RoboCop 2 (1990) User Reviews

RoboCop-out.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 13 December 2010]

Whoever thought that Irvin Kershner (nice bloke/mediocre director) would be the right person to take over the reins of the Robocop franchise from Paul Verhoeven (enfant terrible/movie maverick) should be made to explain themselves to a malfunctioning ED-209 ("You have 20 seconds to justify your decision... 15 seconds... 10 seconds.... BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!"): although Kershner proved himself capable of putting together a slick, family-friendly sci-fi sequel with The Empire Strikes Back, he's clearly way out of his depth when dealing with the kind of gritty, über-violent, and wickedly satirical content that is second nature for Hollywood bad-boy Verhoeven.

As one might expect, there are lots of explosions, gunfire, bloody bullet hits, and special effects on show, but Kirshner plays it all way too safe, displaying none of the excess or imagination that made the first film such an incredible experience. When you factor in a surprisingly poor script from comic geek favourite Frank Miller, an uninspired performance from star Peter Weller that feels more like contractual obligation rather than a genuine yearning to reprise the role, a forgettable main bad guy in the form of Tom Noonan (with a bloody kid as his sidekick!), and some weak attempts at mimicking the original's wry humour, what you have is a sequel that just about satisfies on the most basic of levels (it's got guns and robots and Nancy Allen), but can only be seen as a disappointment when compared to its predecessor.

5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

Terrible reputation for a great film

[LSBeams · 18 July 1999]

I'm amazed at how bad this movie has gotten trashed over the years. The sequel to one of the best sci-fi movies ever, it was killed by critics and fans alike. I just don't understand why though.

In many ways Robocop 2 is better than its predecessor. For instance, the many subplots. We have the subplot involving Robocop getting put back together, the subplot of Robocop 2 itself, the subplot of whether or not Robocop is human or machine, the subplot of nuke/Cain and his thugs, and the subplot of overall power and corruption.

The mix of dark satire and graphic violence are once again showcased in Robocop 2 and in grander fashion. We get lots of jokes and lots of gore, mixed together flawlessly. All the performances are good. Peter Weller once again does a great job as Murphy, and Tom Noonan makes his Cain character a three-dimensional psychopath.

The score is much different from the score of the original. Instead of the dramatic/sad theme from Robocop, we get a much more heroic/dynamic theme from Robocop 2, and it works quite well with the movie.

Another thing I have got to comment on is the usage of stop motion. Once Cain is transformed into the monstrous Robocop 2 ( the title character ), we get an explosion of stop motion special effects that look fantastic! Stop motion doesn't get any better than this.

All in all, this is one of the best sequels of all time, but got a bad reputation because it was 'too violent'. Don't listen to some of the naysayers. Robocop 2 is a masterfully done film from the director of Empire Strikes Back and shouldn't be missed by any sci-fi buff out there. Check it out now on Widescreen for the DVD.

4 stars out of 4 ( reviewed by Scott Beams )

Better than its reputation

[sampath · 6/10 · 24 October 2000]

Making a sequel to Paul Verhoeven's exceptional Robocop was always going to be a losing game. But director Irvin Kershner's effort is not all bad, although its reputation suggests otherwise.

While it's not significantly more gory than the original, Robocop 2 turns out to be more cold-blooded and manipulative in its depiction of violence: simply put, Kershner fails to inject the comic edge to such scenes, which Verhoeven seems to manage quite regularly. On the plus side, however, there are some good action sequences & nice effects courtesy of Phil Tippet; and the scene where a dismembered Robocop is suspended in the lab, eyes twitching wildly, almost matches any scene in the first film in terms of poignant intensity.

Almost.

6/10

Still Quite Good

[Goldman_67754 · 7/10 · 7 May 2023]

Following the original Robocop movie, which is deservedly a classic, is a hard act to follow but I thought this film made a pretty good effort to do so.

