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==Plot==
==Plot==
In 2028, multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of military "robot soldier" technology, supplying the US Military with mechanical men that are deployed overseas. OmniCorp wants to sell their products for use in civilian law enforcement in the United States but is suppressed by public opinion, as embodied by the Dreyfus Act. In an attempt to sway tepid public opinion by way of the combination of man and machine, OmniCorp CEO Raymond Sellars ([[Michael Keaton]]) tasks his marketing team, in conjunction with scientist Dr. Dennett Norton ([[Gary Oldman]]), with the creation of this new law enforcement product. They begin the search for a permanently injured policeman to act as the core of their prototype.
In 2028, multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of military "robot soldier" technology, supplying the US Military with mechanical men that are deployed overseas. ''The Novak Element'', hosted by popular political pundit Pat Novak ([[Samuel L. Jackson]]), presents a live demonstration of OmniCorp's drones operating in [[Tehran]]. When terrorists attack the proceedings, the drones efficiently dispatch them while protecting the soldiers and Novak's broadcast team, who are designated "Red Assets" by OmniCorp. OmniCorp CEO Raymond Sellars ([[Michael Keaton]]) wishes to sell the drones for domestic use, but public opinion, embodied by the Dreyfus Act, prevents this. Sellars devises a plan to change public opinion by creating a product that is both man and machine. He tasks marketing executive Tom Pope ([[Jay Baruchel]]) and legal counsel Liz Kline ([[Jennifer Ehle]]) with finding a suitable candidate for a test subject, and recruits Omni Foundation prosthetics specialist Dennett Norton ([[Gary Oldman]]) to create the technology.


Police detective Alex Murphy ([[Joel Kinnaman]]) and his partner, Jack Lewis ([[Michael K. Williams]]), attempt to arrest crime boss Antoine Vallon (Patrick Garrow), unaware that he has contacts inside the [[Detroit Police Department]]. When Vallon is found he is tipped off by his dirty cops and a gun fight ensues hospitalizing Lewis. As retaliation, the two said dirty cops nearly kill Alex with a car bomb, Norton chooses Alex for the program and, with consent from Alex's wife, Clara ([[Abbie Cornish]]), has him outfitted with the cybernetic body and software. Alex at first rejects his current condition upon seeing that all that is left of his original body are his heart, lungs, throat, head and right hand when the armor and [[cybernetic]] components are fully removed, but he is convinced by Norton to be strong for his wife and son. Rick Mattox ([[Jackie Earle Haley]]), OmniCorp's military tactician, is skeptical of Alex's abilities, saying he will never be as efficient as a fully mechanical robot. Alex proves this true by operating at a slower rate than the drone counterparts due to his natural hesitation when making judgements in the field. In order to improve performance, Norton tampers with his brain, making him believe that his tactical decisions are his own when he is actually executing programs.
Police detective Alex Murphy ([[Joel Kinnaman]]) and his partner, Jack Lewis ([[Michael K. Williams]]), attempt to arrest crime boss Antoine Vallon (Patrick Garrow), unaware that he has contacts inside the [[Detroit Police Department]]. When Vallon is found he is tipped off by his dirty cops and a gun fight ensues hospitalizing Lewis. As retaliation, the two said dirty cops nearly kill Alex with a car bomb, Norton chooses Alex for the program and, with consent from Alex's wife, Clara ([[Abbie Cornish]]), has him outfitted with the cybernetic body and software. Alex at first rejects his current condition upon seeing that all that is left of his original body are his heart, lungs, throat, head and right hand when the armor and [[cybernetic]] components are fully removed, but he is convinced by Norton to be strong for his wife and son. Rick Mattox ([[Jackie Earle Haley]]), OmniCorp's military tactician, is skeptical of Alex's abilities, saying he will never be as efficient as a fully mechanical robot. Alex proves this true by operating at a slower rate than the drone counterparts due to his natural hesitation when making judgements in the field. In order to improve performance, Norton tampers with his brain, making him believe that his tactical decisions are his own when he is actually executing programs.


