On the Criterion Edition DVD commentary, Verhoeven says he chose to reveal Robocop this way to help the audience slowly accept Robocop's appearance. He was concerned that one large reveal would cause the audience to immediately think "man in a suit." And, as we all know, it worked beautifully.
It’s a miracle that this movie was even finished, it went through absolute production hell. The suit itself wasn’t even working for a long time, and they almost scrapped the whole project. One of my favorite behind the scenes facts is that in the original script RoboCop wasn’t supposed to be slow, lumbering, and robotic like he is in the final product, this was a limitation because Peter Weller could barely move in the suit, so they had to completely reimagine how he moved and operated. This matches up with how you’re saying that Verhoeven want to show him to the audience slowly, because he didn’t think it was working at all.
@@epsilon6516 May well be, sort of enforced artist approach, you are aware of your downsides, but do not want to give up, so you try to rework the downsided to the upsides rather by setting up the scenes, like the well written book or so... Remember seeing this in the 90es on VHS with single voice cheap dubbing from copy of a copy of a copy (I guess 😂)and still it had lasting impact, as it was quite different to anything I saw before...
Robocop shows up like the monster in a horror movie. First you get hints without him on screen at all. Then you get glimpses. Then you finally see him. It's really well done.
He is a monster in one sense, like Frankenstein's monster he is alive and conscious but also a created being - and one who is obviously separate from the humans he shares some parts from.
Interesting. Two related franchises, which have all had crossovers together -- Predator and Terminator-- are sometimes described as horror films, because both the Predator warrior and the T-800 are revealed in that way.
i would say, a much better comparison than some superhero movie's 30 years younger. modern (hero)genre movies developed there own language, what Robocob to that time couldn't.
There are just some sounds in cinema that become ingrained in the culture or stick with you long after you hear them. Lightsabers igniting, Jurassic Park dinosaur, the sound of the Predator, and Robocop's machinations. All magical!
We're spoiled today, I think. For us old types, home video audio was a poor shadow of the theatres.. That base element to those heavy footsteps is still enough to make you shiver, I'm so glad we have the audio at home now to do it justice.@@notallthatbad
Robocop's entrance was so epic because he showed that he didn't need any flashy effects or spectacle to make the audience sit up and pay attention. His stomping footsteps, the background silence, and the fact that he was partially obscured until he sat down on his chair, did all of that. Also, he looked real badass even to this day as he did back then.
I agree some. But the ED209 had a way bigger, devastating, menacing entrance. When Robocop encounters ED209 the audience knew robo was in deep deep trouble , and at the same time he/robo was the only one could make it against such brutal opponent and yeah there were plenty of dangerous opponents
The sound that accompanies Robocop's thudding footstep is absolutely brilliant, it is a low and heavy electrical frequency running through a flanger SFX output. Both intimidating and very atmospheric.
Just before the reveal, there is one of the most amazing scene transitions ever, from Murphy being declared dead to Robocop first being activated. You can just sense time has passed away, a long time, many things have changed, and all this with a single black screen. No fadeouts, no time stamps, just a black screen is all you need.
Do you remember the first movie trailer for this? It showed the 1st person walk with the Terminator theme music. I freaked and thought this was a Terminator sequel.
I always loved that during the scene were Robocop stops the two rapists there's a billboard that says "the future has a silver lining" right as essentially a knight in silver armor appears. You nailed it, Robocop is like a force of nature. Justice unleashed, not even technological shackles could hold him back for long.
This movie was such a big part of my childhood......dont tell mom..... But yeah, the whole department going silent, suddenly, actually caused me to hold my breath. Loved it.
Yes, it really is a "time standing still moment" isn't it? It grabs your attention fully. Incredibly well-conceived and filmed scene like the entire movie. I won't tell your mom if you don't tell mine! XD
Every kid I knew watched Robocop, it wasn't meant for kids due to it's gruesome violence but in the 80's kids were allowed to watch violent movies as long as there wasn't any nudity/sex scenes or things like that so we kind of get a pass for that.
Robocop's entrance was so epic, such a big part of my childhood its original magic will stay with me forever. No music, just the audience slowly accepting Robocop's appearance. You were made to wonder. Was it a good thing or a bad thing? Absolute brilliance. Thank you for this.
Glad to see people continuing to appreciate the absolute brilliance and nuances of this masterpiece. Great video! You should do a follow up on what a masterclass this movie is regarding set ups and payoffs.
Glad you liked it! Good idea on the set ups and payoffs, and even more nuances. Could explore how Murphy was brutally murdered and got his justice. What other ideas do you have? I'll keep it in mind for part 2! I'm working on a Soldier (Kurt Russell) analysis and review right now!
I know this is 3 months later, but the data spike he uses to find his killers is what deals the final blow to Clarence, and Directive 4 which came from Jones ultimately was dealt with in the final scene when he is fired, after using it to save his ass when Robocop tried to arrest him@@notallthatbad EDIT: or the "Murphy, it's you" ending up with Robocop saying his name is "Murphy" as the final word in the film. Now I'm not a film analysis person, so maybe these aren't examples. I've just been a Robocop fanboy my whole life lol.
@@notallthatbad Speaking of nuance and the neat coherence in this work, the music in this movie is a masterpiece. The orchestra used in the movie is overwhelmed with metal, even the lesser themes such as the quick-paced theme of the TV news or the almost techno beats of the scenes involving tech. But the main themes that go with the strongest parts of the moves are the pearl. Murphy is accompanied by brasses that bring his almost naive motivation for keeping order to life with a tune just as optimistic as he is. These same brass play a more degrading tune as he falls, countered by a more ominous tune played with deeper brass. When Murphy comes back as Robocop, his theme is still present, but seemingly enclosed by cold, strong and regular beats of metallic percussions. However, these only lead to Murphy's theme raising higher and stronger. Rarely have I heard a music go so handsomely with its film and it still gives me goosebumps even after twenty years.
Paul Verhoeven is very underrated... He's made a ton of late 80's early 90's action movies that actually had implicit messages behind them (like Starship Troopers, Total Recall, Robocop and many others). His attention to detail is great.
There is some out there who would suggest to you if there is anything smart in his movies it is because his (ex) Wife told him to do it and if there isn't it is because she wasn't around to tell him to do it. How much truth there is to that is hard to say.
the sound design in this movie was such a HUGE part of this film. Those footsteps, his sidearm firing, the sound of his holster opening and closing....so damn good
@@casedistorted If you're playing on PC through Steam, you can drop in a few modded files which contain the theatrical sound effects of not only his Auto 9, but also his footsteps and the sound of his leg holster opening and closing. It's brilliant and totally adds to the immersion factor.
Another reason the appearance is so powerful is because it emphasizes the normal cops, the effects of the corporation on the cops’ performance, and what this all means for the normal people! It’s true RoboCop is a hero, so it does later show him successfully wiping out a warehouse full of criminals, but the true heart of RoboCop is the fact of the company overriding the police, and taking the law into its own hands.
The initial reaction from sgt Reed (Robert DoQui) and the dull electrical hum really sells it for me, very much a 'we're in a whole new world now boys'.
