I’m also usually not one to bemoan a remake when it is announced. Sure, I’d like to see more original films being produced as well but remakes don’t bother me like it does some people. So, when I heard they were doing a remake of my beloved RoboCop, I wasn’t upset. As I said, I love RoboCop, but seeing a different take on the story with updated technology doesn’t sound like a bad thing to me, and that’s exactly what it sounds like director Jose Padilha (Elite Squad) wants to accomplish with it. Now, I’m not going to outline what I think what the movie should be exactly, but there are a few suggestions as a fanboy that I have to offer.
The Culturally Appropriate Plot
One of the best parts about the original is its satiric take on television and the advertising world. Now, consider we, as a society, are even more bombarded by advertisements that are even more intrusive and just as disgusting as the satirized commercials in the movie. I don’t think a movie with lots of over the top commercials cut into it like the original film would fare well with today’s audiences. There’s also the whole idea of the privatization of institutions, it’s an idea that’s gaining some traction in parts of the world – thematically, it’s more relevant than it was 1987. Plus RoboCop being a native of Detroit I would hope there’s a lot of stake put into the auto industry within the plot of the film. There’s a goldmine’s worth of material for this movie to use, I really hope they get to mining.
The Suit
Practical Effects
A real deal breaker for me is effects in a film. It’s hard to stomach the overuse of CGI in some movies, especially when prior to release we’re assured that practical effects are being used (my finger is pointing at you, prequel to The Thing). If you look at the original movie and the, by today’s standards, micro-budget it was filmed on, they accomplished a lot in terms of practical effects. Even the ED-209, which was a stop motion-animated addition to the flick, doesn’t look as terrible as the CG I’ve seen in some movies these days. Make everything real in this flick. I realize the irony that the filmmakers would be perpetuating by using CG effects in favor of practical effects (computers replacing people) but I certainly hope they don’t think this kind of poetic irony is cute.
Don’t Soften It Up for a PG-13
As I said, RoboCop was one of the first R-rated movies I saw, and for a good reason. This movie is violent on a level that was only common place in the 80s. It also featured some nudity and sexual dialogue, again a trademark of the era. But I cannot stress enough how upset I will be if they shoot for a PG-13 rating. RoboCop deserves better than that. One thing to really consider, since the qualifications for the rating have changed in the 25 years RoboCop has been around is to go for the hard R, because we all know the original one did.
The Music
If there is one thing about RoboCop that is just as iconic as the titular character it is the score. I wish I had a CD of the RoboCop theme on loop that I could drive around town to, it would easily make traffic more tolerable. I think I could handle the theme only being in the end credits of the movie, but seeing RoboCop driving his broken down and flaming police car up to the entrance of OCP headquarters while those very famous and effective notes blast through the theater could only help this movie.
ED-209
Original Cast Cameos
This is just something I want as a super fan. I want to be the guy in the theater that squeals like a little girl when Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Nancy Allen, or Peter Weller appear on screen. The RoboCop series is so niche that I think the followers of it deserve a little bit of a treat in the movie by getting to see some of our favorites from the original movie. The best possible scenario I can think of is getting Peter Weller to appear in the film as the OCP President who at the end of the film asks Robocop his name, to which Joel Kinnaman will of course reply, Murphy.
I’m so excited for this remake. I love this character and this story so much that an updated version, keyword there folks, is something that would be just so cool to get to see. Even if it stinks, I will still have the original film which I have an unending love for, a bad remake of the movie will not change my relationship with the original film, if anything it will make me love it more. Plus, I want other people to enjoy RoboCop too. Who cares if they discover the character and the story because of the remake? Whatever gets people interested is absolutely fine with me.
