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Robocop - Criterion Collection

Robocop - Criterion Collection

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A must for a morbid fan of Sci-Fi
Review: This is my favorite movie of all time.In fact I think this is director Paul Verhoeven's (Basic Instinct,Total Recall,Starship Troopers)best movie.Peter Weller stars as RoboCop,a half-man half-cyborg who is brutally killed in the line of duty and is resurrected as the title character to "Serve the public trust,Protect the innocent,uphold the law" and avenge his death.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: RIP-OFF
Review: I expected more violence for a supposed X rated film. What a rip-off. I spotted 3 brief extra bits and they are all at the beginning. Robocop is a good film but this DVD is crap. Robocop 2 is much better.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: ****Robocop is widescreen and is great****
Review: 1.66:1 IS Widescreen. As is 1.85:1, As is 2.35:1, As is 3:33:1. Although the "letterboxing" effect on your screen may not be as deep, the screen is still wider than the standard screen 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

The movie Robocop was FILMED in 1.66:1 and cropped for cinescope (1.85:1) to be shown in theaters. So when you see the non criterion version, you actually LOSE a good portion of the orginal filmed and intended information. The Criterion version restored the original ratio upon request of the director.

Showing Robocop in 1.85:1 or even 2.35:1 would be as equally unjust to the original intent as showing 2.35:1 films in Pan and Scan--- it is not the way the movie was filmed, not the way the director intended the movie to be shown.

The below statement that it is "similar to most pan-and-scan movies" is completely untrue-- unlike P&S, no shots were at all cropped for screen formatting- no edits were changed to fit on sreen- and nowhere in the film is there any added panning to follow the action. The 1.66:1 is the PROPER aspect ratio of the film.

The review of Robocop, as posted below may seriously undermine someones decision to purchase this title-- using completely incorrect and uninformed information. Stating this version of is NOT widesceen is a falsehood, as it is widescreen. Stating it is similar to pan and scan is a falsehood because it is not. The incorrect use of these terms creates a false sense in the minds of a person who is aware of the proper meaning of each term. A person familiar with the meanings of widescreen and p&s could read this review and incorrectly decide against buying the title- which would be a mistake.

This title, in this version, A must for collectors, a must for scifan fans, a must for DVD film enthusiasts! Now, if only Criterion would do 16x9 enhancements.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Robocop IS widescreen!!!
Review: I've got to take issue with the previous posting. This disc IS widescreen (1:66 Ratio). While it might not have the huge black bars associated with the 2:35 ratio, that doesn't mean it isn't letterboxed! This is what the film was originally shot in and the director approved the transfer in that aspect ratio. This disc is very entertaining although even the die-hard Paul Verhoeven fan may find it violent.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Please note ... this movie is NOT a WIDESCREEN edition.
Review: I truely enjoyed Robocop ... enough to want to add it to my "classics collection" of DVDs (including the Thing, Predator, and The Terminator) ... and I liked all the DVD add-ons ... like the storyboard etc ... but I was dissappointed that this movie is NOT WIDESCREEN (my favorite aspect ratio because of the theater like experience while viewing) It is, instead, in a "Director Approved 1.66:1 ratio" ... similar to most pan-and-scan movies. It's still good, but it could have been better in a 2.35:1 ratio ... much, much better.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great movie, get the criterion version
Review: This movie I absolutely loved. If you are going to purchase it, buy the Criterion version, instead. It has less than one minute of additional footage which was to violent for the theatrical release, but it has great commentary by the director and others.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ROBOCOP'S SHADOW
Review: I'm giving a 5 stars to this movie and still I have a little doubt in my mind. Not about the film in itself which is, in the science-fiction category, a must-have.

The problem lies elsewhere. In Robocop, you will see three different worlds pictured : a) The world of the leaders where iron (polished) and money reign. b) The world of the gangsters where iron (rotted) and guns reign. c) The world of the police related heroes where iron (Robocop) and friendship reign. And between or outside these worlds : nothing or almost nothing. A wife who disappears as soon as her husband dies, wars or tragedies you can only watch through controlled TV channels.

To try to pass from a world to another is nothing but safe. In fact, death waits for you in this no-man's land. Except for Robocop.

What the hell does Paul Verhoeven try to tell us by picturing this claustrophobic vision of the future ? That our future lies in a clear separation between economic or ethnic groups ? That only a charismatic and heartless leader will able to control the situation ?

Frightful perspective, isn't it ? Or rejoicing view of the mind, Paul ? O.K. I'm through. Let's just enjoy the show ! Action, good actors and beautiful gunfights. Who can ask for anything more ?