Watching this just reminds me how old I really am. Not because of your excellent analysis of why Robocop was such a good movie, but because it reminded me that modern movies are all about spectacle and glamour. Good storytelling is nowadays a secondary thought with regards to movies.
Absolutely, even to this day, this film still holds its original magic, it's unbelievable. I showed it to my mother and husband not long ago, and they were so glued to the screen the whole time that it was so satisfying to see just how much they were loving this film. ❤
Absolutely bang on. I saw this at the cinema on it's release and was so teased and excited to finally see Robocop.. One of my favorite films of all time if i'm honest "Can you flyyyyyyyyy Bobby?"
Like you, I saw this movie as a pre-teen at a Boy Scout movie night; I had nightmares for days afterwards but I grew up to love this movie. That slow entrance coupled with the cops running after Robocop to catch a glimpse of him is pure cinematic perfection; still gives me chills to this day.
As an 80s kid, I can tell you that Robocop had by far the best hero reveal, with Sigourney Weaver activating the mech suit against the Queen a close second. Predator, Gremlins, and T-rex from Jurassic Park are all great too
This film is in my top 5 favourite films of all time, and will always remain in that list. Watching it as a child and being thrilled by Robocop's awesomeness and violence, only to rewatch it years later and belly laugh through its rough satirical humour... the film's a total gift
amazing analysis. I knew the reveal of robocop was special but I couldn't find the words and you did wonderfully. The fact that only after 10 minutes of Robo first being revealed there's the first full body reveal and how its even combined with his towering shadow over the bad guys is crazy in how its so well crafted. Robocop is a perfect film for what it is. It honestly keeps getting better with age.
It's really above the rest - a total classic! Did another video from another underrated movie - Soldier (1998) if you want to check it out. Explores similar themes of redeeming humanity.
Saw it in the cinema in the year of its original release. Probably hard to imagine now 35 years later how incredible the cinema experience of the film was.
Same here. Saw it in theaters when I was a kid. I even remember the theater I saw it at. The whole experience is frozen in my mind and I barely remember anything anymore. PV was one of the best ever in the biz.
@@edwardferry8247 @quixoticeefster2955 Remember walking home and talking about the movie all the way (as well as doing robocop moves) That memory of walk by the river in the night lit by streetlights - I never thought I had it. It is funny how brain works
so seen this epic film more times than I can remember - and YET... You gave me new things to ponder and consider and my appreciation for this epic film just grew by a huge factor - so thanks for this video!! Top observations! Video has been liked, subbed to channel, excited to see what else you have discussed!
What also makes the reveal so powerful is the dramatic event that led to his change. The audience got ro feel the impact of getting shot multiple times from Murphy's pov before going to black. No cut scenes after that. Just straight to the doctors/engineers working on him. Brilliant film making.
I completely agree with everything you said here. Entrances like this are very much missed. No music, no exotic effects. Just a moving silhouette behind unclear glass and footsteps is all that's given here. This alone just drives the audience to want more, instead of just given the full entrance of today's heros or villans in a single shot entrance revealing everything at once. With that said, this is why this movie stands alone in that regard. Entrances are everything in a movie. It's what makes them so memorable. I had goosebumps when I first saw Robo's entrance. I was frozen, my eyes wide open, complete and utter focus was given by me in that one scene. Nothing else mattered to me.
Well said. It truly is an awesome reveal. If I didn't know any better, your reaction may have been along the lines of the cops in the room. Silent, wide-eyed, and mesmerized. Same reaction here! 😄
The thing that i think it made him sooo cool is his leg holster, those sounds of opening and closing are absolutely brilliant.... Robo is such a masterpiece.
Back when the movie hit the cinemas, we didn't have trailers on TV. So I went in and experienced it 100% spoiler-free. Typically, you get slow reveals of aliens, maybe to keep your interest up until later in the movie, so it was quite unusual for the hero to be revealed this slowly. The scene of him walking behind the glass walls in the police station was spectacular. The sound effect of his walk is really something best experienced in cinema. It was a truly amazing experience, and I've seen other sci-fi stuff before, including Alien and Star Wars, but this was something else. For the time, it was fantastic. Now of course we're spoiled with amazing visual and sound effects, but even to this day, the original Robocop holds up really well.
This is one of those movies that checks all of the boxes for me. It is an action, sci-fi, satire, comedy, and drama all wrapped up into one crazy wicked awesome movie. Peter Weller and Kurtwood Smith are at their finniest in this movie. One of the all-time greats! Your analysis is spot on. This is an amazing way of introducing a hero or a villain. You, as the viewer, become attached to the character. It somehow provides you with a sort of emotional and mental investment in the story. Makes for an excellent cinematic experience. I agree sir!
The hero in modern movies is often just that, a hero. The hero in Verhoeven' movies is always a hero between quotes. Robocop is also a monster, a prison for Murphy, created by a ruthless company maximizing profits in a violent, dystopian society in decline where the answer to every social problem is more oppression and control using modern technology.
I watched this on VHS in the 80's, I remember it being one of the best movies since starwars, I still have great memories of watching it for the first time with my dad.
Excellent analysis. I remember the scene well of Robocop walking behind that frosted glass and, right when you'd expect him to continue moving clearly into view he makes that turn away from the camera. It always felt like a tease to me, but a great one.
Those metal steps with the back synths GOOSEBUMPS! Greatest entrance EVER!!! The Music was the ultimate classic futuristic orchestra. The drama, the sadness, the agony and the anger are so well put on a quiet yet dark and sad suspense aura with such a MARVELLOUS scene by scene Soundtrack which leads you to an absolute empathy towards the heroe. this movie is an absolute Master piece. Some scenes get me to my tears every time i watch it. It is very raw, real and Advanced even for today. Man, the killing scene i watched uncutted as a child. Still haunts me. And to think they let us watch these things being 6 years old...
When we watch this in the theathers back in the 80s we just knew the movie grabbed our attention from the start and took us in a rollercoster of emotions with us not even noticing until the end of the movie. Speaks volumes about Verhoeven's talent.
When I was in college for film and television production, one of the handful of films we watched for analysis in my History and Appreciation of Cinema class was Robocop. Which frankly surprised me at the time, even though I loved the movie. But looking back it really was done so well. Filmmakers today have really lost their way, as has the audience in what they expect or judge as “awesome”. There was a period of a few decades where I would see literally one new movie in theaters every week of the year, and during peak times of the year sometimes more than one a week, or a few in the same day even. But in the past 5-6 years I’ve only seen about 3-4 movies total in theaters. And even with those few I’ve been disappointed and felt like I’ve wanted my money back. One of the few exceptions has been the Mission: Impossible franchise. Maybe the stories are slightly contrived, but I still think they’re good, the acting is decent, and more importantly they shoot so many things on-site in other countries, and do the stunts and action sequences for real. That adds SO much. But it’s a real lost art of the slow reveal, or limited “tastes” or a villain or protagonist hero. Some great examples of this are in Spielberg’s “Jaws” and “Jurassic Park”. It was partially due to limits of technology too, I grant you, but you don’t always just get to constantly see say the shark in “Jaws” or the T-Rex in “Jurassic Park”. But throughout, you have this unsettling feeling like they’re around. Think the barrels in “Jaws” or the thuds or footsteps or distant animal sounds in “Jurassic Park”. This is SO much more creepy, and the few payoffs of seeing those characters/creatures has so much more impact. Everything today is just constantly in your face, bouncing all over the screen 2 feet from camera. It just leaves me with a reaction of “Meh.” seeing them. J.J. Abrams did a decent job slightly more recently with his movie “Super 8”. It was kind of a throwback or earlier movies, but it was so good at not showing you much until the very end. But you heard noises or even got extremely brief glimpses or something that just built your anticipation and gave you this eerie unsettled feeling. I loved it! I hope that Hollywood, as well as what audiences see as “great” finds its way back eventually. I’m so so tired of another superhero or comic book movie, or another sequel or remake. It’s just total garbage to me.