While preparing for a public press conference, Alex is emotionally overwhelmed and has a seizure while Norton is uploading the police database (including video of his near death) information into his brain. Pressed for time, Norton alters Alex's brain chemistry, lowering his dopamine levels until he no longer displays any emotions. Under control, Alex attends the press conference, where he ignores his waiting wife and son, and efficiently apprehends a criminal in the crowd. The press conference is a public-relations success, with influential news pundit Pat Novak ([[Samuel L. Jackson]]) dubbing Alex "RoboCop". As Alex drastically reduces the crime rate in Detroit, public opinion on the Dreyfus Act begins to turn. Sellars pressures Norton to prevent Alex from seeing his wife and son.
While preparing for a public press conference, Alex is emotionally overwhelmed and has a seizure while Norton is uploading the police database (including video of his near death) information into his brain. Pressed for time, Norton alters Alex's brain chemistry, lowering his dopamine levels until he no longer displays any emotions. Under control, Alex attends the press conference, where he ignores his waiting wife and son, and efficiently apprehends a criminal in the crowd. Alex wins wide popular support, including from Novak, who approvingly dubs him "RoboCop." As Alex drastically reduces the crime rate in Detroit, public opinion on the Dreyfus Act begins to turn. Sellars pressures Norton to prevent Alex from seeing his wife and son.


Clara manages to confront her husband as he is leaving the station, telling him about his son, David ([[John Paul Ruttan]]), having nightmares. Alex leaves, but then overrides his programming by prioritizing solving his own case and detours from the current case to go to his house. He reviews the CCTV video of his accident and realizes that David saw his body and was traumatized. While watching the CCTV footage Alex overrides the programming in his brain and raises his dopamine levels back to normal, reviving his lost emotions towards his family. Alex pursues Vallon for revenge. When Alex arrives at his hideout, Vallon nearly succeeds in killing him but is fatally shot by Alex. At the station Alex shoots one of the corrupt cops non-fatally by the way of quick draw and stuns the other while Lewis arrest them both. When Alex is about to arrest the Chief of Police, one of Vallon's contacts, Mattox shuts him down by remote control and has him taken back to OmniCorp.
Clara manages to confront her husband as he is leaving the station, telling him about his son, David ([[John Paul Ruttan]]), having nightmares. Alex leaves, but then overrides his programming by prioritizing solving his own case and detours from the current case to go to his house. He reviews the CCTV video of his accident and realizes that David saw his body and was traumatized. While watching the CCTV footage Alex overrides the programming in his brain and raises his dopamine levels back to normal, reviving his lost emotions towards his family. Alex pursues Vallon for revenge. When Alex arrives at his hideout, Vallon nearly succeeds in killing him but is fatally shot by Alex, who then discovers proof of the corrupt cops' involvement in Vallon's gun-running operation. He returns to the station and shoots one of the corrupt cops non-fatally by the way of quick draw and stuns the other while Lewis arrests them both. When Alex is about to arrest the Chief of Police, one of Vallon's contacts, Mattox shuts him down by remote control and has him taken back to OmniCorp.


Sellars decides to spin this turn of events to his advantage, via The Novak Element, who thanks Alex for revealing the fallibility of the police, and points out that drones are incorruptible. A repeal of the Dreyfus Act goes underway, with votes overwhelmingly in support of the repeal. Clara goes to the press and angrily demands to see her husband. Sellars, seeing Alex is no longer useful and fearing that the truth of what has been done to him will be exposed, orders Mattox to kill him. Norton reaches the lab first and revives Alex, telling him everything. Alex, feeling betrayed, attempts to find Sellars.
Sellars decides to spin this turn of events to his advantage, via ''The Novak Element'', with Novak thanking Alex for revealing the fallibility of the police before pointing out that drones are incorruptible. A repeal of the Dreyfus Act goes underway, with votes overwhelmingly in support of the repeal. Clara goes to the press and angrily demands to see her husband. Sellars, seeing Alex is no longer useful and fearing that the truth of what has been done to him will be exposed, orders Mattox to kill him, then lies to Clara and David by telling them Alex had a psychotic breakdown and died. Norton reaches the lab first and revives Alex, telling him everything. Alex, feeling betrayed, sets off to bring Sellars to justice.


