Robocop (2014) Trailer Released

[Broomstick]

And why don't they have the newly revived Murphy in a murderbot secured with heavy restraints when they tell him "That's not a suit, that's you"?

Uh... maybe because Murphy is not a murderous thug?

If I woke up and found my limbs replaced with prostheses I'd probably have a LOT of emotions and impulses but "kill-kill-kill" would be nowhere near the top of the list. I mean, when I pick up a gun my first impulse isn't to shoot something, it's to make sure it's pointed so it won't hurt anyone.

[Batman]

Not to mention that even from the trailer, it's pretty clear that at least initially, Murphy is not the one ultimately in control of his new body, his programming is supposed to be, so maybe they assumed there was no need to restrain him given they could shut him down with a few keystrokes?

[tezunegari]

And why don't they have the newly revived Murphy in a murderbot secured with heavy restraints when they tell him "That's not a suit, that's you"?

Uh... maybe because Murphy is not a murderous thug?

If I woke up and found my limbs replaced with prostheses I'd probably have a LOT of emotions and impulses but "kill-kill-kill" would be nowhere near the top of the list. I mean, when I pick up a gun my first impulse isn't to shoot something, it's to make sure it's pointed so it won't hurt anyone.

Bad choice of words on my part.

He isn't a murderous thug, but the body he has now seems to be based on the ground warfare drones shown around 1:20. At least the later black design seems to indicate that.

But that doesn't change the fact that he is essentially a prototype of a human grafted into a maschine body.
Even if there were heavy protection inside the body's OS against the human mind going AWOL I wouldn't take the chance upon first activation. At least deactivate the motory functions for the first day of Murphy waking up.

I think in the broadest of terms it's comparable to Marcus Wright of Terminator: Salvation finding out he is a cyborg, just that he was bound with heavy chains and held above a hole in the ground. He was unable to harm anyone until he had time to accept the situation.

Murphy instead is woken up and immediately able to move, scene change to a full frontal view, scene change to him grabbing the scientists throat and activates his visor.
"What the hell did you do to me?" in his voice is played during that latter scene.

---

I called the new body 'murderbot' because the cyborg body is supposed to simulate free will for Murphy's mind during combat.
If someone were to reprogram the body, he might be used as a weapon to kill someone and actually think he choose to it.
I just forgot to explain that point.

[Batman]

Um-the later black design indicates that he was painted black. This has, what, exactly to to with the limitations/capabilities of his robot body and the software governing it? The freaking trailer says painting him black was an afterthought.
Murphy grabbing that scientist by the throat might simply have been the result of the person with the off switch being slow on the uptake. Besides, if we go by the old movies, OCP doesn't exactly have a spotless record WRT the behaviour of their RoboCop prototypes to begin with

[Mr. G]

It's probably going to be an average action movie. PG-13 or R doesn't really matter that much given that it is obviously something without any real creativity behind it (they are just recycling another franchise).

[Sinewmire]

As far as car bomb vs gangland execution...so what? If I wanted to watch the original Robocop, I'd watch the original Robocop. This is a reboot, so I don't care if they change up the story

Exactly. Like a cover of a song, there's not much point making an identical copy. Do something different with the material!

It will probably suck of course, but that's what you get for latching a beloved franchise onto your own fallible ideas.

[Jub]

As far as car bomb vs gangland execution...so what? If I wanted to watch the original Robocop, I'd watch the original Robocop. This is a reboot, so I don't care if they change up the story

Exactly. Like a cover of a song, there's not much point making an identical copy. Do something different with the material!

It will probably suck of course, but that's what you get for latching a beloved franchise onto your own fallible ideas.

Except that most good covers don't change the words wholesale, they change the key, the cadence, the tone of a previous work, but (aside from a small tweak here and there) they don't totally change the song. This is Robocop only at the basest blandest level and you know it's going to be a shitty by committee action flick with no balls.

[Batman]

At least at this point we don't know that. Given Hollywood's track record it's depressingly likely but with only this trailer to go by I think it's too early to call it either way. So far I vote insufficient data, and I do rather like the Robocop visuals (other than his right hand being flesh, that just looks wrong somehow).

[fgalkin]

For comparison.

Yeah, I am still not impressed with the new one.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[mr friendly guy]

Sure, there may be social commentary in this one but the trailer does nothing to demonstrate it.

It looks like they are more interested in talking about the theme about human being's relationship with technology, ie how independent are we without our machines?

[Borgholio]

For comparison.

Yeah, I am still not impressed with the new one.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Funny how they used the theme from Terminator. I remember the actual Robocop theme being quite a good one too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmEw9O-bajE

[Havok]

Both trailers voice over crime as a cancer. Both trailers talk about cutting edge technology. Both trailers show Robocop turning against his controllers and their agenda. Both trailers show social and economical issues at the heart of whats wrong. Both trailers show Murphy trying to reconnect with his humanity.