I dare all Robocop fans to try the new Robocop game, the fan service is unreal. Truly you are Robocop, the sounds, the power fantasy, the movie environments - it's all there.
Robocop is in my top 3 all time movies, with Terminator and Predator. They are all #1's in my estimation. I watched Robocop again, two nights ago and the algorithm obviously put your video in my feed and of course I had to watch. And you sir, couldn't be more correct with your review of this sequence. This video details exactly how I experienced it two nights ago and, how I experienced it when I first saw it at the age of 8. Pure genius this movie is in every facet of filmmaking, directing and producing as well as the selection of Peter Weller, wouldn't have been the same movie without him. Great video dude, well presented, intelligent and, accurate. I am going to crush that fucking subscribe button, keep em coming! I won't make any suggestions as I can tell our sensibilities obviously run together. Great job!!
Fantastic analysis. I've seen this movie and has always appreciated the non-conventional introduction to the hero in the movie. Thank you for putting this video together.
Yes, I 100% agree that this slow reveal is perfect. I always loved the fact there was no "ta-da, it's Robocop!" moment in this, and the first-person human to cyborg transition is an excellent idea.
I think there is one video I watch that has this clip and has great sound to it. I strap on the headphones and immerse myself in this scene. Excellent breakdown of a great character reveal.
@@notallthatbad I wondered if I was the only one who truly appreciated that scene. Like you said, I agree that modern day character reveals all seem to follow the same formula which is quite boring to say the least.
When I was a kid I recorded this on video and used to watch it with my brother's and friends repeatedly, along with a good few of the other great 80s movies. I hadn't seen it for about 25 years then, and could barely remember any of it and I watched it again, only to find I was almost able to say the words to different scenes even though I couldn't even quite remember the scene itself. It was bizarre. Love this movie though.
I remember when I saw his entrance as a kid, I naturally started leaning closer to the screen and left and right to almost try and see through and around the scenery to get a better look at him! Brilliant directing that induces a physical reaction, which mirrors the other cops' curiosity and builds that anticipation for his badassery in all its glory.
Man, those little teaser shots just had me glued to the screen for the big reveal. Robocop is also full of cynical dark humour, Verhoeven made a classic of cinema.
It's the wonderful sound design that aided so well in his introduction scene, not to mention the target practice scene where Robo's gun is decimating the target..it's one of my favorites of the film and has long stayed with me.
There is a whole genre of reaction videos of people who haven't seen this movie. A lot of times it's missed that this is a campy satire movie. Still, some of the elements in this movie are great cinema such as the scene in this video breakdown. It was beautifully done and someone finally did a breakdown of it.
Thank you! Yeah, it has a twinge of camp, but I think that's what warms me to it. I think Hollywood could learn a lot from this approach to character reveals. Feel free to share if you like it!
Verhoeven is a master of serious camp. RoboCop, Total Recall, and especially Starship Troopers are all very campy movies but they're played incredibly straight.
What is also relevant, I think, is that all the "reveal" shots convey very important information and not simply glamor shots. The view from Robocop gets us time passing, the brutality of the decision makers, and the corporate glory of his first walk in front of the executives. Also, obviously, that there is a "person" to have a first-person perspective. Without this view (from the hospital as well) we may not realize there is even possibly a person there to empathize with. The police station entrance showed OCP's disregard and jurisdictional control over the police and how disempowered and uninformed the police were that he was even showing up or existed. The cage review shows the layers of control around him, adding importance when he opens the cage door himself and walks out against the orders of the engineers (opposite of this scene, where all he does is follow orders like a dog, "...sit in the chair"..."Yes. I understand.") The gun range shows his power, but also the delight and separation between him and normal police (plus his holstering maneuver). The convenience store shows his power, the condition of the city (you can tell these people have been robbed before), but also his collateral damage and unsympathetic nature ("I just smashed a guy through your cooler. Bye").
great commentary ! I was just a toddler when Robocop was played on TV. I never looked at it from this point of view. The Robocop theme is probably on my top 10 of most badass / epic movie themes of all time
I think this was the first R rated movie I saw at the theatre, I also had it on VHS. There is a reason we still talk about this movie all these years later. Robocop's entrance seems more like the first time you get a glips of a monster in a movie rather than a superhero.
Well usually they talk about him being a Jesus allegory, but I would say you could argue for a Frankenstein's creature analogy too. (especially the Novel plot) In that the Creature has to struggle to find his Humanity as Robocop does. Interestingly though speaking of The other version the Universal Monster the original cut of that has him brutally kill a child which i'd say was just as shocking as what happens to Murphy in Robocop (especially the shotgun to the hand).
Yes I agree. Saw this in the cinema with my father back in 87 when i was in 2nd grade. Totally epic especially after the traumatic experience of watching Murphy murdered.
I saw this in cinema. Murphy's torture and murder was portrayed so real at that time it awakened my mind to how much violence a man can inflict to another man, how fragile the human body is and how much damage firearms can deliver to a living body. I was thinking "so there are really people who can do that and feel no remorse at all?". This movie helped me get educated on the dangers and violence in the grown up world. Which is a bit useful to me because I grew up in a Southeast Asian country which at that time was experiencing a very active and ruthless communist insurgency against an also ruthless one-man dictatorship. Newspapers at that time reported of ambushes, assassinations, skirmishes, executions, body counts, missing persons, rapes and murder of suspected female rebel supporters, detentions and executions of suspected communist members or supporters, etc. Everything a 3rd world low intensity conflict should have. The "low intensity term", I learned that reading Time or Newsweek magazines 😜during the 80s which sometimes reported on the communist insurgency in my country. 😁
One of the best film growing up in the 80s me & my little brother watched this countless times he passed away age 14 the memories of this film & my brother are like a time capsule in my head
Still the best robot armor with the heavy walking and sound design The first IronMan also nailed it with the heavy feel and motor sound everytime it's moving But the later versions of IronMan especially the nanotech just feel lame and less badass
And to think that we only got the heavy walking and stiff robotic motion we all love due to the suit being way more restrictive to motion than they intended. I cannot possibly imagine how strange and decidedly less believable it would have been to have the fluid and mobile Robocop they originally planned on rather than what we got. The heavy, slow, deliberate mannerisms of Robocop is what makes him seem so powerful.
