Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this movie is more of a bloodbath than you probably remember. Numerous characters are killed onscreen, many weapons are used, and there are some truly gruesome scenes, like when a policeman's hand and arm are shot off. Some characters snort cocaine, one off a woman's breasts; others commit crimes such as rape (attempted, taunting a woman with a knife before help arrives) and armed robbery. A corporation that controls the local police force is portrayed as corrupt.
Families can talk about whether it is ethical for OCP to turn Murphy into a cyborg when he never volunteered for the experiment. Does the corporation care more about money and fame or protecting the city's residents? What does this movie have in common with the Terminator series and with some M-rated video games?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Teresa Talerico
ROBOCOP could have been a great sci-fi movie for pre-teens. Its premise, after all, is fascinating: A police officer is transformed into a law-enforcing cyborg after being killed in the line of duty. Unfortunately, director Paul Verhoeven drenches his film in so much violence and profanity -- and occasional overacting -- that even some adults might feel squeamish. In spite of that, Robocop still remains a thought-provoking action movie that examines the use of technology and the abuse of power.
The setting is a crime-plagued futuristic Detroit, where the city has hired a corporation called OCP to run the police department. OCP executives are developing a robotic law-enforcement agent. An early version, the menacing-looking ED 209, fails miserably when it malfunctions and guns down an executive in the boardroom. As its creator (Ronny Cox) sheepishly explains that it was "only a glitch," younger colleague Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer) gleefully sees the incident as an opportunity to introduce his own "RoboCop" cyborg -- as soon as he finds a human volunteer.
Meanwhile, Officer Alex J. Murphy (Peter Weller) has just been transferred to one of the department's rougher precincts. Murphy is a good-hearted cop and a loving father, who practices twirling his sidearm to impress his young son. He and his new partner, Officer Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen), immediately get thrown into a dangerous situation where they're outnumbered by a gang of ruthless bank robbers in a steel mill. While Lewis lies injured nearby, the gang teases and tortures Murphy before shooting him repeatedly with automatic weapons. The scene is very gruesome. At the hospital, surgeons battle to save him. The scene is shot from Murphy's perspective as he watches doctors hovering over him before he dies.
The next scene continues from his perspective, only now Murphy is RoboCop and the people hovering in front of him are scientists programming his system. Although he retains an organic system that's fueled by a substance resembling baby food, his entire body is made of titanium and Kevlar. All that remains of Murphy is his face, which is only partially visible under a mask and helmet. Morton proudly shows off his new creation to the police department, and soon RoboCop is on the beat and making news with his heroic crime-fighting techniques.
But RoboCop begins to have dreams and flashbacks of his past life. Meanwhile, Officer Lewis tries to remind him of who he once was, and he also encounters one of the gang members who killed him, much to the criminal's shock. The remainder of the movie depicts RoboCop's efforts to learn about his past and to expose a corrupt member of OCP.
Weller does a good job of humanizing RoboCop, and Allen is tough and loyal as his partner. The scenes of RoboCop's engineering are intriguing, and it's fun to watch him make the bad guys squirm. Still, some of the movie feels dated and over the top.
Better choices for teen sci-fi action junkies include The Matrix (more bullets, but less gore), Minority Report, and A.I.: Artificial Intelligence.
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Sexual ContentA man and two women snort cocaine and make out; he snorts the drug from one woman's cleavage. A locker-room scene shows some male rear nudity and female breasts. |
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ViolenceGraphic violence throughout. Characters use weapons -- from handguns and sword-like objects to machine guns, grenades, and military-style assault cannons -- to kill and injure people or destroy property. Two men attempt to rape a woman in a parking lot, taunting and terrorizing her with a knife. Some scenes are exceedingly gruesome, as when a gang shoots off a policeman's hand and arm, or when a man is horribly burned and disfigured in a toxic-waste accident; a car then runs him over and decapitates him in the process. In a hostage situation, one hostage is shown lying dead and bloody on the floor. Various fistfights are shown, where people punch and kick each other violently. Emergency-room workers intubate and defibrillate a patient. |
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LanguageA lot of profanity throughout, including "f--k," "s--t," "asshole," and "c--ksucker." Also, phrases such as "I'm going to blow his brains out." |
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Social BehaviorSome characters exhibit conniving, selfish, and greedy behavior. Others are sociopathic criminals who make sport of murder, rape, and other violent crimes. Some members of a corporation are shown to be corrupt and callous. One character capitalizes on the tragedy and misfortunes of others. Senior executives are corrupt. Several characters -- including Murphy and Lewis -- do the right thing, however, and remain noble. Also, several villainous characters do not triumph in the end. |
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CommercialismA woman drinks from a Coca-Cola cup and appears to be eating from McDonald's containers. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoCharacters drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and use cocaine. |
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