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"RoboCop" was Paul Verhoeven's first American motion picture. Written by Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner, this action film is set in Detroit in the near future. It follows the story of Officer Alex Murphy and his partner Officer Ann Lewis. Early in the film, however, Murphy is brutally murdered by a gang of violent criminals lead by Clarence Boddicker. OCP (Omni Consumer Products), a large conglomerate which owns the Detroit Metropolitan Police Force, uses Murphy's dead body, reviving only his brain and several key organs, and implements him into a state of the art, practically indestructible cyborg: RoboCop. RoboCop is the ultimate law enforcer. That is until he begins having memories of his past life in flashes, as though they were corrupted data files. The rest of the film portrays RoboCop as a tortured individual; not quite human, not quite a machine. He tries to remember who he was while tracking down the men who killed him and bringing them to justice. He wants revenge, but he is held back by his 3 prime directives: Serve the public trust, Protect the innocent, and Uphold the Law. This Criterion Collection DVD is an excellent representation of this 1987 cult classic. Several scenes of excessive violence, that were cut in order for the MPAA to give "RoboCop" an R rating, has been reincorporated. The special features, though limited, are quite nice. A running audio commentary track, with Paul Verhoeven and other members of the crew, is quite delightful, and very informative about the making of the film. The other features include: An illustrated essay of the making of RoboCop, film-to-storyboard comparison, storyboards, and the theatrical and teaser trailers. Though several other versions of this film have been released on DVD, the Criterion Collection version is a must have for fans.Read full review
I only say "Average" due to the video quality of the original Directors Cut of this awesome movie. This is a redub of the LaserDisc copy of the film, and only suvrived the transition in media types due to the fact that it's an excellent release as far as movies are concerned, so it was blessed with a DVD release, much less a limited edition DVD release, so this was a pretty hot item. It's hotness suddenly dropped off, however, when the new 20th anniversary DVD hit in 2007 since it was the complete package, the digitally restored X version and digitally remastered theatricial version, it's a far superior deal since your not paying $80 bucks for a less quality version. But if your a Robocop collector, then this is a must have for you, like it was for me. I'm happy to have it on the shelf next to the 20th Anniversary version on my shelf :)Read full review
For those unaware, the Criteria release of RoboCop is the best copy to have. It features the film in it's original apsect ratio (1:1.6, which is fairly unusual), and keeps the film intact as intended for the theatrical release. It also features the best audio track of any RoboCop release as well, which is a necessity for those with theatre sound. For those unaware, RoboCop (1987) is a masterful work of cultural satire taking place in a distopian future. It is a violent film, borderline gore or body horror, with practical effects that warm the heart and only real fail in a few places. Peter Weller delivers a stunning performance as a cyborg, adding the kind of little touches that other films will imitate for decades to come. I do recommend RoboCop (1987) for any film enthusiast, even for those that may not be inclined to this genre. And for that viewing, I strongly recommend seeking out a Criterion release of the movie. Getting the aspect ration to show properly on modern televisions may be an issue, but it's well worth seeing the film as originally intended.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Though the RoboCop Criterion DVD has been usurped by the MGM 20th Anniversary Edition (and the no-frills Blu-Ray), it is still an essential for the die-hard RoboCop fan. And, a few of my reasons are admittedly wierd. I'll cop to being a nerd, thank you. Firstly, the commentary track is different (and obviously older) than the MGM one, and utilizes some of the same folks (Director Paul Verhoeven, for one). Play one after the other and see what a difference a decade makes. The other two things I love are purely nonsense. Call me a purist, but I'm not a fan of studios eschewing original title logos. Criterion's cover features the classic RoboCop title as if it were carved into a sheet of steel. Also, I love the main menu music and the montage that accompanies it. This just acknowledges the classic nature of the film itself. By the way, as the picture's aspect ratio on the Criterion is 1.66:1 (and not 16:9), it is not Anamorphic, and users with 16:9 TV's will need to use the zoom function. That's all I got. Enjoy!Read full review
Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi satire of slam-bang action and urban satire centering on a slain police officer (Peter Weller, Naked Lunch) who becomes a crime-fighting cyborg setting out to clean the scum-ridden streets of Old Detroit with his female partner (Nancy Allen, Carrie), and to avenge his bloody death against a brutal drug lord (Kurtwood Smith). With only one American film (Flesh + Blood) under his belt, Verhoeven transcends Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner's script into a successful, stylizied 80's masterpiece that pushes the on-screen violence almost to a comic book level. The groundbreaking effects of Rob Bottin's "Robocop" suit along with Phil Tippet's ED 209 definitly blows the Autobots of "Transformers" out of the water. The extras on the Criterion Collection DVD include the unrated director's cut, commentary by Verhoeven, Neumeier, producer Jon Davison, and "Robocop" expert Paul M. Sammon, storyboards, interactive essay on the making of the film, and teaser & theatrical trailers.Read full review
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