The RoboCop Thread

[The Dark Knight]

Not bad. The ambience of the world seems somewhat lifeless, but the gameplay itself captures what Robocop is about. If we had law enforcement programmed to enforce the law equally, without bias, the protected class would be clogging the jails or dead on the pavement. Instead, the guilty are protected, the truth hidden to protect the narrative and the innocent harassed. Those that create urban hellholes like modern day Detroits, Baltimores and the like keep pushing the same policies that created the mess while subsequently getting softer on real solutions. Robocop is needed more than ever.

[The Dark Knight]

The only Robocop movie I have any interest in is the first one. And even then I'm not a devout follower.

How things change. The new game brought renewed interest in the Robocop universe and after revisiting it for the first time in a long time, the sequel is definitely underrated. There's some good ideas and action to be found.

I picked up Rogue City and it's fantastic - following on directly from Robocop 2 and even segueing in to Robocop 3, even if that movie remains atrocious. I'm willing to ignore 3 anyway, or imagine the events play out differently and with Weller still in the role. I still have a bit to go, but at this point Rogue City is the best thing to happen to the franchise since the original two films, and I'd be happy to consider it canon. They captured the vibe.

Something I like about Robo is the black and white upholding of the law no matter who he's dealing with. If they've done the wrong thing even if they're a politician or high powered CEO, "you're under arrest." He doesn't care about secret deals and favors. I once said I'm not a devout follower of the character, but my appreciation has grown. It's quite a fascinating world to get into in terms of hard violence and social commentary. I also like how he's a tank in combat but nonetheless at serious risk throughout, eg. being torn apart in Robo 2 and freezing due to traumatic memories.

[Silver Nemesis]

I haven't played Rogue City yet, but I've watched some clips on YouTube and it looks like a blast. What I've seen reminds me of the 2009 Ghostbusters game, insofar as both bring back the original star(s) and feel like true sequels to the first two films. With RoboCop Returns wallowing in development hell, Rogue City might be the closest we get to a proper third Weller RoboCop movie.

I've renamed this thread and merged it with two other RoboCop-themed topics. From now on this can be the general all-purpose RoboCop discussion. Any talk about the movies, TV shows, comics or games can go here.

[The Joker]

Checked out "Robodoc The Creation of Robocop" documentary last weekend, and it's by far the most in-depth documentary about the making of the film. As it clocks in at about 240 minutes. Thankfully, due to the doc being in 4 parts, it's more easy to digest rather than it being just one long exhibit of an extensive documentary.

Robodoc is a nice companion piece for the previous "Flesh and Steel" Robocop documentary (which was glaringly missing from the latest disc release of Robocop in 2020), and I would recommend checking it out. Following Robodoc, I think info on Robo1 for documentaries have been absolutely exhausted. A documentary on "Robocop 2" would now be the obvious route to take.

[The Joker]

[Silver Nemesis]

James Wan's producing a new RoboCop TV show for Amazon.

"A giant tech conglomerate collaborates with the local police department to introduce a technologically advanced enforcer to combat rising crime — a police officer who's part man, part machine."

https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/robocop-tv-series-amazon-peter-ocko-showrunner-james-wan-1236155752/

I'd rather have a RoboCop Returns movie with Peter Weller, but I guess that's not happening.

The Variety article also mentions there's a new Poltergeist TV show in production. It's less than a decade since the last failed attempt at rebooting Poltergeist. Alas, this is the modern entertainment culture we're stuck with – one built on the endless recycling of old IP.

I remember when this video first appeared online in 2015. Here we are nine years later, and things have only gotten worse.

[thecolorsblend]

James Wan's producing a new RoboCop TV show for Amazon.

If it was anyone else, I'd dismiss it right now. But since it's Wan, I'll keep an open mind. For now.

I'd rather have a RoboCop Returns movie with Peter Weller, but I guess that's not happening.

I get the idea Weller himself is the hold-up on that. It's a lot like The Crow from the standpoint that people don't seem to really want anyone else playing that character.

So, if it hasn't happened yet in spite of the obvious demand, then I have to assume that Weller is the one reticent about returning to the role.

Which is a shame considering the possibilities with mo-cap technology. He wouldn't need to wear that armor again unless someone thinks there's a compelling reason for him to.

[Silver Nemesis]

Which is a shame considering the possibilities with mo-cap technology. He wouldn't need to wear that armor again unless someone thinks there's a compelling reason for him to.

He wouldn't even necessarily have to do mo-cap work. Weller's pushing 80 , so it would probably be best to just have a young stunt double do all the physical stuff and then deepfake Weller's jaw onto him. That way Weller would basically just be doing a voice acting gig like he did on the recent RoboCop: Rogue City videogame, with perhaps a few close-up shots of his face that wouldn't require him to wear the full suit. It would be a nice easy pay cheque for him.

[The Joker]

True. There are a number of ways with smoke and mirrors to incorporate Peter Weller back to Robo if they want to go with the "legacy sequel" route. I can't see any Robocop film ever topping the original, but having a cinematic Peter Weller Robocop trilogy (in a roundabout way if Robo2 is ignored/left vague) is a nice thought. The recent video game was a good continuation, but cinema has more prestige.

James Wan being attached is good, though I can't help but wonder if this does get off the ground, just how involved he'll be? I believe Wan is also currently in discussions to direct "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" remake that's been in developmental hell for like 40+ years.

[Silver Nemesis]

James Wan being attached is good, though I can't help but wonder if this does get off the ground, just how involved he'll be? I believe Wan is also currently in discussions to direct "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" remake that's been in developmental hell for like 40+ years.

That's one remake I'm not entirely averse to, simply because there hasn't been a proper Gill-man movie since 1956 (not counting The Monster Squad). I've said before that I'd love to read Nigel Kneale's original script for Halloween III, and I'd be equally eager to read his Creature from the Black Lagoon remake script. It sounds like an interesting Cold War submarine thriller that would've put a contemporary eighties spin on the Gill-man concept.

With regards to Wan, I prefer his original projects (Insidious, The Conjuring) over his pre-existing franchise work (F&F, Aquaman). He's a creative guy, and I'd rather he apply that creativity to fresh IPs. For example, why waste his talent on yet another Poltergeist remake when he already made his version of Poltergeist in 2010?

The Creature from the Black Lagoon, however, is another matter. That remake has potential.