There are two groups of people who will go see the new Robocop reboot: those who have not seen the original, and are in for an action packed ride, and then those who have seen the original, and who will be treated to an updated take on the old story, a more serious look at the character, with some finesse for good measure.
Set in the year 2028, police officer Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is gunned down, and chosen by OmniCorp (a division of OCP) to be the first in a new line of robot, one with a human brain, one that can think and empathise.
There are way too many remakes, and reboots, that are being pushed out by the studios, and with those comes the inevitable comparison to the old. Does the new Robocop pull the reboot of successfully? it’s more serious, the effects have been updated, and there is more emotion. This film explore the family aspect of Murphy, his loss, as well as that of his family, and the sense of betrayal when fellow officers have become corrupt.
The characters are perfect cast to keep a feel for the original, plus there are several homages to the first part-man, part-police officer in carnation. Updated effects give us an adrenaline rush through chases and gunfights.
Robocop, an update to a classic, but which can just as well stand on it’s own as a fun filled look at where things may be in the near future.
Robocop opens 7 February 2013 in South Africa.