The plot here is a bit more loosely defined - it mixes between a drug epidemic of "nuke", and also OCP's attempts to build a successor to Robocop. All of the same components are here but everything is a bit simpler, if anything. Robocop spent a good deal of the first movie grappling with his humanity, whereas other than a quick diversion at the start, this doesn't feature quite so much here. It's more of a straightforward fight with OCP's attempts to mess him up. The police are still straightforwardly the good guys here, the one exception is flagged up so heavily that it's impossible to miss. The memorable villain here is Cain, the dealer of the drug gangs distributing nuke, and I have to say I think his performance is massively underrated. His delusions of grandeur, weird philosophical statements and calm creepiness are really well done. His gang are straightforwardly loathsome, and you never feel much but contempt for Angie and Hob. OCP are more straightforwardly the villains here, and the Old Man (plus new character Dr Faxx) has moved much more towards being a straightforward supervillain. Johnson is perhaps the exception. He has become more Smithers-like, but as with the first film, he seems to be the one force for good in this film even if his motives are not pure, much like Bob Morton in the first film. The mayor of Detroit is an interesting nuanced character; he's a bit more like the OCP executives of the original as he considers ways to get the city out of the hole it's in.

The humour is still there, but it's much more in-your-face now. It is still genuinely funny, for instance when Robocop is reprogrammed by OCP, or OCP's early attempts at Robocop 2 (or the one-liners: "This could look bad for OCP Johnson!"), but there's not much subtlety there anymore. Neither is there with some aspects of the plot, and this is where it can sometimes start to feel a little too comic-book. Robocop's directives need resetting? No worries, he sorts that, somehow avoids damaging himself in the process and then functions as a policeman despite having no directives at all. Police in a long bitter strike? No worries, a quick talk from Robocop is enough to sort that out. Also, by this point, there is quite a lot of people standing in the open endlessly firing machineguns at quite obviously bulletproof entities, yet somehow not bothering to seek cover when they are fired back at. This is much the same as the original, but by now it's starting to get a bit old.

The violence this time somehow manages to not quite be so shocking. There is one sudden rather nasty scene somewhere in the middle, but otherwise, imagine most gunfights in movies you've seen of a police vs machines variety, and you'll get the idea. The plot does take a sudden and rather interesting twist about halfway through as OCP develop Robocop 2, and its own unpredictable behaviour is quite an interesting watch too, taking over as the ED209 equivalent from the original. The special effects still hold up pretty well. Overall, I think there is a bit to criticise about it, and it's not as good as the original, but this is still a pretty good sequel and worthy of the name Robocop. Recommended as a solid sequel.

Entertaining, decent sequel

[CrazyArty · 7/10 · 16 August 2021]

Enjoyable action film about the cyborg half human robot cop dealing with criminals in the future streets of Detroit.

Detroit is flooded with a new drug, Nuke, the police force are on strike, and the OCP Corporation continue their revolutionary robotics developments.

The special effects are looking a bit dated now with stop motion animation heavily used, but a decent plot and overall an entertaining movie, particularly for the time.

I think this deserves a higher rating on IMDB, reviewers just need to sit back, turn your brain to low and enjoy.

Entertaining but...

[Thanos_Alfie · 6/10 · 8 December 2021]

"RoboCop 2" is an Action - Sci-Fi movie and the sequel of "RoboCop", in which we watch Robocop returning to protect the citizens from an evil version of Robocop. He has to stop it as soon as possible because it's very dangerous and ruthless.

I have to admit that after watching the first "Robocop" movie I had high expectations from its sequel. Unfortunately, I believe that the sequel did not reach its potential but it was entertaining and of course watchable. The direction which was made by Irvin Kershner was good but not as good as Paul Verhoeven's in the first movie. He used very wisely some information from the first movie in order to connect them but he did not succeed on maintaining the interest of the audience after the first hour. The interpretations of both Peter Weller's who played as Robocop and Nancy Allen's who played as Anne Lewis were very good and for one more time their combination worked very well as in the first movie. Lastly, I have to say that "RoboCop 2" is an entertaining movie and I recommend you to watch it but I advise you to lower your standards before watching it if you have already watched the first movie of "Robocop".

Underrated sci-fi action flick - Defending an Underrated Sequel

[ivo-cobra8 · 8/10 · 12 April 2017]

Why does this film get's so much hate? Why do I keep hearing that Robocop 3 is better than this, that Robocop (2014) remake is better than this. I don't understand that and I never will. I mean is this good as the first film? no of course not, is it worthy sequel? yes it is! This is an entertaining action film yes. It R rated blast it is yes. I do wish that this movie would come out over the summer I do really miss this kind of action films. Robocop 3 and Robocop remake are not and will never be better than this sequel. I grew up watching this movie it defines my childhood. This was really my first film of the trilogy before I even watched the original. I was entertained in here we have RoboCop VS RoboCain monstrous robot who is addicted to drugs, has mass a machine guns annihilation people blowing up cop cars, killing cops, van's, ambulances. Killing news people, this big battle between Robocop and RoboCain fantastic.