Sellars has the OmniCorp building shut down and armed with drones. Alex gains entry with the help of his former partner Lewis and other police officers. Mattox then reveals an old tactic hidden in Alex's programming known which renders hostile acts and apprehension impossible against those identified as 'Red Assets'. Lewis appears and shoots Mattox while Alex proceeds to the roof, where Sellars is waiting for a helicopter and has Clara and David as unwitting hostages. Alex's programming prevents him from arresting Sellars as he is also wearing a Red Asset wrist band, but he manages to overcome it with his own will and shoots, killing him.
Sellars has the OmniCorp building shut down and armed with ED-209 drones. Alex gains entry with the help of his former partner Lewis and other police officers, who help him escape the drones. Meanwhile, Sellars summons Clara and David to the helipad on the OmniCorp building's roof and tells them that Alex's organic body is dead, causing his mechanical components to malfunction and lead him on a rampage. Alex confronts Mattox but is unable to act due to Mattox's status as a Red Asset, however, Lewis intervenes and kills Mattox. On the roof, Alex finds Sellars waiting for a chopper with Clara, David, Pope and Kline. He attempts to place Sellars under arrest, but Sellars's own designation as a Red Asset causes him to begin shutting down. Sellars threatens Alex with a gun, but when he points the gun at Clara and David, Alex manages to override his programming and kill Sellars.


Alex's body is rebuilt in Norton's laboratory, and then he waits for Clara and David, who are coming to visit him. The President vetoes the repeal of the Dreyfus Act based on the testimony of Norton, who confesses everything they had done. Pat Novak is outraged by this turn of events, and the film ends with him revealing his true alliance (to his TV show's unseen [[fourth wall]] audience) and cursing loudly on live TV, much to the shock of his crew.
Sometime later, Norton rebuilds Alex in his original body. He reunites with Clara and David, and later returns to duty. The president vetoes the repeal of the Dreyfus Act, based on Norton's testimony of the crimes committed by OmniCorp, with parent company [[Omni Consumer Products|OCP]] placing the program under review. These events outrage Novak, who loses his temper and begins swearing on live television, revealing his loyalty to OmniCorp to his program's [[fourth wall|unseen]] audience.


==Cast==
==Cast==

Revision as of 02:57, 4 July 2014

RoboCop
File:Robocop poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJosé Padilha
Screenplay byJoshua Zetumer
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyLula Carvalho
Edited by
Music byPedro Bromfman
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 30, 2014 (2014-01-30) (Malaysia/Singapore/Taiwan)
  • February 12, 2014 (2014-02-12) (United States)
Running time
118 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$130 million[2][3]
Box office$242,688,965[4]

RoboCop is a 2014 American science fiction action film directed by José Padilha. It is a remake of the 1987 film of the same name and reboot of the RoboCop franchise. The film stars Joel Kinnaman in the title role, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Screen Gems first announced a remake in 2005, but it was halted one year later. Darren Aronofsky and David Self were originally assigned to direct and write the film, respectively, for a tentative 2010 release. The film was delayed numerous times, and Padilha signed on in 2011. In March 2012, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (successor company to Orion Pictures, the studio that released the original film) announced an August 2013 release, but that was then changed to February 2014. The principal characters were cast from March to July 2012. Principal photography began in September 2012 in Toronto[5] and Vancouver in Canada,[6] with additional locations in Hamilton, Ontario, and Detroit in the United States.

The film first premiered in Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan on January 30, 2014. It was later released in the United States on February 12, 2014. The film received mixed reviews, with praise towards the performances, updates, style and political/media satire, but criticism for the lack of violence, social satire and comparisons to the original film. RoboCop grossed $242 million at the box office worldwide, making it the highest grossing film in the RoboCop franchise.

Plot

In 2028, multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of military "robot soldier" technology, supplying the US Military with mechanical men that are deployed overseas. The Novak Element, hosted by popular political pundit Pat Novak (Samuel L. Jackson), presents a live demonstration of OmniCorp's drones operating in Tehran. When terrorists attack the proceedings, the drones efficiently dispatch them while protecting the soldiers and Novak's broadcast team, who are designated "Red Assets" by OmniCorp. OmniCorp CEO Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton) wishes to sell the drones for domestic use, but public opinion, embodied by the Dreyfus Act, prevents this. Sellars devises a plan to change public opinion by creating a product that is both man and machine. He tasks marketing executive Tom Pope (Jay Baruchel) and legal counsel Liz Kline (Jennifer Ehle) with finding a suitable candidate for a test subject, and recruits Omni Foundation prosthetics specialist Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman) to create the technology.

