, the last few Terminator movies have sucked, I say it is time for us to finally bring RoboCop vs Terminator to the big screen. The comic book series that came out in 1992 and then the video game were so much fun and it is just perfect for a high-budget ultra-violent rated R adaptation. Back on topic, RoboCop 2014 is not a bad movie at all, I watched it again recently and I am still of that opinion. I would even go as far as to say this is a bit underrated!