RoboCop 2 (1990) is rated R! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR not PG-13 It Is violent, action gore adrenaline sci-fi flick not for kids. I am defending my favorite sequel that has Peter Weller and Nancy Allen in it! I don't wan't to see Robert John Burke or even Joel Kinnaman who suck dicks in the whole movies! I love this movie to death the end is the best at all. In this movie RoboCop jumps on a back of a monsters addicted robot, rips his brain out, smashes in to the ground to the pulp.

Plot: RoboCop 2 is the 1990 sequel to RoboCop. Peter Weller returns as the cybernetic law enforcement officer, who now battles an even more sadistic gang led by a deranged killer known as Cain (Tom Noonan), while mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products prepares to take private ownership of Detroit and unveil a new, more powerful law enforcement unit.

This is a prototypical "good" action movie -- intense, perfectly executed, original action, shown to the tune of a forgettable and occasionally insulting story.

I am giving an 8/10 -- an outstanding score. And the gunplay is delivered in perfect Miller style (as opposed to the slo-mo John Woo-style) -- you'll see lots of heavy automatic and explosive weapons, and you'll see them used well. The film is bloody you can see how the gang cut's Robocop to pieces and it is bloody. There was a kid Hob in the film and no he wasn't annoying, he did a good job playing the bad guy. Not annoying kid and I think he did a good job. Robocop shot a guy in the eye.

Nancy Allen as Lewis has much to do like she drives an armored SWAT van the one they used in Die Hard and smashes in to RoboCain, she shots three bad guys, she kicks ass. RoboCop saves a baby.

I don't mind the music score everyone complains about Leonard Rosenman and his music score. I know they should use Basil Poledouris music score but they used different music score and I never mind it, I thought it was an okay song.

The film was directed by Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back and Never Say Never Again) from a story written by noted graphic novelist Frank Miller. Irvin Kershner did an excellent job directing this sequel I know that Paul Verhoeven suppose to direct this movie but he never direct sequels before and he wasn't sure if he should do it, Hollywood needed a sequel so Irvin Kershner went to directing it. This is his last movie and it is really a shame he is no longer with us anymore R.I.P. Irvin Kershner.

They don't make movies like this one today! I wish I would had sci-fi action movies like are this one today!! I really wish! This is a solid damn sequel that has an action scenes while RoboCock (2014) has no action scenes they can't effort it, it is a PG-13 rated family film. I have this movie on Blu-ray screw Robocop 3 and the remake I will watch this movie. I love action movies this is an action movie that's how they do it right! Is Tom Noonan better bad guy than Kurtwood Smith no. But he does an excellent job as the evil bad guy and he is a cult leader.

I know Peter Weller and Nancy Allen were disappointed with how the movie come out and they don't care for this movie. But honestly it was a pretty damn good entertainment, I wasn't bored with it. I would be proud on this movie.

Rambo III (1988), Missing in Action (1984), Cobra (1986), Predator 2 (1990), Blade: Trinity (2004), The Matrix Revolutions (2003) are so fun underrated action films that are getting so much hate and bashed this days for it, that is horrible. I still love them all.

RoboCop 2 is a 1990 American cyberpunk action film directed by Irvin Kershner. Set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, it is the sequel to the 1987 film, RoboCop.

It's a good continuation of RoboCop story. There is nothing new here , but it's well executed. In the end it's one of those rare satisfying sequels. They do there own stuff they don't copy the original film just like Predator 2 they do their own stuff and i love that. Sue me I love RoboCop 2! I give it 8/10 it doesn't deserve the hate!

i thought it could have been so much better

[disdressed12 · 4/10 · 23 July 2007]

man this movie has it all,and i don't mane that In good way.i didn't think the acting was very good in this one.i also thought a lot of the humour in it was mean spirited.and don't get me started on the story.i just found it beyond the bounds of reality even for this type of movie.maybe this movie is supposed to be absurd.if so,it succeeded.the thing about the original is it had some heart and soul to it.i didn't see any of that in this one.Peter Weller and Nancy Allen are back for this one,and they try hard,i think,but they don't have too much to work with.on paper,this movie may have looked like it would work,but i think it lost something in the translation.where the first one managed to look like it had a budget of some sort,this one,looks low budget,and not in a good way.i'm sure it's hard to tell,when you're making a movie if it will work or not so i'll give the filmmakers the benefit of the doubt.by that,i mean they probably thought they were making a good movie.some people might like it,but i just found it tedious.having said that,this movie is nowhere near the worst movie i have ever seen.it could have been so much better true,but it could have been worse.so,i'll give "RoboCop 2" 4/10

Not as terrible as some make out, but still a disappointment.