Police detective Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) and his partner, Jack Lewis (Michael K. Williams), attempt to arrest crime boss Antoine Vallon (Patrick Garrow), unaware that he has contacts inside the Detroit Police Department. When Vallon is found he is tipped off by his dirty cops and a gun fight ensues hospitalizing Lewis. As retaliation, the two said dirty cops nearly kill Alex with a car bomb, Norton chooses Alex for the program and, with consent from Alex's wife, Clara (Abbie Cornish), has him outfitted with the cybernetic body and software. Alex at first rejects his current condition upon seeing that all that is left of his original body are his heart, lungs, throat, head and right hand when the armor and cybernetic components are fully removed, but he is convinced by Norton to be strong for his wife and son. Rick Mattox (Jackie Earle Haley), OmniCorp's military tactician, is skeptical of Alex's abilities, saying he will never be as efficient as a fully mechanical robot. Alex proves this true by operating at a slower rate than the drone counterparts due to his natural hesitation when making judgements in the field. In order to improve performance, Norton tampers with his brain, making him believe that his tactical decisions are his own when he is actually executing programs.

While preparing for a public press conference, Alex is emotionally overwhelmed and has a seizure while Norton is uploading the police database (including video of his near death) information into his brain. Pressed for time, Norton alters Alex's brain chemistry, lowering his dopamine levels until he no longer displays any emotions. Under control, Alex attends the press conference, where he ignores his waiting wife and son, and efficiently apprehends a criminal in the crowd. Alex wins wide popular support, including from Novak, who approvingly dubs him "RoboCop." As Alex drastically reduces the crime rate in Detroit, public opinion on the Dreyfus Act begins to turn. Sellars pressures Norton to prevent Alex from seeing his wife and son.

Clara manages to confront her husband as he is leaving the station, telling him about his son, David (John Paul Ruttan), having nightmares. Alex leaves, but then overrides his programming by prioritizing solving his own case and detours from the current case to go to his house. He reviews the CCTV video of his accident and realizes that David saw his body and was traumatized. While watching the CCTV footage Alex overrides the programming in his brain and raises his dopamine levels back to normal, reviving his lost emotions towards his family. Alex pursues Vallon for revenge. When Alex arrives at his hideout, Vallon nearly succeeds in killing him but is fatally shot by Alex, who then discovers proof of the corrupt cops' involvement in Vallon's gun-running operation. He returns to the station and shoots one of the corrupt cops non-fatally by the way of quick draw and stuns the other while Lewis arrests them both. When Alex is about to arrest the Chief of Police, one of Vallon's contacts, Mattox shuts him down by remote control and has him taken back to OmniCorp.

Sellars decides to spin this turn of events to his advantage, via The Novak Element, with Novak thanking Alex for revealing the fallibility of the police before pointing out that drones are incorruptible. A repeal of the Dreyfus Act goes underway, with votes overwhelmingly in support of the repeal. Clara goes to the press and angrily demands to see her husband. Sellars, seeing Alex is no longer useful and fearing that the truth of what has been done to him will be exposed, orders Mattox to kill him, then lies to Clara and David by telling them Alex had a psychotic breakdown and died. Norton reaches the lab first and revives Alex, telling him everything. Alex, feeling betrayed, sets off to bring Sellars to justice.

Sellars has the OmniCorp building shut down and armed with ED-209 drones. Alex gains entry with the help of his former partner Lewis and other police officers, who help him escape the drones. Meanwhile, Sellars summons Clara and David to the helipad on the OmniCorp building's roof and tells them that Alex's organic body is dead, causing his mechanical components to malfunction and lead him on a rampage. Alex confronts Mattox but is unable to act due to Mattox's status as a Red Asset, however, Lewis intervenes and kills Mattox. On the roof, Alex finds Sellars waiting for a chopper with Clara, David, Pope and Kline. He attempts to place Sellars under arrest, but Sellars's own designation as a Red Asset causes him to begin shutting down. Sellars threatens Alex with a gun, but when he points the gun at Clara and David, Alex manages to override his programming and kill Sellars.