@@scythelord That robocop remake was for (big) kids who can't take the violence of the 80s, both in film and in real life. 😄 Original Robocop was more believable partly because of its sound effects. Mechanical stuff are heavy and have inertia when moving so robots should be portrayed with heavy sound and should move with inertia. The remake robocop was too quick and too agile, costume robot design has also too much clean lines (the iphone look) I was expecting it to do a ballet dance number. 😁
Back then when media can still subtly criticize the soullessness of capitalism. Robocop was a written as a sci-fi tragedy, it was not meant to glorify the character as a superhero but as a victim of greed and exploitation, as an example of the loss of basic human decency both from the creators of Robo himself and the people who financed his creation because they want to make a buck. And the unholy lust of capitalists to want to control everything, from raw steel to human souls. Making his entrance bombastic will defeats the whole purpose of it being a tragedy.
This was such a great movie, and also such a statement of the 80s. All this technology was beginning to come into people's lives... but was it a good thing or a bad thing? This is one of those movies I watched a hundred times as a child and I can still watch it all day.
Yep I remember this. It made him seem so ominous and mysterious. The movie is about him but you don't know if he's the hero. You don't see any strength but you know he's powerful. Well done.
I was 13yrs old back then and still love this movie...... ROBOCOP for centuries to come will still look modern........ GREETINGS FROM GHANA🇬🇭, WEST AFRICA 👍👍👍
Dude you were spot on with your analysis. Especially the moniter reference. Movies have forgotten how to captivate our raw feelings by using the senses. It's more than just the idea. It's the feeling along with it.
One of the reasons I love this movie, despite not being a film student or understanding all the nuances of filming and angles etc is (as I learned) that is obeys the rule of Show Not Tell and Use Of Suspense. The movie is silent when it needs to be...and loud when it needs to. It's not an assault on the senses. Robocop is nearly snail pace. He never runs, jumps or backflips. Everything he does is slow, deliberate...calculated. Powerful. He is never hasty, panicked, out of sorts. You never feel uneasy around him. You KNOW he will triumph...somehow. Immovable Object in the storm. And he casts that spell over the audience to where we are spellbound the first time we saw him on screen!
I think about those awesome sounding footsteps in the police station to this day. Also, even as a kid I appreciated that little monitor teasing his reveal!
Robocop was amazing at "show, don't tell". Modern movies love to practically scream the message at the audience through sound and visuals. I showed my friend "Alien" for the first time, and he told me one of the most gripping parts of that movie was the use of total silence as atmosphere and tension building.
Your analysis is like the entrance itself. Unassuming, not pretentious, not assaulting the very things you are comparing. Love the analysis and I totally agree.
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On the Criterion Edition DVD commentary, Verhoeven says he chose to reveal Robocop this way to help the audience slowly accept Robocop's appearance. He was concerned that one large reveal would cause the audience to immediately think "man in a suit." And, as we all know, it worked beautifully.
Interesting, I didn't know that! Makes sense, and it was (is) a brilliant approach. Thanks for that.
Verhoeven stated he revealed Robocop bit by bit because he didn't want people to laugh. And you're right: it worked to a tee.
It’s a miracle that this movie was even finished, it went through absolute production hell. The suit itself wasn’t even working for a long time, and they almost scrapped the whole project. One of my favorite behind the scenes facts is that in the original script RoboCop wasn’t supposed to be slow, lumbering, and robotic like he is in the final product, this was a limitation because Peter Weller could barely move in the suit, so they had to completely reimagine how he moved and operated. This matches up with how you’re saying that Verhoeven want to show him to the audience slowly, because he didn’t think it was working at all.
@@epsilon6516 May well be, sort of enforced artist approach, you are aware of your downsides, but do not want to give up, so you try to rework the downsided to the upsides rather by setting up the scenes, like the well written book or so... Remember seeing this in the 90es on VHS with single voice cheap dubbing from copy of a copy of a copy (I guess 😂)and still it had lasting impact, as it was quite different to anything I saw before...
@@notallthatbadbroooo you forgot the gun scene when the whole police department stops because of the immense sound of RoboCops gun
Robocop shows up like the monster in a horror movie. First you get hints without him on screen at all. Then you get glimpses. Then you finally see him. It's really well done.
Never think in this way👍
He is a monster in one sense, like Frankenstein's monster he is alive and conscious but also a created being - and one who is obviously separate from the humans he shares some parts from.
Interesting. Two related franchises, which have all had crossovers together -- Predator and Terminator-- are sometimes described as horror films, because both the Predator warrior and the T-800 are revealed in that way.
@@jaklumen many action movies has horror elements, such lot of blood and severed limbs.
i would say, a much better comparison than some superhero movie's 30 years younger. modern (hero)genre movies developed there own language, what Robocob to that time couldn't.
The sound in the theater of Robocop's footsteps will stay with me forever. It blew me away. It was incredible.
There are just some sounds in cinema that become ingrained in the culture or stick with you long after you hear them. Lightsabers igniting, Jurassic Park dinosaur, the sound of the Predator, and Robocop's machinations. All magical!
We're spoiled today, I think. For us old types, home video audio was a poor shadow of the theatres.. That base element to those heavy footsteps is still enough to make you shiver, I'm so glad we have the audio at home now to do it justice.@@notallthatbad
@@notallthatbadpredator. 100%.
True Lies is that film for me. . .that was just insane at the cinema. 😜
those thuds are engraved in my mind, unique and powerful
I'd buy this entrance for a dollar.
Considered and executed so well!
How about after adjusted for 40 years of inflation?
It's funny how this ad is almost universally remembered... Even by people who didn't actually watch the movie just know.
@@evshrug after 40 years he'd probably say I'd finance that for a thousand dollars a month!
@@dgurevich1 ha yes very true. There should be a psychoanalytical breakdown of why this is!
You could probably buy Robocop on VHS for a dollar ;)
Robocop's entrance was so epic because he showed that he didn't need any flashy effects or spectacle to make the audience sit up and pay attention. His stomping footsteps, the background silence, and the fact that he was partially obscured until he sat down on his chair, did all of that. Also, he looked real badass even to this day as he did back then.
Precisely! And he still holds up. That design is timeless!
I agree some. But the ED209 had a way bigger, devastating, menacing entrance. When Robocop encounters ED209 the audience knew robo was in deep deep trouble , and at the same time he/robo was the only one could make it against such brutal opponent and yeah there were plenty of dangerous opponents
The sound that accompanies Robocop's thudding footstep is absolutely brilliant, it is a low and heavy electrical frequency running through a flanger SFX output. Both intimidating and very atmospheric.
The sounds are hypnotic, aren't they?
I love the scene where he first leaves for the city. Like a knight in shining armor riding out from the castle, made epic by Pouledoris' music.
Couldn't agree more! Working on a "best scenes" from the movie and that one is included. Stay tuned!