A DVD zone out of stock.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent
Review: Excellent sci fi movi

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This movie has it all
Review: This movie is everything you want to see, Verhoeven does an exceptional job in cinematography. The Criteron Edition is the version every sci-fi buff should buy. Not only does it have a menu but it also has the stuff you didn't see in video or in the silver screen. The commentary by Verhoeven and Davison is helpful and interesting. This is a must buy!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Go get 'em, Robo!
Review: Before director Paul Verhoeven gave us the ultra gory and special effects laden "Starship Troopers" in the 1990s, he lensed the gritty 1987 movie "Robocop." Verhoeven, of course, never limited himself to producing science fiction gorefests; he also made the controversial "Basic Instinct" and, more importantly, carries most of the blame for "Showgirls." The latter film would have permanently ended a lesser director's career, but not Verhoeven. He's still gamely making interesting pictures. "Robocop" may have been his first real success story; fans love the first film, many critics adored it when it came out, and no less of a company than Criterion decided to give it a spectacular release on DVD. Sadly, I did not get a chance to view the Criterion disc; I had to settle instead for the lesser MGM treatment. If you want to see "Robocop" with all the trimmings, seek out the Criterion Collection DVD. It has tons of extras including most of the footage originally cut from the theatrical release in order to avoid the notorious 'X' rating for violence. Still, if you cannot find a Criterion disc, go ahead and check out the MGM one anyway. "Robocop" is such a fun movie, such a hilarious social satire about the greed of the 1980s, that even watching it on television is preferable to not seeing it at all.

Verhoeven sets his film in a disturbing near future Detroit where corporations have assumed most of the functions of civil society. Big business runs, for example, city police departments. The suits on the top floors fund crime prevention measures at the same time they market new products. One corporation in Detroit called OCP, sick of rampant crime and looking for a way to level a large part of the city in order to build a huge complex of buildings, starts researching new and innovative weapons to battle the anarchy rapidly taking over the city. One way to accomplish this feat is to remove human beings from patrol duty. Who wants to explain why dozens of cops die every week in violent shootouts with criminal gangs? Who needs the bad PR from such unseemly events? Not OCP. If the company can develop a robot to do the dirty work, costs will drop, profits will go up, and everyone will bask in the glow of a job well done. There is one big problem with the new programs--they don't work. Try as they might, the company keeps coming up with one expensive failure after another. After the latest model turns one of the corporation's executives into swiss cheese in the boardroom, an up and coming suit gets his big break from the boss. Fortunately for this greedy little runt, Officer Alex Murphy happens to die in the line of duty while trying to bring down one of the biggest crime bosses in the city.

"Robocop" takes off from this point, as the corporation turns Murphy into a mean looking cyborg, an armor plated automaton capable of blowing off the bad guys' heads as easily as he can create good PR for the company by making televised appearances at local schools. Heck, this huge mechanized cop can even drive a car, speak to people, and survive withering gunfire. Problems emerge when Robocop starts to regain memories of his former life, recollections of his wife and child, his female partner, and the bad guys who blew him away. When the cyborg launches a campaign to bring his killers to justice, the corporation that created him turns ugly. It seems a few suits have a several nasty secrets better left hidden, and Robocop's quest for justice threatens to bring to light things that could ruin careers. Soon the cops and the criminals are gunning for the confused cyborg in a series of chases and shootouts loaded with over the top violence and extreme gore. Will Robocop get his man in the end? Will he reconcile his human memories with his robotic exterior? Who knows, but finding out is a lot of fun.

One thing you might notice about "Robocop" is Verhoeven's vision about corporation politics. His take on big business in the 1980s is uniformly cynical as he constructs a world where the boardroom is no better than the conflicts taking place outside on the mean streets. The top floors of OCP seethe with violent conflicts as department heads jockey for position with the boss in order to promote their own agendas. Murder, conspiracy, drug use, and a host of other anti-social behaviors inform the daily activities of the company's managing elite. Is "Robocop" Verhoeven's way of taking a slap at the lack of business ethics in the 1980s? Of course! If a commentary on how to run an evil corporation leaves you cold, however, you can always enjoy the great performances. Miguel Ferrar conveys sleazy here like no one else in the movie world. Ronny Cox, when summoned to play a baddie, rarely fails to deliver a memorable turn. Peter Weller does Murphy/Robocop in a way that draws real emotion. Nancy Allen takes her role as Murphy's caring partner seriously even though the film doesn't really do much with her. One of my favorites, Kurtwood Smith, plays the slimy crime boss Clarence Boddicker with enthusiastic gusto.

I hate to harp, but you really should try to find the Criterion DVD version of this film. That disc has a commentary from Verhoeven and a bunch of other interesting stuff. The MGM release pales in comparison, as anyone who has ever viewed a MGM disc knows anyway. Still, you do get most of the super gory scenes--Murphy's death sequence, the toxic sludge bath, and the arterial puncture scene--in their partial glory. If you liked "Starship Troopers" and you haven't watched "Robocop" yet, now is the time to get moving.


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