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ROBOCOP: |
Robocop/Murphy - Page Fletcher John Cable - Maurice Dean Wint James Murphy - Anthony Lemke 
OTHER ROBOCOP SHOWS Robocop: The Series OTHER ODD LAWKEEPERS Defiance Alcatraz Alphas Ashes To Ashes Life On Mars Automan Batman Painkiller Jane 
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Dark JusticeInternal corporate struggles at OCP, the corporation that runs Delta City on the site of Old Detroit, involve cyborg police officer Robocop when he is programmed to kill the Chief of Police, a man who was once his friend. This all takes place against the backdrop of a reign of terror being conducted by a heavily-armed criminal known as Bone Machine. After the failure of ROBOCOP:THE SERIES (cancelled after one season), everyone's favourite metal cop is back for another last gasp stab at a franchise with four feature-length TV movies that combine to tell one overarching story. It's a surprisingly good stab as well as the human story of Murphy and his partner John Cable is given more time than the action heroics or mindless mayhem. it's true that there is nothing here that hasn't been tried before, but it's competently put together for the most part and played with conviction. The news reports and adverts are holdovers from the original films and maintain the continuity, even managing to show a bit of wit every now and again. The internal shenanigans at Omni Consumer Products are arch and camp and can never be taken seriously, but this is a show about a robot policeman after all. The inclusion of Murphy's son as an OCP executive and Cable's wife as a higher and more manipulative exec tries to link the story to thoughts about family and marriage, but that's a depth that the script can't run to. Since it's an ongoing story, there are lots of loose ends left flapping about. The action, when it comes, is unsatisfactory and makes little sense with the supposedly accurate Robocop finding it hard to hit a running man in plain sight. The showdown with Bone Machine is laughable, but at least comes with an emotional twist. TopMeltdownTired of his meddling in OCP affairs, John Cable's ex-wife has him resurrected as an improved Robocop and sends him out to destroy the original model. This TV movie is an extended episode that doesn't stand on its own, but only as part of the larger, four part story. If you haven't seen the previous instalment then there are flashbacks to bring you up to speed, but the stories are ongoing, which means that there is no self-contained plotline. The battles between Robocop and Cable prove to be much less spectacular than they ougth to be and the script recycles not only the first of these TV movies, but the dynamic with the child from the last of the cinematic outings. The introduction of the stealthy tech thieves will probably make sense later on, but this movie can only be seen as part of the series. TopResurrectionJames Murphy is put in personal charge of hunting down Robocop. Instead, the cyborg is recovered by one side in a bitter fight for control of a virus that kills both humans and machines. The new and improved Cable is found by the opposition. Having just reunited them, this film finds a new way of turning Robocop and Cable into enemies, introducing a new villain in the shape of a mad scientist who wants to annihilate human civilisation through his supervirus, currently hidden inside his daughter. This allows for a lot of shooting from both of the cyborgs and also from a bunch of robot hunters, but to very little avail as there is precious little storyline here for the action to support. This is a holding episode that lasys downt he stakes for what is to come in the final episode. Only the confrontation between Robocop and his son has any real meaning here. Even the action is dull and repetitive. TopCrash and BurnThe Legion Virus is to be downloaded into OCP's new master computer just before it takes over all of Delta City and thus unleashes its deadly touch throughout the world. Robocop and his new allies must overcome Cable to prevent this. Set inside the confines of the OCP building, now controlled by a homicidal computer, this is an all-action finale that doesn't have to tell a story. Instead, it is content to throw as much action, chaos and destruction at the screen as the budget allows. Once again, the many face-offs between Robocop and Cable are less than stellar, thoguht here is a continuation of the bloody deaths that were such a feature of the original movies, though not quite as graphic. It also helps that Leslie Hope makes for a kick-ass heroine to join the team. Whilst nothing here is original and it is predictable enough for everyone to know how it is going to work out in the end, not everyone makes it to the closing credits alive and at least one of the deaths is unexpected. It is, however, an entertaining enough time-passer. Top |
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