Just before the reveal, there is one of the most amazing scene transitions ever, from Murphy being declared dead to Robocop first being activated. You can just sense time has passed away, a long time, many things have changed, and all this with a single black screen. No fadeouts, no time stamps, just a black screen is all you need.
Showing the employees having an office Christmas party helped show the passage of time, too.
I was 15 years old when this came out. Still one of my all time favorite movies.
Just an awesome movie, a true fixture of the 80s and holds up to this day.
Do you remember the first movie trailer for this? It showed the 1st person walk with the Terminator theme music. I freaked and thought this was a Terminator sequel.
@@bigd7696 No, I never saw it. It sounds cool. Cheers.
Same here. One of the best times at the movie theater, great times!
I was 8 when I first saw it on HBO (my parents let me watch it, hehe). Never saw it in theaters, sadly.
I always loved that during the scene were Robocop stops the two rapists there's a billboard that says "the future has a silver lining" right as essentially a knight in silver armor appears. You nailed it, Robocop is like a force of nature. Justice unleashed, not even technological shackles could hold him back for long.
This movie was such a big part of my childhood......dont tell mom..... But yeah, the whole department going silent, suddenly, actually caused me to hold my breath. Loved it.
Yes, it really is a "time standing still moment" isn't it? It grabs your attention fully. Incredibly well-conceived and filmed scene like the entire movie.
I won't tell your mom if you don't tell mine! XD
Crazy to think my parent rented the VHS when I was around 6 years old and let me watch it with them XD
@@Hanoua2 wow! Did you look away for the violent parts?
Every kid I knew watched Robocop, it wasn't meant for kids due to it's gruesome violence but in the 80's kids were allowed to watch violent movies as long as there wasn't any nudity/sex scenes or things like that so we kind of get a pass for that.
I was starting to think I was the only kid who watched this haha. I’m still traumatized from Murphy’s death, especially the hand explosion 😅
Robocop's entrance was so epic, such a big part of my childhood its original magic will stay with me forever. No music, just the audience slowly accepting Robocop's appearance. You were made to wonder. Was it a good thing or a bad thing? Absolute brilliance. Thank you for this.
Glad to see people continuing to appreciate the absolute brilliance and nuances of this masterpiece. Great video! You should do a follow up on what a masterclass this movie is regarding set ups and payoffs.
Glad you liked it! Good idea on the set ups and payoffs, and even more nuances. Could explore how Murphy was brutally murdered and got his justice. What other ideas do you have? I'll keep it in mind for part 2!
I'm working on a Soldier (Kurt Russell) analysis and review right now!
@@notallthatbad dont forget it is also a drama movie hidden in an action movie!
I know this is 3 months later, but the data spike he uses to find his killers is what deals the final blow to Clarence, and Directive 4 which came from Jones ultimately was dealt with in the final scene when he is fired, after using it to save his ass when Robocop tried to arrest him@@notallthatbad
EDIT: or the "Murphy, it's you" ending up with Robocop saying his name is "Murphy" as the final word in the film.
Now I'm not a film analysis person, so maybe these aren't examples. I've just been a Robocop fanboy my whole life lol.
@@notallthatbad Speaking of nuance and the neat coherence in this work, the music in this movie is a masterpiece.
The orchestra used in the movie is overwhelmed with metal, even the lesser themes such as the quick-paced theme of the TV news or the almost techno beats of the scenes involving tech.
But the main themes that go with the strongest parts of the moves are the pearl. Murphy is accompanied by brasses that bring his almost naive motivation for keeping order to life with a tune just as optimistic as he is. These same brass play a more degrading tune as he falls, countered by a more ominous tune played with deeper brass.
When Murphy comes back as Robocop, his theme is still present, but seemingly enclosed by cold, strong and regular beats of metallic percussions. However, these only lead to Murphy's theme raising higher and stronger.
Rarely have I heard a music go so handsomely with its film and it still gives me goosebumps even after twenty years.
Paul Verhoeven is very underrated... He's made a ton of late 80's early 90's action movies that actually had implicit messages behind them (like Starship Troopers, Total Recall, Robocop and many others). His attention to detail is great.
There is some out there who would suggest to you if there is anything smart in his movies it is because his (ex) Wife told him to do it and if there isn't it is because she wasn't around to tell him to do it.
How much truth there is to that is hard to say.
Totally! Starship Troopers is another hilarious and on-point gem.
Not really underrated, he has a noun and a reputation at this time, and he forged Arnold Schwarzenegger. you couldn't deny him.
Robocop, Starship Troopers...
I'd like to know more for a dollar!
It's the knew "A penny for your thoughts"
He’s underrated to people who don’t really know anything about film. That apparently is you.
the sound design in this movie was such a HUGE part of this film. Those footsteps, his sidearm firing, the sound of his holster opening and closing....so damn good
Yes, those sounds rank up there as culture, like lightsabers and the Jurassic Park T-Tex roar.
My thoughts exactly. I also find that "white static noise" as a fearful sound, while his heavy stomps fill the room with every step he takes.
Oscar winning sound design
That’s what makes me sad about the new RoboCop game is they didn’t get the gun sound correct
@@casedistorted If you're playing on PC through Steam, you can drop in a few modded files which contain the theatrical sound effects of not only his Auto 9, but also his footsteps and the sound of his leg holster opening and closing. It's brilliant and totally adds to the immersion factor.
Another reason the appearance is so powerful is because it emphasizes the normal cops, the effects of the corporation on the cops’ performance, and what this all means for the normal people! It’s true RoboCop is a hero, so it does later show him successfully wiping out a warehouse full of criminals, but the true heart of RoboCop is the fact of the company overriding the police, and taking the law into its own hands.
The initial reaction from sgt Reed (Robert DoQui) and the dull electrical hum really sells it for me, very much a 'we're in a whole new world now boys'.
Watching this just reminds me how old I really am. Not because of your excellent analysis of why Robocop was such a good movie, but because it reminded me that modern movies are all about spectacle and glamour. Good storytelling is nowadays a secondary thought with regards to movies.
The cool thing is we can be kids again while watching movies like these, right? 😄
Absolutely, even to this day, this film still holds its original magic, it's unbelievable. I showed it to my mother and husband not long ago, and they were so glued to the screen the whole time that it was so satisfying to see just how much they were loving this film. ❤
Absolutely holds its original magic. 😀
Even my wife liked it and she's not much of an action fan.
Can not agree anymore. I always remember the first time I saw this movie in late 80’s with a lot of it’s scenes saved in my memory.
Absolutely bang on. I saw this at the cinema on it's release and was so teased and excited to finally see Robocop.. One of my favorite films of all time if i'm honest
"Can you flyyyyyyyyy Bobby?"
Seeing it in the theater must have been quite a treat.
My favorite Robocop villain line: "BITCHES LEAVE." 😁😁😄
Like you, I saw this movie as a pre-teen at a Boy Scout movie night; I had nightmares for days afterwards but I grew up to love this movie. That slow entrance coupled with the cops running after Robocop to catch a glimpse of him is pure cinematic perfection; still gives me chills to this day.