But the new one sucks because OMG MURPHY WAS GUNNED DOWN IN THE ORIGINAL!!

I'll take my chances with Micheal Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson and Gary Fucking Oldman than the list of B and C list actors and Red in the original.

[DaveJB]

While there's nothing fundamentally wrong with going with a car bombing instead of being shot into bloody chunks, the way it's executed (at least, if the trailer's anything to go by; it may be better in the actual film) just seems really bland. In the original film the way Murphy met his demise both horrified you and made you want him to get his own back on the bastards who did it to him. In contrast, seeing the trailer just now made me think "Oh, he got blown up. That kind of sucks, I guess."

Still, regardless of how the film turns out, it looks as if the makers of this one at least understand the difference between "family friendly" and "fucking ridiculous." Unlike, say, the makers of RoboCop 3.

[The Cooler King]

When I was in high school (LOOONG ago), I started working on a comic strip for the school paper. It was going to be about a police officer who was gunned down in the line of duty, but a corporation took his brain and transplanted it into a robotic body. I had done several strips when my grandfather took me out to see Robocop.

When I got home, I threw my comic strip out. The movie had done such an amazing job of conveying everything I wanted to do (and more), that anything I drew would pale in comparison. It very quickly became one of my favorite movies of all time, fir the hyperviolence, the grubby cyberpunk aesthetic, and the often hilarious dialogue and social satire.

That said, this looks interesting to me. It looks like a different take on the same (VERY basic) concept. I still dislike the new look for Robo, but there's enough different here to make it more of a reimagining than a remake. The social satire aspect doesn't appear much in the trailer, but that doesn't mean it won't be there. Samuel L. Jackson as a media personality? That practically SCREAMS satire to me, so I'll give this one a chance.

[Borgholio]

I think the main draw for me is the updated look / feel of Robocop. He's far more sleek and agile than in '87. I know this is mainly due to advances in CGI and studio robotics, but it still looks neat.

[Broomstick]

Yeah, poor Peter Weller had to wear an actual rubber suit, this guy can wear a mo-cap bodysuit and have the bulky stuff CGI'd in post.

[SAMAS]

For comparison.

Yeah, I am still not impressed with the new one.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Hey, where's the social commentary?

[fgalkin]

http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-signs-new ... -terrible/

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Zaune]

You know, I get the impression that Omnicorp aren't any less evil, just better at public relations. Notice the whole "illusion of free will" thing? They've fucked him over just as badly as in the original continuity, they're just being smarter and more subtle about it.

And I love the part where someone shows Gary Oldman's character a concept almost identical to the original Robocop and he tells them to make it "more tacticool". That's hilarious on a meta-level.

[Scrib]

Heh, I've never really been into Robocop, but having been bumming around a few blogs on philosophy of mind I love that bit about Robocop basically providing a narrative for actions already taken. Probably not a big deal for the movie (besides the obvious) but still an interesting little theory I've seen around.

[Scrib]

Why should I have to settle for jump cuts and CGI blood instead of a good hard R action movie?

Because that's what you'll get. That's what pays the bills/

I loved the shit out of Dredd in all of it's gory hyper violence, or if you think that one was too underground how the last Rambo movie.

And Dredd completely failed as a money-making enterprise, possibly because it didn't have someone like Sly attached. It's dead.

I want a return to action movies that can show some gore, I don't want a cut right before a kill shot or a fight so shaky I can't see what's going on.

I'm right there with you, but I doubt that it'll happen. PG-13 sells tickets, and the more expensive the movie the more tickets people want to sell.

[Tanasinn]

There's still some gore in the action genre. Elysium pulled no punches, whether it was blowing off a guy's jaw with a hand grenade or smashing a guy until he died of organ and brain pulverization before hurling him at someone else.

[Jub]

And Dredd completely failed as a money-making enterprise, possibly because it didn't have someone like Sly attached. It's dead.

It's made a ton in DVD sales and I hear there are active talks about shooting a sequel. Besides, if more companies went with R movies again kids would still go see them anyway just like they did in the 80's and 90's.

[Zaune]

I can't honestly say I'm going to miss that scene, actually. Its only plot purpose was to establish some random D-list gangbangers as really really evil so it was entirely fine for Robocop to off them in several unpleasant ways later on, and it always came off as a slightly desperate attempt to be more edgy and grimdark.

Besides, if I wanted to watch people being horribly mutilated there are several websites for that sort of thing.

[amigocabal]

I can't honestly say I'm going to miss that scene, actually. Its only plot purpose was to establish some random D-list gangbangers as really really evil so it was entirely fine for Robocop to off them in several unpleasant ways later on, and it always came off as a slightly desperate attempt to be more edgy and grimdark.

Besides, if I wanted to watch people being horribly mutilated there are several websites for that sort of thing.

I wonder if RoboCop was originally conceived as a live action version of Inspector Gadget, and then Paul Verhoeven and co. decided to remake the original idea for a much darker, edgier movie.