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.
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.