Sometime later, Norton rebuilds Alex in his original body. He reunites with Clara and David, and later returns to duty. The president vetoes the repeal of the Dreyfus Act, based on Norton's testimony of the crimes committed by OmniCorp, with parent company OCP placing the program under review. These events outrage Novak, who loses his temper and begins swearing on live television, revealing his loyalty to OmniCorp to his program's unseen audience.

Cast

Production

Development

"I wanted to make a film that is passed into the near future. Now the Aronofsky's script was going 3000 years in the future when humanity would have lost the notion of morality and the only place wherein could recover this concept was in the RoboCop program. It has nothing to do with what I wanted, so I did not even read the script."

—Padilha, on Darren Aronofsky's script.[8]

Sony Pictures (Screen Gems division) first announced that it was working on a new RoboCop film in late 2005; no further details were given. In November 2006, Bloody Disgusting reported that the RoboCop remake had been halted.[9]

In March 2008, RoboCop was mentioned in an MGM press release[10] regarding franchises it would be developing in the future. An MGM poster displayed at the Licensing International Expo of June 2008 read, "RoboCop coming 2010."[11] The studio met with Darren Aronofsky to discuss the possibility of him directing the film.[12] At the San Diego Comic-Con International 2008, Aronofsky was confirmed to direct the "2010 RoboCop" film, with David Self writing the script.[13] The release date was postponed to 2011.[14]

At the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2009, MGM representatives stated only that the film would be pushed back to Summer 2010 or a later date, due to scheduling conflicts with the director (most likely Aronofsky). MGM representatives would neither confirm nor deny if Aronofsky was still connected with the project.[15]

On January 5, 2010, it was reported that the RoboCop 2011 remake was indeed on hold and Darren Aronofsky was still attached to direct. When MGM executives, particularly MGM chairperson Mary Parent, saw the immense success of the James Cameron film Avatar, it was clear to the higher-ups that they wanted a 3D film for the new RoboCop. Due to the financial state of MGM at the time, without an owner,[clarification needed] and creative disagreements between the studio and Aronofsky, the film remained on hold.[16]

On March 2, 2011, it was announced that Brazilian director José Padilha was attached to direct, instead of Aronofsky, mainly because of his commercial success with Elite Squad and Elite Squad: The Enemy Within.[17]

On March 11, 2011, Sean O'Neal of The A.V. Club stated that up-and-coming screenwriter Joshua Zetumer would create the script. Although Zetumer had been involved with a number of canceled or otherwise stagnant projects, he had also worked on the screenplay for the blockbuster Quantum of Solace.[18]

Comparing the new work to the 1987 film, Padilha said in 2011, "the environment nowadays is different than the environment in the 80's and the way to explore the concept is different."[19]

It was announced in October 2013 that the film would get an IMAX release in February 2014.[20]

Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer distributed it in USA, Canada and worldwide with the exclusion of United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Pre-production

On April 12, 2011, rumors stated that MGM was looking at A-list stars such as Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, and Keanu Reeves to star in the lead role of Alex Murphy/RoboCop in the upcoming remake.[21]

On June 16, 2011, pictures of promotional art were released, as well as a sales sheet from the Licensing International Expo 2011 in Las Vegas, NV, promoting a future release of Robocop which would re-invent the franchise. The promotional material had sparse details of the film but clearly stated that MGM was targeting a 2013 release and José Padilha of Elite Squad and Bus 174 fame was confirmed as director of the film.

Michael Fassbender,[22] Matthias Schoenaerts,[23] and Russell Crowe[24] were considered to play the title role. On March 3, 2012, it was confirmed that actor Joel Kinnaman would be playing the lead role,[25] and on March 9, 2012, the film was given a release date of August 9, 2013.[26]

Hugh Laurie was set to play the role of the CEO of OmniCorp on June 13, 2012 [27] but he later declined.[28] Clive Owen was in the running to replace him until Michael Keaton was cast in the role in August 2012.[29]

Edward Norton, Sean Penn, Gael García Bernal and Rebecca Hall were initially considered for the roles of Dr. Dennett Norton, Novak, Jack Lewis and Clara Murphy, respectively.[30] The roles ended up being cast with Gary Oldman,[31] Samuel L. Jackson,[32] Michael K. Williams,[33] and Abbie Cornish.[34]

Jackie Earle Haley officially signed on in July 2012 to play a "military man named Mattox responsible for training Kinnaman's RoboCop".[35] Jay Baruchel was confirmed to have signed onto the film on July 25, 2012 as Pope, a marketing exec for the megacompany OmniCorp.[36]

Douglas Urbanski, cast as Mayor Durant, is typically a non-actor who is also the decades-long manager and producing partner of Gary Oldman.

