CLASSIC MOVIE CORNER: 'RoboCop' (1987)

Peter Weller
in 'RoboCop'“RoboCop” (1987)

MPAA Rating: R
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer and Paul McCrane

The Gist: RoboCop: He’s more than just another cog in the machine.

The Story: Murphy (Weller) is a family man and an idealistic Detroit cop. Freshly transferred to the crime-ridden Metro West precinct, he charms his new partner, Lewis (Allen), with his quaint, almost Boy-Scoutish demeanor. The two hardly get to know each other before they’re plunged into the thick of a firefight. They pursue the drug-dealing bank robber Clarence Boddicker (Smith) to an abandoned steel mill. There, Boddicker and his gang ambush the pair, slaughtering Murphy and leaving Lewis for dead. But, Murphy’s career in law enforcement isn’t over yet. He’s resurrected by Omni Consumer Products as a police cyborg, RoboCop. As memories of his past life surface, they compel Murphy to solve the case of his own murder.

The Review: “RoboCop” is a coarse, violent movie. But it’s also a wicked satire, delivering a slew of twisted laughs. Ultimately, it’s even somewhat inspiring. Murphy is an easy hero to identify with. He’s literally a blue-collar, hard-working guy who just wants to do what’s right. Murphy lives in a world where kindness is scarce, and everywhere from the boardroom to the back alley, greedy scumbags are trying to hustle their way to the top. When Murphy gets caught in the middle, he loses everything — except his conscience. It’s his unbreakable moral center that helps him survive and carry the day. “RoboCop” is basically a Frank Capra film, but with a lot more blood and guts.

The Classic Quote: Emil (McCrane): “It takes money to make money. We steal money to buy coke, then sell the coke to make even more money. Capital investment, man.”

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)