As an 80s kid, I can tell you that Robocop had by far the best hero reveal, with Sigourney Weaver activating the mech suit against the Queen a close second. Predator, Gremlins, and T-rex from Jurassic Park are all great too
im with you on this!
This film is in my top 5 favourite films of all time, and will always remain in that list. Watching it as a child and being thrilled by Robocop's awesomeness and violence, only to rewatch it years later and belly laugh through its rough satirical humour... the film's a total gift
One of the best action movies ever.
Truly, on all levels - a classic!
amazing analysis. I knew the reveal of robocop was special but I couldn't find the words and you did wonderfully. The fact that only after 10 minutes of Robo first being revealed there's the first full body reveal and how its even combined with his towering shadow over the bad guys is crazy in how its so well crafted. Robocop is a perfect film for what it is. It honestly keeps getting better with age.
Exactly. I don't have the ability to express in words, the brilliance of Robocop's reveal either.
Robocop, will always be my no. 1 super hero... Still can't believe awesome this movie when i first watch it as a child.
It's really above the rest - a total classic!
Did another video from another underrated movie - Soldier (1998) if you want to check it out. Explores similar themes of redeeming humanity.
@@notallthatbad ohh yes, will do! 👍👍
80s had great action movies with depth. Remember that Robocop was released after Aliens.
All these years and dozens of viewings later and that reveal scene still gives me goosebumps. Damn fine film.
Saw it in the cinema in the year of its original release. Probably hard to imagine now 35 years later how incredible the cinema experience of the film was.
Same here. Saw it in theaters when I was a kid. I even remember the theater I saw it at. The whole experience is frozen in my mind and I barely remember anything anymore. PV was one of the best ever in the biz.
@@quixoticeefster2955 yes that’s it exactly, absolutely the same experience as you.
My friends (squeamish math students) hated it. I thought it was brilliant.
@@edwardferry8247 @quixoticeefster2955 Remember walking home and talking about the movie all the way (as well as doing robocop moves) That memory of walk by the river in the night lit by streetlights - I never thought I had it. It is funny how brain works
Indeed ROBOCOP (1987) was a masterpiece. Unfortunately, the sequels, mini series failed to take this to next level.
I loved this movie so much as a kid. It is still one of my all time favorites.
It's one of those movies you can watch over and over again. Truly a classic!
Mine too. I even named my son Alex Murphy!
so seen this epic film more times than I can remember - and YET...
You gave me new things to ponder and consider and my appreciation for this epic film just grew by a huge factor - so thanks for this video!! Top observations! Video has been liked, subbed to channel, excited to see what else you have discussed!
Excellent - thanks a lot!
What also makes the reveal so powerful is the dramatic event that led to his change. The audience got ro feel the impact of getting shot multiple times from Murphy's pov before going to black. No cut scenes after that. Just straight to the doctors/engineers working on him. Brilliant film making.
Glad you picked up on this brilliance!
Me, too. It's a beloved classic!
I completely agree with everything you said here. Entrances like this are very much missed. No music, no exotic effects. Just a moving silhouette behind unclear glass and footsteps is all that's given here. This alone just drives the audience to want more, instead of just given the full entrance of today's heros or villans in a single shot entrance revealing everything at once. With that said, this is why this movie stands alone in that regard. Entrances are everything in a movie. It's what makes them so memorable. I had goosebumps when I first saw Robo's entrance. I was frozen, my eyes wide open, complete and utter focus was given by me in that one scene. Nothing else mattered to me.
Well said. It truly is an awesome reveal. If I didn't know any better, your reaction may have been along the lines of the cops in the room. Silent, wide-eyed, and mesmerized. Same reaction here! 😄
You have such a remarkable narrative speaking voice. Professional.
Thank you! :D
The thing that i think it made him sooo cool is his leg holster, those sounds of opening and closing are absolutely brilliant.... Robo is such a masterpiece.
thank u for reminding me of this childhood favorite
Yes! For years this has been one of my favorite character entrances. So good to find a video covering this. 👍
Back when the movie hit the cinemas, we didn't have trailers on TV. So I went in and experienced it 100% spoiler-free. Typically, you get slow reveals of aliens, maybe to keep your interest up until later in the movie, so it was quite unusual for the hero to be revealed this slowly.
The scene of him walking behind the glass walls in the police station was spectacular. The sound effect of his walk is really something best experienced in cinema. It was a truly amazing experience, and I've seen other sci-fi stuff before, including Alien and Star Wars, but this was something else. For the time, it was fantastic. Now of course we're spoiled with amazing visual and sound effects, but even to this day, the original Robocop holds up really well.
I really liked Verhoeven's use of culture commentary; the TV ads for the game "nuke 'em". And the love of big, gas guzzeling, cars (SUV's today).
Robocop is a classic hands down period 😲👌🏻
Agreed!
This is one of those movies that checks all of the boxes for me. It is an action, sci-fi, satire, comedy, and drama all wrapped up into one crazy wicked awesome movie. Peter Weller and Kurtwood Smith are at their finniest in this movie. One of the all-time greats! Your analysis is spot on. This is an amazing way of introducing a hero or a villain. You, as the viewer, become attached to the character. It somehow provides you with a sort of emotional and mental investment in the story. Makes for an excellent cinematic experience. I agree sir!
"I'll buy that for a dollar!" 😜
Classic line!
@@notallthatbad One of those classic lines, you never forget.... Makes me laugh to this day!
The hero in modern movies is often just that, a hero. The hero in Verhoeven' movies is always a hero between quotes. Robocop is also a monster, a prison for Murphy, created by a ruthless company maximizing profits in a violent, dystopian society in decline where the answer to every social problem is more oppression and control using modern technology.
I watched this on VHS in the 80's, I remember it being one of the best movies since starwars, I still have great memories of watching it for the first time with my dad.
Did your dad like it, too?
i also loved the antagonist, so cold
Excellent analysis. I remember the scene well of Robocop walking behind that frosted glass and, right when you'd expect him to continue moving clearly into view he makes that turn away from the camera. It always felt like a tease to me, but a great one.
Thanks, and agreed about the unexpected move he makes.
Yep, definitely one of the few films from my childhood that I still remember today.
Those metal steps with the back synths GOOSEBUMPS! Greatest entrance EVER!!! The Music was the ultimate classic futuristic orchestra. The drama, the sadness, the agony and the anger are so well put on a quiet yet dark and sad suspense aura with such a MARVELLOUS scene by scene Soundtrack which leads you to an absolute empathy towards the heroe. this movie is an absolute Master piece. Some scenes get me to my tears every time i watch it. It is very raw, real and Advanced even for today. Man, the killing scene i watched uncutted as a child. Still haunts me. And to think they let us watch these things being 6 years old...
There were Robocop lunch boxes and school bags lol
Great overview, I'm from the 90's and was born & bred with appreciation for those movies (timeless classics now)
Fantastic.
When we watch this in the theathers back in the 80s we just knew the movie grabbed our attention from the start and took us in a rollercoster of emotions with us not even noticing until the end of the movie. Speaks volumes about Verhoeven's talent.
Yes, Verhoeven really knows how to create dynamite movies. His Starship Troopers is another amazing (and hilarious) classic.
