RoboCop (2014)
★★ — RoboCop (2014)
José Padilha came to this $120 million MGM and Columbia co-production on the back of two acclaimed Brazilian crime films, the Elite Squad pictures (2007 and 2010), which gave the studio cause for optimism about his handling of action and social commentary. The project was a remake of Paul Verhoeven's 1987 original, itself a sharp satire of Reagan-era corporatism and media culture, though the new version updated that backdrop to anxieties around drone warfare and surveillance technology in the early 2010s. Padilha reportedly clashed with the studio throughout production, later admitting in interviews that for every ten ideas he proposed, nine were rejected. Joel Kinnaman took the lead role that had made Peter Weller a cult figure, with Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton filling out a cast considerably more starry than the modestly budgeted original.
The 2014 RoboCop remake is a soulless, joyless retread of a film that had no reason to exist, and worse, it fails to capture even a fraction of what made Paul Verhoeven’s original so iconic. This version trades satire, style, and subversive edge for a dull, grey-toned dystopia where emotion is dialled down, violence is sanitised, and the whole thing feels like a corporate product test. Joel Kinnaman plays Alex Murphy with stoic seriousness, but there’s zero charisma or pathos, his transformation into RoboCop feels less like tragedy and more like a firmware update. The original RoboCop was a razor-sharp critique of capitalism, media, and police brutality wrapped in violent, darkly comic sci-fi. This one tries to be “relevant” with commentary on drones and AI ethics, but it’s watered down, preachy, and utterly safe. The action is clunky, the pacing sluggish, and Michael Keaton’s villainous CEO is underused and forgettable. Even the suit (meant to be sleek and modern) looks awkward, clunky, and completely lacking in presence. It’s not just unnecessary, it actively diminishes the legacy of the 1987 classic. Where Verhoeven gave us satire, blood, and soul beneath the steel, this remake gives us a lifeless shell. No satire, no fun, no heart. Only for existing and occasionally reminding you of how good the original was. A textbook example of how not to reboot a masterpiece. RoboCop deserved better. We all did.
Rating: ★★ | Year: 2014 | Watched: 2025-09-22
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Studiocanal Presents Amazon Channel
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Physical: Amazon UK
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