Rob Bottin's original costume for the title character was reimagined. Initial reactions were unfavorable[37][38][39][40] and some compared it with Christian Bale's Batman suit in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight films.[37][41][42][43] News reports discussed the new costume's "bionic behind",[44] a "rather derivative" design which "looks more like kevlar body armor than Detroit steel".[45] The Guardian described the new RoboCop as "a crime-fighting machine who is not so much cyborg as skinny bloke in matte-black body armour." and said "The new Robosuit has a scaly, insectoid look to it, with a blacked-out visor rather than the original's steel extended helmet."[46]

Before starting filming, Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles revealed that Padilha called him to admit he was having "the worst experience of his life" and "for every ten ideas he has, nine are cut". Padilha, according to Meirelles, says, "It's hell here. The film will be good, but I have never suffered so much and I don't want to do it again".[47] However, Padilha talked enthusiastically about the project at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International and in his introduction to the second trailer.[citation needed]

Production began in September 2012.[48]

Filming

Filming took place in Toronto[49] and other parts of Ontario.[50] Shooting locations within the city included the University of Toronto where a scene was filmed that appeared to be RoboCop being unveiled to the city of Detroit.[51] Filming in Hamilton began on Monday, September 24, 2012 for five nights. Streets were closed for each of those days from 6pm to 7am. A spokesperson for MGM confirmed that the film was partially shot in Detroit.[52]

Music

Untitled

Pedro Bromfman, who collaborated with José Padilha on his Elite Squad films, composed the score.[53][54]

RoboCop (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)[55]
No.TitleArtistLength
1."Mattox and Reporters"Pedro Bromfman01:35
2."First Day"Pedro Bromfman03:23
3."Title Card"Pedro Bromfman and Basil Poledouris00:49
4."Restaurant Shootout"Pedro Bromfman02:47
5."Omnicorp"Pedro Bromfman01:40
6."Calling Home"Pedro Bromfman02:45
7."Made in China"Pedro Bromfman02:28
8."Fixing RoboCop"Pedro Bromfman01:56
9."Uploading Data"Pedro Bromfman01:35
10."Reputation on the Line"Pedro Bromfman01:31
11."Explosion"Pedro Bromfman01:05
12."RoboCop Presentation"Pedro Bromfman01:43
13."If I Had a Pulse"Pedro Bromfman02:41
14."Going After Jerry"Pedro Bromfman03:12
15."Vallon's Warehouse"Pedro Bromfman02:21
16."Murphy's Case is Filed"Pedro Bromfman01:19
17."They're Going to Kill Him"Pedro Bromfman03:16
18."Rooftop"Pedro Bromfman02:56
19."Mattox Is Down"Pedro Bromfman01:40
20."Clara and David"Pedro Bromfman02:56
21."Sellars Lies"Pedro Bromfman02:28
22."Code Red"Pedro Bromfman02:00
23."2.6 Billion"Pedro Bromfman01:23
24."Iran Inspection"Pedro Bromfman02:12
25."Battling Robots"Pedro Bromfman02:47
Total length:54:28

Release

Marketing

An Omnicorp website was set up in early 2012. A film-specific RoboCop site was launched nearer the release date.

A rough trailer and some film footage featuring Samuel L. Jackson's and Michael Keaton's characters was shown at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International. According to director José Padilha, the first theatrical trailer was supposed to debut with Elysium, but it was instead released online on September 5, 2013 and was attached to showings of Riddick. The trailer is now available on Apple's trailers website.[56] Two further trailers have also been released, one of which was uploaded to Yahoo! Movies with an introduction from Padilha, in which he said, "I'm thrilled to have had the chance to direct this movie... I'm a fan of the original movie because it was ahead of its time both aesthetically and thematically. Back in '87, it was talking already about automated violence — both in war and law enforcement. And now, we actually have that happening in our lives and it's going to be more and more present. So we already have the drones. Now we're going to have automated robots doing law enforcement and replacing soldiers in the battlefield. So we had a chance to make this movie and talk about this."

