Film Talk: Looking Back – Cyberpunk splendour with RoboCop

Directed by Paul Verhoeven, 1987’s RoboCop reset the bar for dystopian sci-fi and cyberpunk splendour. Written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner, this iconic flick stars Peter Weller in the title role, along with Nancy Allen, Daniel O’Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferrer.

Set in the near future, action takes place against the backdrop of a crime-ridden Detroit, where only a combination of man and machine can uphold the law.

Neumeier conceived the idea behind RoboCop while working on the set of another seminal sci-fi film – a lovely little project known as Blade Runner. Having partnered with Miner to develop the idea further, the duo created a script which was purchased in early 1985 by producer Jon Davison on behalf of Orion Pictures.

However, finding a director to lead the project proved tricky. Reportedly, Verhoeven in fact dismissed the script twice (only reading the first few pages) due to his belief that RoboCop was simply another dumb action flick. It was only when his wife (who read the entire script) illuminated its satirical undertones to him that he finally agreed to take it on.

Filming took place across late summer/early autumn 1986, with Rob Bottin leading the special-effects crew in creating the film’s signature gory content.

Neumeier’s vision had been committed to the reel, and was ready for the world to enjoy. But would audiences do just that, or would the flick’s dark and grisly tone prove a bit too much for mainstream viewers?

In an almost apocalyptic Detroit, Omni Consumer Products (OCP) seeks to eradicate crime in the streets, paving the way for Detroit to be rebuilt in the utopian form of Delta City. As OCP Vice President Dick Jones (Cox) is publicly embarrassed with a failed demonstration of his robotic solution to the city’s crime epidemic, fellow scheming executive Bob Morton (Ferrer) takes the opportunity to pitch his own solution – a cyborg with all the resilience of a machine, but the instinct of a human cop.

Meanwhile, officers Alex Murphy (Weller) and Anne Lewis (Allen) are in pursuit of a gang led by notorious cop-killer Clarence Boddicker (Smith). In the resulting showdown, Murphy is brutally and critically wounded, and all appears lost for the dynamic cop.

However, Murphy is about to be given a chance at vengeance, when his bloodied and broken form is selected for the prototype of Morton’s project.

With the memories of his previous life suppressed, as RoboCop, Murphy can clean up the streets without distraction as a bona fide law enforcement machine. But as his memories begin to resurface, will he become compromised? And in his operation to rid Detroit of nefarious, criminal scum, are his real enemies a lot closer to home than first thought?

Due to its title and the somewhat ‘toy town’ image it conveyed, RoboCop proved difficult to market as a film that was most definitely aimed at adults. However, the flick was well-received during early critic screenings of an incomplete and un-rated version.

Through this and word of mouth, producers hoped it would do well. It did not disappoint.

Upon its release, RoboCop was a financial success, earning $53.4 million. Critics joined in hailing the flick as a clever action movie incorporating deeper philosophical messages and satire, however they were more conflicted over the extreme violence that was its bedmate from start to finish.

They had in fact seen a version of RoboCop that was more watered down in this respect than its director had intended. During production, Verhoeven had emphasised the film’s violence. Even so, censors believed it was too extreme, and several scenes were shortened or modified. Generally well-praised however, the film was nominated for several awards, and received a Special Achievement Award for Sound Effects Editing at the 1988 Academy Awards.

Its success spawned a franchise comprising two direct sequels, along with a children’s animated series, multiple live-action TV shows, and a 2014 reboot. While this was a decent enough effort, it never stood much chance of replicating the spirit of the original, and will doubtlessly never enjoy the cult status that will keep 1987’s RoboCop on the altar of science fiction cinema.