[mentalcritic · 27 February 2001]

If you believe the video game that was made out of RoboCop, it was set in the same year that RoboCop 2 was released. RoboCop is simply one of the best films ever made, and it brought me much relief from a very sorrowful childhood. Which brings me to the point I am trying to make here: anything was going to be something of a letdown. Another rebuke I would like to make of other critics of this film lies with their complaint that the movie was too mean-spirited and had too much violence. Let me quote Paul Verhoeven's commentary about the original: "the whole style of the movie is 'too much'".

The real failing of this sequel lies in the story, which is full of threads that are either resolved badly (the attempt to reprogram RoboCop with new directives) or not resolved at all (RoboCop's memories of his wife). Considering that not a single second in the original was wasted when it came to drawing the viewer into the hero's mind or building some emotional connection, the lack of sympathy one feels with even Lewis or the Sergeant is worrying. Then there's the villian. A film with a superhero, like Robocop or the Bond series, is only as effective as its main villian. Cain is not an effective villian, and gets very little development in the bargain, the exact opposite of the situation with Clarence Boddicker in the original.

The mock commercials are something of a hit and miss affair. The OCP Communications commercial was hilarious, but the Sunblock 5000 commercial was just plain tasteless. The use of children in RoboCop 2 also counts against it. There were no children in the original, reflecting the fact that the film just wasn't made with children in mind. The use of children in RoboCop 2 smacks of a cheap attempt to appeal to the children who are allowed by their parents or whomever to see the film. It doesn't work because the writers are trying to transplant adult dialogue into a child's mouth. Similarly, the attempt to transplant the manner in which the Christian Coalition think children talk into Robocop fails.

All in all, RoboCop 2 is a passable sequel, but it pales in comparison to the harsh perfection that is the original. Give it a chance because it does have some entertainment value.

Doesn't Measure Up.

[refinedsugar · 6/10 · 14 March 2001]

Okay now we're just being fed formula and who could blame them after the critical and financial business the original Robocop did. This sequel (beyond letting us know the people behind these movies are obviously trying to make a working franchise) tells us how hard it is to duplicate success on those rare instances where a science fiction movie breaks the mold and follow it up with something just as good or better. It's a weird trait that many sequels to successful movies succumb to. Then again when the original does so many things right - some level of disappointment or failings seem almost guaranteed. Dreary atmosphere. A workable story. Sprinkles of dark humor, satisfying action pieces and some real emotion. The original had it all. It'd be a fantasy to think we were going to get this and more in a sequel.

We don't.

This outing finds less of the dark humor and Murphy's humanity as he's tasked with going up against a new underground drug taking over New Detroit. Of course, things will come to a violent head and once again it will be Robocop's prime directive to make things right. Tom Noonan who stars as the main villain perhaps sums up the best and the worse going on here. A good actor can take an underwritten part farther than it was supposed to go, but only so far. Hence a key problem. Like most drug barons in movie land - the one he plays is paranoid and prone to violence. Which means the pursuit of cliché set pieces and scenarios like an obvious showdown between him and Robocop before the end (in some form). What maybe you don't expect is half-way through the main villain becomes a 14 year old boy.

The premise is simple enough. Robocop battles the war on drugs. Meanwhile OCP continues to act like the horrible corporation it is. A faceless mega conglomerate built on greed. Peter Weller reprises as Robocop. Nancy Allen is again along for the ride as his partner. Those things haven't changed.

Robocop 2 ends up not being a horrible outing. It is still entertaining and in due part to memories established by the original, but give me back more of the dark tone. Give me less throwaway action scenes, 14-year old boy villains and mediocre stop motion effects.

