Remakes typically face an uphill battle, often intensified by the
reverence still placed on the original. To say the least, it is a near
impossible task to balance honoring the original, while also making
something unique and its own entity. That is why so many remakes fail.
(I will do my best not to labor on the fact that most remakes are
unnecessary to begin with and almost always inferior products. No
promises though).
The original RoboCop
(released in 1987) is still a beloved cult classic. So filmmakers had
their work cut out for them with the remake, which is directed by
Brazilian filmmaker José Padilha, whose Elite Squad action films were very well-received.
As with a recent rush of sci-fi and action movie remakes, the formula is to go bigger and darker – so that is what the RoboCop
filmmakers did. They ratchet up the special effects and action (though
in a disappointingly PG-13 way) while adding a good bit brooding
intensity. Unfortunately, they forgot the keep the humor, satire, and
its consequential over-the-top violence that made the original so much
fun and relevant. They do attempt some fairly obvious and ham-fisted
political and social commentary, but it is ultimately abandoned before
it can provide any significant impact.
The first misstep RoboCop makes is with its lead, or more specifically, the “man part” of the half-man, half-robot. Joel Kinnaman,
an actor who is normally likeable, is stiff and detached even before he
gets in the clunky metal suit. The film is so desperate to get him into
the suit quickly that the audience never gets to know the man or form
the necessary emotional connection to him and his family. The
filmmakers’ prove that action is more important than story this time
around.
So what about that all-important action? Well, it is actually pretty good,
but not particularly memorable. The robots are well rendered and pack a
tremendous amount of gunfire. Employing a good bit of shaky-cam, the
action sequences are well choreographed and tense in the moment, but
largely forgettable after the fact. 
One scene in particular does perfectly
capture that frenetic, first-person-shooter-video-game style that so many
movies have failed at before, but that is about it for the sequences and the others. All is going well in
the big, final blowout too – until its hurried push to an anti-climatic
finale.
After Kinnaman, the rest of the cast is mishmash of good, bad, and
underused. As the moral compass of the film, every scene that Gary Oldman
is in just proves that he is too good for this movie and the role.
Ultimately the same sensible, but handcuffed observer he is in The Dark Knight trilogy, it speaks wonders to his talent that he is able to make anything notable out of it.
As RoboCop’s wife, Abbie Cornish does what she can with a role that mostly requires her to look anxious. And in what is a near non-existent character, Michael K. Williams plays the loyal partner (interestingly enough, played by a female in the original).
Samuel L. Jackson
quickly wears out his welcome as an all-too-familiar, one-note,
demagogue-styled pundit, likely being controlled by the nefarious
Omnicorp. Also serving Omnicorp, Jay Baruchel, Jennifer Ehle, and especially Jackie Earle Haley all have their brief moments to shine as the support team to the bad guys. 
With a minimalistic office and postmodern art adorning his walls, Michael Keaton
is a CEO for today, complete with jeans and casual sweaters. He also is
a villain for the modern age – equipped with the latest technology at
his fingertips, a calculated intellect, and likeable public persona. But
behind doors, he is an opportunistic and emotionless madman desperate
for even more money and power. Keaton shows flashes of his former
eccentric self (a Beetlejuice twinkle in his eye), but is
ultimately too restrained and normal to be a memorable bad guy (and
perhaps his everyman persona was the point – either way it does not
work).
The movie itself does not work either. It does little to distinguish itself as its own thing. Unlike the original, the RoboCop
remake does not take its audience seriously. It updated the story and
action, but in all the wrong ways, while forgetting to carry over the
best elements of the original (besides a few famous lines of dialogue).
Throughout the film, the question is repeatedly posed: who is control
– the man or the machine? At one point, Alex Murphy/RoboCop’s serotonin
levels are dropped drastically low to all but effectively remove his
lingering human emotions and allow the machine to take over. Like
Murphy/RoboCop himself, the movie cannot easily overcome its
programming. Moviegoing audiences today demand guns, chases, and
explosions over satire, meaning, or almost anything thought-provoking.
And it is clear, with the RoboCop remake, the Hollywood
studio-blockbuster machine is firmly in control. The focus is on brawn,
not brain, much to the detriment of the film and the original’s
endearing spirit.
* * out of 5 stars
RoboCop opens in theaters nationwide on Wednesday, February 12
This review originally appeared on Chris's official review page. Check it out and other reviews on Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/indie-movie-in-new-orleans/chris-henson
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