#33: ROBOCOP (35TH ANNIVERSARY 4K RE-RELEASE)

Starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith, Ronny Cox, Miguel Ferrer and Daniel O'Herlihy> Written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Budget $13.7 million. Running time 102 minutes. 

In the far flung future, Detroit's Police Dept has been privatised by Omni Consumer Products (OCP) as the first step in their plan of building a multi-billion dollar new city on the ruins of old Detroit. To police this new world, OCP Vice President Dick Jones wants to roll out his robot platforms ED 209, while Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer), his rival and a low level OCP Executive, wants to unleash his own law enforcement machine, RoboCop. When an ED 209 malfunctions during a demonstration, Morton gets his wish. Now all he needs is a recently killed cop to transform into some sort of a robot cop. Luckily recently transferred Metro cop Murphy (Peter Weller) is on hand to hmm, lose both hands, and legs and most of his head and body to make Morton's dream come true.

After that it's time for one of the best science fiction films of the 1980s and, I'd say, of all times. Directed fantastically by Paul Verhoeven, this was the first of his seminal trilogy of science fiction films that defined him and a generation. 

It's a wonderfully violent, salient, funny, topical and downright brilliant film that even after 35 years has lost none of its power and utterly shits all over the appalling remake. Spawning not just two sequels, and a terrible TV series but also, believe it or not, a kid's animated show. This is the original and best of the bunch, a film that really hasn't been bettered. I would go even further and say it's one of those utterly rare films that is simply perfect, with a brilliant three act structure, a satisfying middle act and a pay off that doesn't disappoint. 

Plus it has a cast who all seem to revel in the opportunities it gifted them and all of them give career defining performances, perhaps none more so that Kurtwood Smith as one of the best screen villains in movie history, Clarence Boddicker, who brings real malice and menace to the role. 

Packed with memorable lines, like 'Can you fly, Bobby?', to 'Bitches leave.', 'Dick, I've very disappointed', to the classic 'Dead or alive you're coming with me' and 'You have 15 seconds to compile'. I found myself whispering all the dialogue along with the cast.

What makes this film so wonderful, apart from all of the above, is the outstanding practical special effects from Phil Tippet, who stop-animated the dinosaur-like ED 209 brilliantly and Rob Bottins, for his creation of RoboCop, which is a triumph. Similarly, the gore effects that Verhoeven correctly realised would be viewed as so over the top they were funny. And in a way that's the secret of Robocop's enduring appeal and success, it's packed with humour. It realises that for the dark social commentary to work it needs that vein of tar black comedy running through it.

And since I'm name-checking the special effects people, shout-out to Rocco Gioffre for his matte painted backgrounds, for example the tower of OCP both inside and out.

I simply cannot fault this film. In fact it's one of my top ten favourite films of all times. If you've not seen this in a while treat yourself and catch it on the big screen where ED 209's murder of the junior executive will have you howling in delight!

10/10? Put it this way, 'I'd buy that for a dollar!'