Sequel, upgrade and rival!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 29 August 2018]

"Robocop 2" belongs in the same list as "Psycho II", "Hellbound: Hellraiser II", "Prom Night II: Hello Mary Lou", "Exorcist II: The Heretic", "The Howling II" and perhaps a handful of other titles that I'm momentarily forgetting. What defines this list, apart from the obvious fact they are all sequels? They are all criminally underrated and underestimated sequels that at least tried something different rather than simply cashing in further on the known and proven-to-be-successful formulas of the original. Films like these generally receive low ratings and negative reviews, not necessarily because they are inferior, but mainly because the people weren't expecting innovative plot aspects or sudden changes in tone or atmosphere. "Robocop 2" was written by none other than Frank Miller, the genius behind "Sin City", so you know that the comic book style violence and twisted humor will be even more extreme than in the original (and Verhoeven's original already was extremely violent and quite twisted)! Add to this the sublime skills of the director who made what is, to date, still the darkest and greatest episode of the "Star Wars" franchise, and you've got yourself a derailed and uncompromising popcorn action-flick! Miller's script doesn't avoid any taboos, and includes megalomaniac villains, the glorification of drug abuse, large-scaled corruption and underaged criminal offenders. Detroit looks like an even bigger asphalt wasteland than before and the privatizing of the police by OCP (Omni Consumer Products) continues to lead to strikes and anarchy. Officer Alex Murphy, aka Robocop, is the last reliable law enforcer, but his inventors at OCP have different plans. The title of the film doesn't only refer to the fact it's a sequel, "Robocop 2" is also supposed to be an upgraded version of the first half man/half machine policeman that was "Robocop". However, the crazy lady at OCP decided to use the brain and spinal course of psychopathic drug-lord and killer Cain for her test model, so he quickly turns out to be a more destructive killing machine than all the criminal organizations in Detroit combined. There are a whole lot of things in "Robocop 2" that don't make the slightest bit of sense, but at least it's insanely entertaining and fast-paced. Tom Noonan's performance as Cain is fabulously over-the-top, and his gang contains the meanest and most badass 14-year-old of the 80s/90s era. The shootouts are nasty and explicit, and a few scenes that come to mind are definitely not suitable for people with a faint stomach.

Terrible

[LuboLarsson · 3/10 · 29 May 2007]

I recently picked up all three Robocop films in one box set, rather cheaply and the only reason I did this was for the special edition of the superb first one. I have seen Robocop 2 before but not for 17 years, the year it came out. I have never watched it since because I can still remember how disappointed I was when I discovered how appalling it really is. Its a complete mess really, it has all the signs of a troubled production with so many sub-plots going on at the same time. It has a very uneven tone also and it is also one of the nastiest films I have ever seen. I don't mind a little violence, the first one was incredibly violent but this one is just plain nasty. Also the SFX is terrible even for 1990, say hello to bad stop motion. Also having a drug dealing, cursing kid as a villain is just a little too much. Peter Weller at least had the common sense not to return for the next one. The only positive thing I can say for this film is it does have a couple of nice gags, like the thank you for not smoking one and the kiddie baseball team robbing an electrics store. To quote the kid who plays the villain "It sucks"

A very good action comedy

[karamolegos_george · 7/10 · 14 October 2021]

Seriously i don't know if it's intended but it's actually kinda funny.

Goody ads,a 12old master criminal and in general many funny bits.

Nothing like the epic first part though.

Still gory and bloody.

Brainless sequel but it revels in it's own silliness and is almost as enjoyable as it's predecessor

[Coffee_in_the_Clink · 6/10 · 27 January 2020]

Three years after Paul Verhoeven's "Robocop" exploded on to the scene, it's inevitable sequel followed, to be directed by none other than the man who directed "The Empire Strikes Back" and written by Batman comic book legend Frank Miller. With a pairing like that you would expect greatness; but what you get is B-grade carnage and a plot line that is so thin that it is forced to jack up the dark humor and gore elements in an attempt to emulate it's predecessor. Terrible, really, but it is very enjoyable and not at all as bad as it's reputation suggests.

Detroit City is in turmoil. OCP are working hard to build their megacity at the expense of the people of Detroit. The police are on strike and a new lethal narcotic called Nuke has hit the streets. Robocop has his work cut out for him, as he must battle the drug gang led by the Charlie Manson-esque Cain and navigate the politics of the precinct, all while OCP consider him a threat and look to reprogramme him.