Two main film posters were released in late 2013, with one showing CTBA complex in Madrid. TV Spots were uploaded to Sony Pictures and StudioCanal UK's YouTube channels from January 2014.

A video game for Android and smartphones was released through the film's main website and App stores.

Jada Toys are releasing a range of action figures, including a radio control RoboCop on his Police Cruiser and roleplay merchandise including the new RoboCop helmet and chestplate. Two detailed figures from the film are due for release in April 2014 from Play Arts Kai. The company threezero is also creating two RoboCop figures and a camo-coloured ED-209.

Four one-shot comic tie-ins were published weekly starting from the week of theatrical release in the US. They will be collected in a trade paperback edition under the title RoboCop: The Human Element in June.

Home media

RoboCop was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 3, 2014 in the US.[57] Best Buy had an exclusive Metalpak edition, whilst the Target edition came with an exclusive digital download of the previously unreleased comic "Gauntlet". In the UK, an exclusive Amazon steelbook is available on June 9.

RoboCop Day

To conincide with the home media releases, Detroit celebrated with "RoboCop Day" on June 3, 2014 during which Robo was photographed throughout the city, with fans and threw the first pitch at the Detroit Tigers game.

Reception

Box office

On the film's opening day (a Wednesday) in the United States and Canada, it grossed $2,808,698 in 3,372 theaters, ranked #1 ahead of The Lego Movie, The Monuments Men and Ride Along.[58] It ranked #3 for its opening weekend, earning $21.5 million.[59] As of 11 May 2014, it has grossed $58,607,007 in North America and a further $184,081,958 internationally, for a total worldwide gross of $242,688,965.[4]

Critical response

RoboCop received mixed reviews. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 49% rating based on 188 reviews, with an average score of 5.6/10. The site's consensus states: "While it's far better than it could have been, José Padilha's RoboCop remake fails to offer a significant improvement over the original."[60] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average based on selected critic reviews, the film has a score of 52 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[61] CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend revealed the average grade cinemagoers gave the film was B+, on an A+ to F scale.[62]

"Every generation, apparently, gets the 'RoboCop' it deserves, or perhaps desires."

RoboCop received several comparisons to the 1987 film. Guy Lodge of Variety said that "it’s a less playful enterprise than the original, but meets the era's darker demands for action reboots with machine-tooled efficiency and a hint of soul."[64] Leslie Felperin from The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the remake "has a better cast, more meticulous script and, naturally, flashier effects, but it lacks the original's wit and subversive slipperiness."[65] Brian Viner from Daily Mail said that while he's "not predisposed to like this shiny new RoboCop for making me feel ancient, it does have an appealing vitality."[66] Andrew Osmond from SFX says, "It’s not a classic like Paul Verhoeven's 1987 original, but it is an excellent, intelligent SF drama", believing it is "one of the boldest Hollywood reboots we’ve seen yet."[67]

Chris Hewitt from Empire feels "there’s a sense that Padilha, or perhaps his corporate overlords, don’t really get what made the original so special."[68] Nigel Andrews from Financial Times thinks it is "a leaden, needless remake".[69] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it "a dumbed-down shoot-em-up frontloaded with elaborate but perfunctory new 'satirical' material in which the movie loses interest with breathtaking speed".[70] His fellow The Guardian film critic Mark Kermode disagreed, writing, "against the odds, this emerges as far less depressing fare than one might have expected, retaining the key elements of political satire and philosophical musings that powered Verhoeven's original" and "it appears to have been made by someone who understands what made the original great."[71]

References

  1. ^ "ROBOCOP (12A)". StudioCanal. British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  2. ^ Stu (February 6, 2014). "Movie Advisor: RoboCop". The New Daily. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  3. ^ "Know It All: RoboCop 2014". Stash Magazine. December 9, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2014. A whopping budget of $130 million has been tossed at the RoboCop 2014 production
  4. ^ a b "RoboCop (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  5. ^ "ROBOCOP Remake Set Image Reveals New Armor". Collider. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  6. ^ "RoboCop: set video with Gary Oldman". Vancity Filming. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
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