I’ve watched it numerous times since I was a quiet, it never failed to excite me. This is high cinema
When I was in college for film and television production, one of the handful of films we watched for analysis in my History and Appreciation of Cinema class was Robocop. Which frankly surprised me at the time, even though I loved the movie. But looking back it really was done so well. Filmmakers today have really lost their way, as has the audience in what they expect or judge as “awesome”. There was a period of a few decades where I would see literally one new movie in theaters every week of the year, and during peak times of the year sometimes more than one a week, or a few in the same day even. But in the past 5-6 years I’ve only seen about 3-4 movies total in theaters. And even with those few I’ve been disappointed and felt like I’ve wanted my money back. One of the few exceptions has been the Mission: Impossible franchise. Maybe the stories are slightly contrived, but I still think they’re good, the acting is decent, and more importantly they shoot so many things on-site in other countries, and do the stunts and action sequences for real. That adds SO much. But it’s a real lost art of the slow reveal, or limited “tastes” or a villain or protagonist hero. Some great examples of this are in Spielberg’s “Jaws” and “Jurassic Park”. It was partially due to limits of technology too, I grant you, but you don’t always just get to constantly see say the shark in “Jaws” or the T-Rex in “Jurassic Park”. But throughout, you have this unsettling feeling like they’re around. Think the barrels in “Jaws” or the thuds or footsteps or distant animal sounds in “Jurassic Park”. This is SO much more creepy, and the few payoffs of seeing those characters/creatures has so much more impact. Everything today is just constantly in your face, bouncing all over the screen 2 feet from camera. It just leaves me with a reaction of “Meh.” seeing them. J.J. Abrams did a decent job slightly more recently with his movie “Super 8”. It was kind of a throwback or earlier movies, but it was so good at not showing you much until the very end. But you heard noises or even got extremely brief glimpses or something that just built your anticipation and gave you this eerie unsettled feeling. I loved it! I hope that Hollywood, as well as what audiences see as “great” finds its way back eventually. I’m so so tired of another superhero or comic book movie, or another sequel or remake. It’s just total garbage to me.
Very well said! Welcome to the club where we want the old style back. Substance over action!
Makes you realize how epic this time in cinema was. Took it for granted as kid, they just don't make you feel like this anymore.
I dare all Robocop fans to try the new Robocop game, the fan service is unreal. Truly you are Robocop, the sounds, the power fantasy, the movie environments - it's all there.
Thanks, I'll give it a go
It has nothing to do with age. This is perfection. Plain and simple.
Robocop is in my top 3 all time movies, with Terminator and Predator. They are all #1's in my estimation. I watched Robocop again, two nights ago and the algorithm obviously put your video in my feed and of course I had to watch. And you sir, couldn't be more correct with your review of this sequence. This video details exactly how I experienced it two nights ago and, how I experienced it when I first saw it at the age of 8. Pure genius this movie is in every facet of filmmaking, directing and producing as well as the selection of Peter Weller, wouldn't have been the same movie without him. Great video dude, well presented, intelligent and, accurate. I am going to crush that fucking subscribe button, keep em coming! I won't make any suggestions as I can tell our sensibilities obviously run together. Great job!!
Fantastic analysis. I've seen this movie and has always appreciated the non-conventional introduction to the hero in the movie. Thank you for putting this video together.
Yes, I 100% agree that this slow reveal is perfect. I always loved the fact there was no "ta-da, it's Robocop!" moment in this, and the first-person human to cyborg transition is an excellent idea.
Agreed. It is almost like we become imprisoned by the film, forced to see things from Murphy's point of view. Makes it fantastic!
This is my favourite movie of all time, and deserves an extensive review. It works on so many levels.
I think there is one video I watch that has this clip and has great sound to it. I strap on the headphones and immerse myself in this scene. Excellent breakdown of a great character reveal.
Thanks! The buzzing hum and clanking of his feet is completely immersive, isn't it?
@@notallthatbad I wondered if I was the only one who truly appreciated that scene. Like you said, I agree that modern day character reveals all seem to follow the same formula which is quite boring to say the least.
When I was a kid I recorded this on video and used to watch it with my brother's and friends repeatedly, along with a good few of the other great 80s movies. I hadn't seen it for about 25 years then, and could barely remember any of it and I watched it again, only to find I was almost able to say the words to different scenes even though I couldn't even quite remember the scene itself. It was bizarre. Love this movie though.
I remember when I saw his entrance as a kid, I naturally started leaning closer to the screen and left and right to almost try and see through and around the scenery to get a better look at him! Brilliant directing that induces a physical reaction, which mirrors the other cops' curiosity and builds that anticipation for his badassery in all its glory.
The entrance as well as the shooting practice scene with the auto 9.
As a kid back then, always awes me to tis day whenever I see those scenes 😮
Would love to see a break down of ED-209s entrance, and how it both mirrors, and contrasts, with Robocop's! Amazing video!
Good idea!
Man, those little teaser shots just had me glued to the screen for the big reveal. Robocop is also full of cynical dark humour, Verhoeven made a classic of cinema.
Its epic still gives me chills. Does so much more, with so much less compared to other hero entrances.
It's the wonderful sound design that aided so well in his introduction scene, not to mention the target practice scene where Robo's gun is decimating the target..it's one of my favorites of the film and has long stayed with me.
Yes, very true. Also effective sound design can cover the cracks in visual effects (as old Doctor Who episodes know)
There is a whole genre of reaction videos of people who haven't seen this movie. A lot of times it's missed that this is a campy satire movie. Still, some of the elements in this movie are great cinema such as the scene in this video breakdown. It was beautifully done and someone finally did a breakdown of it.
Thank you! Yeah, it has a twinge of camp, but I think that's what warms me to it. I think Hollywood could learn a lot from this approach to character reveals. Feel free to share if you like it!
Verhoeven is a master of serious camp. RoboCop, Total Recall, and especially Starship Troopers are all very campy movies but they're played incredibly straight.
What is also relevant, I think, is that all the "reveal" shots convey very important information and not simply glamor shots. The view from Robocop gets us time passing, the brutality of the decision makers, and the corporate glory of his first walk in front of the executives. Also, obviously, that there is a "person" to have a first-person perspective. Without this view (from the hospital as well) we may not realize there is even possibly a person there to empathize with.
The police station entrance showed OCP's disregard and jurisdictional control over the police and how disempowered and uninformed the police were that he was even showing up or existed.
The cage review shows the layers of control around him, adding importance when he opens the cage door himself and walks out against the orders of the engineers (opposite of this scene, where all he does is follow orders like a dog, "...sit in the chair"..."Yes. I understand.")
The gun range shows his power, but also the delight and separation between him and normal police (plus his holstering maneuver).
The convenience store shows his power, the condition of the city (you can tell these people have been robbed before), but also his collateral damage and unsympathetic nature ("I just smashed a guy through your cooler. Bye").