The most memorable thing about this outing for me will be the dark humor that is as strong here as in the first film. The satirical TV adverts are brilliant and there's some brilliant on-liners. I didn't think it was as violent or gruesome as the first film. Overall, it is enjoyable for what it is, but considering the talent that was behind it I can't help but wonder at the potential it had and how it should have been as good, if not better, than it's brilliant predecessor.

It doesn't get much worse than this. . .

[Alan One · 1/10 · 3 December 1999]

Robocop 2 sure looks good on paper: Irvin Kershner directing, whose Empire Strikes Back gets as many votes as the others for best in the Star Wars series, and Frank Miller writing, the comic book writer/artist whose Batman revisions sparked a renaissance in the genre in the late 1980s. Additionally, both are working from the surprisingly entertaining premise of the original Robocop, in which a deceased cop is resurrected as a law-and-order killing machine with identity problems.

The sequel is all but unrecognizable, with hardly two enjoyable minutes to be found in the entirity of this gritty, spiteful film. The plot is something about drugs, pre-pubescent crime lords, and a brain transplant into a giant killer robot, but none of it is very memorable. The original was full of hammy acting and over-the-top action, but dipped into realism (the threatened police strike, Robocop's ghostly memories of his former life) enough to keep it grounded. The striking police officers in the sequel are little more than cardboard cut-outs, and a scene were Robo confronts his "wife" is executed so lamely as to be downright insulting.

Things look up when PR-minded execs decide to reprogram Robo with more PC directives and he winds up taking potshots at smokers. It's a nice 30 seconds, but the resolution (Robo sticks a high-voltage cable down his chassis) is so simple-minded that he might as well have erased our memory along with his. Movies like this give sequels a bad name.

Robocop 2

[WeAreLive · 7/10 · 5 August 2022]

RoboCop returns to protect the citizens of old Detroit but faces a deadly challenge when a rogue OCP member secretly creates a new, evil RoboCop 2.

While film was kind of an unnecessary sequel since the first film didn't set anything up.

However, the film does have a few good moments here and there. On top of that it's not the worst out there.

"RoboCop"-out...

[Mister-6 · 1/10 · 6 February 2000]

It's a shame that they didn't trust the original enough to build on it.

But "RoboCop 2" takes the great ideas, imagination and characters of the original and replaces them with all the stereotypes that sequels have to offer.

The beginning commercial was cute and so was the scene that follows (reminiscent of the beginning in "Guys and Dolls"!) but aside from a flash of thought here and there, this is one film that is a slow, dirty slog down into the middle of nowhere.

Ideas are introduced then dropped, interesting characters from the original hardly get any screen time here, most of the new characters (Cain, Juliette Faxx) are so boring that they wouldn't hold up no matter what the movie, and then there's the tone.

In the Blessed Original, Paul Verhoeven knew how to direct with the kind of attitude where if you cranked up the attitude and the sensibility of a good pulp comic, even the most repellent violence would be entertaining. Kershner (although he DID direct a "Star Wars" sequel) doesn't. And scene after scene either makes you cringe, look away or just tune it out altogether.

And what's with RoboCop?? HE should be the main thing here, right? But there's whole scenes where he doesn't even show up, and what scenes he is in are so half-thought and shakily written that you don't know or care if he's part-human or part-cyborg - since he's all-boring.

Never have I seen such a rapid fall from grace. Why does Hollywood make such bad sequels? On purpose? Why; did the film-makers have a bet going?

Only one star for "RoboCop 2"; the FX are good but the story doesn't even try to match them.

Decent Sequel

[fatfreddyscat · 15 October 2002]

I don't know why this sequel has such a bad rep, it's certainly better than "Robocop 3" (which has its moments, but is still sub-par in many ways), or the syndicated television series. How can you go wrong with a script by Frank Miller (comic book writer/artist responsible for "The Dark Knight Returns" and many years on Marvel's "Daredevil") and the director of "The Empire Strikes Back?" In my book, "R2" picks up exactly where the original left off, with more action, better character development, and maintains the sly sense of humor of the first film. Some of the stop-motion special effects look a little aged now (at least on my VHS copy; I haven't upgraded this one to DVD yet) but if you can get past that "R2" is enjoyable for action freaks.

