RoboCop (1987)

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writers:

Edward Neumeier (written by) &
Michael Miner (written by)

Release Date:

17 July 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Part man. Part machine. All cop. The future of law enforcement.

Plot:

In a dystopic & crime ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg with submerged memories haunting him.

Plot Keywords:

Looting | News | Business Executive | Privatization | Military Weapons

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Peter Weller	...	Officer Alex J. Murphy / RoboCop
Nancy Allen	...	Officer Anne Lewis
Dan O'Herlihy	...	The Old Man (as Daniel O'Herlihy)
Ronny Cox	...	Dick Jones
Kurtwood Smith	...	Clarence Boddicker
Miguel Ferrer	...	Bob Morton
Robert DoQui	...	Sergeant Warren Reed
Ray Wise	...	Leon Nash
Felton Perry	...	Johnson
Paul McCrane	...	Emil Antonowsky
Jesse D. Goins	...	Joe Cox (as Jesse Goins)
Del Zamora	...	Kaplan
Calvin Jung	...	Steve Minh
Rick Lieberman	...	Walker
Lee de Broux	...	Sal (as Lee DeBroux)

Runtime:

102 min | Finland:91 min (heavily cut) | Germany:78 min (cut version) | Norway:98 min (cut version) | USA:103 min (unrated director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Australia:R (DVD rating) | Spain:13 (DVD rating) | Germany:18 (re-release) (JK/SPIO) (uncut) | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) | Brazil:14 | Canada:18A (Ontario) (re-rating) (2004) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | USA:R (certificate #28646) | West Germany:18 (cut) (video premiere) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2004) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (re-rating) (2004) | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (also director's cut) | Germany:16 (cut version) | Finland:(Banned) (1987) | Portugal:M/16 | Malaysia:18SG | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1988) | Finland:K-15 (uncut) (DVD rating) | USA:X (original rating) | Italy:T | UK:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Australia:M (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:(Banned) | Iceland:16 (cut) | Ireland:18 (director's cut) | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M (video rating) | New Zealand:R18 (director's cut) | Norway:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | Singapore:M18 (director's cut) (uncut version)

Filming Locations:

Building One, Studios at Las Colinas - 6301 North O'Connor Road, Irving, Texas, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Paul Verhoeven]wildly gesticulating guy in the dance club immediately after Leon tries to kick RoboCop in the crotch.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The film is supposed to be set in Detroit, but during the chase seen where Murphy is following the bank robbers, Reunion Tower in Dallas is clearly visible. Reunion Tower is one of the most prominent features of the Dallas skyline.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Slimey Lawyer: Attempted murder? It's not like he killed someone.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Two Pints of Lager (And a Packet of Crisps): Jammy Dodgers (#3.8)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Show Me Your Spine

A brilliant mix of science fiction, action and satire that has yet to be topped.

Paul Verhoeven's career in recent years has been wildly uneven, but back in the 1980s he rocked! His movies 'Spetters', 'The Fourth Man' and 'Flesh & Blood' are all brilliant and worth tracking down. His next movie, his first Hollywood one, could have been a complete disaster. Verhoeven initially passed on it without reading the script and wasn't experienced in working with special effects or a fan of science fiction. Thankfully his wife insisted he make the picture and the end result was a triumph. Apparently this was a very tough shoot for all concerned but the bottom line is what is on screen, and it really works. Few movies if any have managed to juggle SF, action and grim satire in such an entertaining and original fashion. Verhoeven was blessed with an excellent script, a well chosen bunch of actors, and a great behind the scenes team, and added to his own vision 'RoboCop' turned out to be one of the best movies of the 1980s, whatever the genre. Peter Weller ('Buckaroo Banzai') pulls off a difficult job - making the audience care about a guy in a monster suit. Probably the best performance of its kind since Boris Karloff in James Whale's 'Frankenstein' back in the 1930s. Nancy Allen ('Dressed To Kill'), Kurtwood Smith ('12.01 PM'), Ronny Cox ('Deliverance'), Miguel Ferrer ('Twin Peaks'), and the rest of the supporting cast are all first rate, and everything about this movie is perfect. Verhoeven stumbled with his next movie 'Total Recall', and apart from 'Starship Troopers' has pretty much failed to fulfill his potential, but 'RoboCop' remains a classic SF/action movie and a fantastic way to end a great decade of work.