Thank you for bring us back to this classic film, looking forward to the next one ❤️
Your welcome. Thanks for watching it. Another video coming tomorrow!
great commentary ! I was just a toddler when Robocop was played on TV. I never looked at it from this point of view. The Robocop theme is probably on my top 10 of most badass / epic movie themes of all time
I think this was the first R rated movie I saw at the theatre, I also had it on VHS. There is a reason we still talk about this movie all these years later. Robocop's entrance seems more like the first time you get a glips of a monster in a movie rather than a superhero.
Interesting take! Now that I think of it, his entrance does have a sort of "monster of Frankenstein" feel to it. VERY interesting point!
This is so accurate! They are like wtf is that?! This was also the first rated R movie I saw, I was 6 and my Aunt had HBO and poor babysitting skills.
@@LuckyDogGaming Ha! 😄
Well usually they talk about him being a Jesus allegory, but I would say you could argue for a Frankenstein's creature analogy too. (especially the Novel plot) In that the Creature has to struggle to find his Humanity as Robocop does.
Interestingly though speaking of The other version the Universal Monster the original cut of that has him brutally kill a child which i'd say was just as shocking as what happens to Murphy in Robocop (especially the shotgun to the hand).
@@90lancaster We need a Robo vs himself. Thats the story
Shout-out to the recent Robocop: Rogue City game, just brilliant really takes you into that world.
Yes I agree. Saw this in the cinema with my father back in 87 when i was in 2nd grade. Totally epic especially after the traumatic experience of watching Murphy murdered.
Yeah! You knew he was going to be badass when he walked in.
I saw this in cinema. Murphy's torture and murder was portrayed so real at that time it awakened my mind to how much violence a man can inflict to another man, how fragile the human body is and how much damage firearms can deliver to a living body. I was thinking "so there are really people who can do that and feel no remorse at all?". This movie helped me get educated on the dangers and violence in the grown up world. Which is a bit useful to me because I grew up in a Southeast Asian country which at that time was experiencing a very active and ruthless communist insurgency against an also ruthless one-man dictatorship. Newspapers at that time reported of ambushes, assassinations, skirmishes, executions, body counts, missing persons, rapes and murder of suspected female rebel supporters, detentions and executions of suspected communist members or supporters, etc. Everything a 3rd world low intensity conflict should have. The "low intensity term", I learned that reading Time or Newsweek magazines 😜during the 80s which sometimes reported on the communist insurgency in my country. 😁
Loved seeing this in the theater with that sound system. So much fun!
Absolute classic
Indeed! I read rumors of a "Robocop Returns". Will only consider it if Weller returns for the role.
@@notallthatbad getting the right tone and director is an absolut must, it needs to be rated R and no Marvel MCU humour lol
His foot sound effect just carved in to my brain. And it will last the very second until I die. Excellent reveal.
One of the best film growing up in the 80s me & my little brother watched this countless times he passed away age 14 the memories of this film & my brother are like a time capsule in my head
Still the best robot armor with the heavy walking and sound design
The first IronMan also nailed it with the heavy feel and motor sound everytime it's moving
But the later versions of IronMan especially the nanotech just feel lame and less badass
Isn't the metallic clanking and electric hum the best sound design? Agreed on Iron Man, too!
And to think that we only got the heavy walking and stiff robotic motion we all love due to the suit being way more restrictive to motion than they intended. I cannot possibly imagine how strange and decidedly less believable it would have been to have the fluid and mobile Robocop they originally planned on rather than what we got. The heavy, slow, deliberate mannerisms of Robocop is what makes him seem so powerful.
@@scythelord That robocop remake was for (big) kids who can't take the violence of the 80s, both in film and in real life. 😄
Original Robocop was more believable partly because of its sound effects. Mechanical stuff are heavy and have inertia when moving so robots should be portrayed with heavy sound and should move with inertia.
The remake robocop was too quick and too agile, costume robot design has also too much clean lines (the iphone look) I was expecting it to do a ballet dance number. 😁
I agree. The more updated the suit, the less interesting
Thanks for that point of view. Robocop is a pure gem of filmmaking, storytelling, and all. Love that
We know all of these heros granted their entrances are great but we had no idea who Robocop was or what he really looked like. 😊
True! In my opinion, that's what makes his entrance so cool.
Back then when media can still subtly criticize the soullessness of capitalism. Robocop was a written as a sci-fi tragedy, it was not meant to glorify the character as a superhero but as a victim of greed and exploitation, as an example of the loss of basic human decency both from the creators of Robo himself and the people who financed his creation because they want to make a buck. And the unholy lust of capitalists to want to control everything, from raw steel to human souls.
Making his entrance bombastic will defeats the whole purpose of it being a tragedy.
This was such a great movie, and also such a statement of the 80s. All this technology was beginning to come into people's lives... but was it a good thing or a bad thing? This is one of those movies I watched a hundred times as a child and I can still watch it all day.
Wonderful analysis, this is one of the best films ever made, every single aspect of this film deserves an in-depth analysis!
You get the feeling you don't have the security clearance to see, or look at Robocop.
Yep I remember this. It made him seem so ominous and mysterious. The movie is about him but you don't know if he's the hero. You don't see any strength but you know he's powerful. Well done.
I was 5 years old when my dad and I saw this in theaters. It was so exciting. It was definitely one of the films that sparked my love for cinema.
I was 13yrs old back then and still love this movie...... ROBOCOP for centuries to come will still look modern........ GREETINGS FROM GHANA🇬🇭, WEST AFRICA 👍👍👍
Awesome, and yeah, it has a timeless quality. Hello to all Ghanaians everywhere! 👍
Dude you were spot on with your analysis. Especially the moniter reference. Movies have forgotten how to captivate our raw feelings by using the senses. It's more than just the idea. It's the feeling along with it.
Truly!
Everything you point out is a mirror of my childhood memory watching this in the cinema. Good work. Thank you.
One of the reasons I love this movie, despite not being a film student or understanding all the nuances of filming and angles etc is (as I learned) that is obeys the rule of Show Not Tell and Use Of Suspense. The movie is silent when it needs to be...and loud when it needs to. It's not an assault on the senses. Robocop is nearly snail pace. He never runs, jumps or backflips. Everything he does is slow, deliberate...calculated. Powerful.
He is never hasty, panicked, out of sorts. You never feel uneasy around him. You KNOW he will triumph...somehow. Immovable Object in the storm. And he casts that spell over the audience to where we are spellbound the first time we saw him on screen!
I was one of the lucky kids that slipped into the theater. Great tribute dude 👍🏻👍🏻
“ What is this shit? “ love that timing and tone.
It has stuck with me for years.
I think about those awesome sounding footsteps in the police station to this day. Also, even as a kid I appreciated that little monitor teasing his reveal!
What a gem!
Robocop was amazing at "show, don't tell". Modern movies love to practically scream the message at the audience through sound and visuals. I showed my friend "Alien" for the first time, and he told me one of the most gripping parts of that movie was the use of total silence as atmosphere and tension building.
Great segment on a great movie. Remember this back in ‘87 like it was yesterday……..goosebumps
Your analysis is like the entrance itself. Unassuming, not pretentious, not assaulting the very things you are comparing. Love the analysis and I totally agree.