Funny... But not as good as the first

[CRASH MAN · 6/10 · 2 December 1999]

Anyone who loved the first robocop and that are huge action fans (like myself)will love some of the movie. It is average at best. The most redeemable part of robocop 2 is how funny it is. But if ain't in the mood to laugh don't waste your time.

Not as good as the original but still worth a look

[andyajoflaherty · 7/10 · 16 November 2023]

RoboCop 2 follows RoboCop as he attempts to tackle the growing threat of the drug 'Nuke' on the streets of Detroit, along with the mysterious drug lord Cane, who is pushing its distribution. Alongside that we also have the mega company OCP, who are attempting to privatise the city, and to do this they decide to make a new RoboCop to earn public trust. Thing is, all the attempts fail... until OCP's Dr Faxx decides the best person to use in the project is none other than Cane himself...

This follow up to the amazing RoboCop didn't sit too well with critics at the time, but I enjoyed it. It maintains the gritty atmosphere of it's predecessor, along with some of the satirical comedy. The new RoboCop is a formiddable foe... and bizarre child psychopaths aside the film manages to entertain with some pretty good action scenes and decent effects. The only issues really are that in many ways it feels like a retread of the first film, and there is barely any delving into RoboCop's human side - aside from a strange scene where he stalks the Murphy family home... but then that doesn't really amount to anything. There is also a section where RoboCop becomes reprogrammed into a pacifist, that is frankly hilarious. Overall it's a decent film and worth a look, but it's not as good as the original.

Bring on the 80s trash movies!

[Torrevado · 1/10 · 24 June 2007]

Isn't it wonderful when idiots have money? Damn, I haven't something as bad as this in a long time! The camera work is shaky, close range shots, like in TV movies, no story, dialogs that don't ring true, car chases at 30 km/h. Plus there is a clumsy robot cop, 50 million in a truck with $ signs on the bag and 10 year old kingpins. When someone is shot (even children), they show blood everywhere. The cast is plain horrible, Peter Weller does the best job of them all, but he plays a robot. Ronny Cox decided not to participate in this in hope to salvage his career. After seeing Robocop 2 I actually regret giving Seagal movies 1 star ratings...

Underrated Sadistic Sequel

[Aylmer · 7/10 · 17 July 2014]

Obviously inferior to the first ROBOCOP in just about every way, this imaginatively titled sequel at least has the benefit of not having to waste a lot of time setting up the concept and gets right down to business right away. While Verhoeven's ironic and darkly comedic over- the-top touch is largely absent, the level of bleakness and icky unpleasantness manages to surpass the original.

PRO'S:

There's a lot more action and unpredictability than in the original, which was tighter and moved faster but let's face it, felt more formulaic.

Dark seedy atmosphere brilliantly set up in the opening scene and it never lets up. This time there's drugs and corrupt cops in addition to the usual corporate extortion and anarchy as featured in the first movie.

This film features some of the best stop-motion animation I've ever seen and there's a lot of it, beating out even the works of Ray Harryhausen, David Allen, and Jim Danforth. I'm shocked that none were involved with this film. Much like in the original, it's difficult in many scenes to tell what's practical and what's matted in. It makes one wonder what stop-motion could look like now had the movie studios stuck with honing the craft rather than abandoning it in favor of much-cheaper CGI.

The fake commercials and newscasts are just as good as in the original, keeping things moving along briskly and with the right dose of dark comedy here and there. They even nicely tie in with the main plot more- so than in the original.

Most of the surviving original cast returns.

Oddly enough I liked Leonard Rosenmann's score almost as much as Basil Poledouris's music in the original. I'm not sure why they decided to go with a new direction with the music, and at times it sounds a little too much like STAR TREK IV, but overall I'd say it fits very well.

CONS:

As intentionally grim as the film is, it's just not very "fun". There's a lot of nasty scenes such as when a policeman is tortured by a deranged surgeon and a brain transplantation scene which is needlessly protracted. I feel they misunderstood Verhoeven's intentions in the original to make things like a comic book and just figured lots of violence and unpleasantness was the same thing.

The writing and characterizations are much less compelling than in the original. Murphy and Louis are given very little interesting to do, leaving it to the villains to carry the show. This feels exacerbated by the overall much lower-quality performances. The goofball playing the mayor really just didn't fit with everything else in the movie.

The level of realism is quite lacking asking us to believe that a well- organized gang would defer to a 12-year-old kid. I'd almost call it fun social commentary, but in this regard the film takes itself oddly seriously. A lot feels missing here, with a lot of established villains just disappearing rather than being killed off.

Generally there's a just a lack of imagination all-round. We learn nothing new about Robocop (outside of that he's willing to turn away from his old family) and don't really get to see him enough. The film seems to react more to the original film rather than add to its canon.

Bottom Line:

All-in-all though I'd call this film fairly successful. It's hampered by a lack of creativity and intelligence but gives us more Robocop doing his thing. At least it's nowhere nearly as insulting as "3" or the remake.

Wasted Potential

[BWells · 3/10 · 17 July 2000]

I was barely 20 years old when I first saw this movie, and I had high hopes. I had heard that the near-legendary Frank Miller had his hands in the script. I knew Peter Weller was coming back as Alex Murphy. I knew Irvin Kirshner had done a great job on The Empire Strikes Back. How could I lose? Sadly, I received my answer in no uncertain terms.

This film broke Straczynski's Law of Tolerable Dramatic Sci-Fi ("No kids or cute robots" -- references include Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, STNG, and more) long before it had even been defined. This film took a gold mine of a subplot (Murphy stalks his own wife) and took it at top speed into nowhere. This film took potentially great satire material (the "War On Drugs", the myriad of additional "directives" installed by Doctor Faxx, the additional candidates for cybernetic conversion) and didn't do much that was funny with it. I remember feeling sorry for both Peter Weller and Nancy Allen, both of whom gave heroic efforts trying to wring decent performances out of the final script, but you know what they say about blood from a stone...

IMDB Vote = 4

Brian Wells

What happened?

[samuraifa451 · 5/10 · 4 December 2007]

The first film was so good I couldn't help myself but to try and watch the sequel. My dad showed me a couple clips of the film on t.v. when I was a kid and I really had high hopes for this film. But unfortunately, I was greeted with a bunch of unneeded, unnecessary, brutal graphic storyline with a sad excuse for a storyline that might as well been three words: Bang, Bang, Bang. That isn't to say there isn't some fun to be had with this movie. The film tries very hard to be as action-packed as the original which it successfully achieves but unfortunately it's just so pointless that you grow irritated by it and begin to feel dirty from watching it. The visual effects are also a good factor for this film, it has extremely well done animation (Both stop-motion and surprisingly, a very early CGI that looks great for a 90's film). Nevertheless Robocop 2 isn't worth your time, just watch the original and stop.

Much better than I remembered.

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 25 January 2018]

Irvin Kershner, who also directed probably the best Star Wars film "The Empire Strikes Back", does homage to Verhoeven's directorial style in this first sequel. Apparently Frank Miller wrote the original script, but Kershner didn't use much of it, but Miller hung around anyway.

We see many of the original actors return, especially in the OCP offices. The Newsbreak anchors. Also, many new faces. Who cast this? It is a veritable assembly of character actors who had been in "Star Trek: The Next Generation". The Kid from the opening Robo Drug Bust scene, "Hob" (Gabriel Damon) who taunts Robo, played opposite Michael Dorn in "The Bonding". Mark Rolston who was also in 'Aliens", was in "Eye of the Beholder" and also one episode of Star Trek Continues. Stephen Lee "Duffy" was the target of an Alien Assasin in "The Vengeance Factor". Jeff McCarthy was "Roga Danar", a supersoldier who Troi befriends. Maybe there are more TNG Alumni. Most likely, these are the actors Central Casting used back in 1990 when this was made, and we can virtually date when a film of series was made simply by the guest stars and extras.

Tom Noonan, from "Manhunter", is "Cain", a guy who makes Dope that makes Dope look like a weenie roast, and he's nasty. Noonan always plays great crooks, and he eventually becomes something worse for the final act of this film.

But what boggles me is that as sequels go, this isn't that bad, although not quite as good as the original. From the start is has some of the same elements that made RoboCop great. But you never know what's going to be a hit or not. This film has much of the look and feel of RoboCop, but for some reason it didn't go over. Of course there are plenty of problems and weak spots, but it is interesting to watch this in relation to the Original RoboCop and the reboot RoboCop from 2014.

Again, most of this was practical effects, but in 1990 some primitive CGI was used here. If you don't get caught up in the problems with this film, it does become part of the 3-film Robo story, concluded in Robo 3 with a different actor than Weller.