Miguel-Ferrer Movie Reviews

The great director Carlos Saura started with an outstanding cast and authentic detailed war time sets to create this superb film about republican vaudeville entertainers who take a wrong turn during their road show and wind up in the hands of fascist troops. Expecting to be executed, they are given a chance to entertain the fascists and obtain freedom by a stage struck Italian officer. But a chance encounter with Polish international brigade prisoners of war creates an emotional conflict for Carmen Maura. She must go through with an act that she finds distasteful and dreads the possibility that the POWs will be in the audience. The details of wartime Spain are excellent and the supporting cast is outstanding. The title of the film is taken from a charming Civil War song which also happens to be the name of the act, Carmela y Paulino. Saura has created a film that is both light and charming but with an underlying seriousness about this great tragic period of Spanish history.

The Spanish Civil War seen as a vaudeville show for the brutal Franco troops, where the terrified performers try to save their skins and their conscience, knowing they can't have both. Carmen Maura shines (what else is new?) as the outspoken partner in a sing-and-dance couple, but Pajares clearly steals the show as her chaplinesque, panic-stricken husband.

For SCW buffs, the movie is top notch. Down-to-the-last-detail production truly re-creates wartime Spain in every aspect, from uniforms, vehicles, weapons, posters, fashions, jokes, songs and dances, to even the streets themselves, for it seems the producers had to destroy an entire Spanish village in order to shoot the film. The menacing background radio broadcasts real-life Franco speeches, war news bulletins and fascist hymns, whereas the movie score is powerful and nostalgic. A gripping, yet comic, tale about the unsung heroism of your fellow man, I personally prefer it to Benigni's much vaunted 'La Vita E Bella!'. Don't miss it!

En esta historia, enmarcada en la Guerra Civil Española, donde los Franquistas dominaban las manifestaciones artísticas no del agrado de ellos, encontraron la censura y el rechazo, manifiesto en la osbstrucción y el abuso. La resistencia que apenas se podia sostener, enfrentaba el fusilamiento o la desaparición imprevista. Carmela representa esa resistencia. Es la voz del pueblo que no se resigna a abandonar lo que cree y lo que vive, su arte, como expresión sublime del ser humano. Esta película es una de las mejores muestras de la lucha sostenida entre las clases dominantes de la burgesía y los trabajadores del arte.

Mulan is a character unlike any other Disney heroine. She lives for a purpose of bringing herself and her family, honor. She fights, not only the Huns, but also Chinese tradition. All that she does and says is powerful. Other characters present humor and irony, making the film cute and sending a strong inspiration to be yourself and strive for the best. The music, including "Reflection", is well performed and composed (voices of Lea Salonga, Donny Osmond, Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, etc.). Orchestrations from this movie were nominated for the Oscars. The animation combines typical Disney styles with touches of Chinese art. This is truly a moving story with some breathtaking animation thanks to computer technology.

Mulan is a cute, but less than graceful young woman growing up in ancient China. She has come of age, and it is time to be married off, but the village matchmaker does not believe it is possible. Mulan is simply not a proper young Chinese woman, and will never bring her family honor. Until the day a Hun army decides to make war against China, and Mulan is the only member of her family who is able to fight. The catch is, she has to hide her femininity, because only men can fight in the army. Her ancestors send a mighty dragon to bring Mulan back before she causes her family further shame and embarrassment, but Mushu (Eddie Murphy), a much more miniscule dragon, takes his place, and decides to help Mulan in her quest instead of bringing her home. Disguised as a male soldier, Mulan barely manages to keep her secret while training, marching, and fighting, but by the time her struggle is over, Mulan learns that she doesn't have to be a perfect bride or beauty in order to bring her family plenty of honor.
There's a lot of Negativity about the Disney animated features that have been released since The Lion King. Many have said that The Lion King was the last film of the Disney Renaissance that supposedly started with The Little Mermaid. Not at all true. Mulan is a prime example. It's true that the last of Disney's Broadway Style musicals was The Hunchback of Notre Dame (though hopefully we'll see more someday), but Mulan is still a wonderful animated film full of beautiful art and music. The characters are loveable, funny, believable, and endearing, and well played by their respective voice talents. Eddie Murphy, of course, is the big name tagged to this feature, playing a role that he nearly seemed to be reprising in Shrek, but he's much funnier in Mulan. And while there IS a clear villain, Shan Yu and his army of Huns, the real conflict in this film is Mulan's struggle to discover herself and to prove her worth, to her family, her people, and to herself.
The DVD includes a surprisingly sophisticated and downright old looking Christina Aguilera (surprisingly from before her Genie In a Bottle days) video, singing the song "Reflections." It also features a 98 degrees (Who? Ha ha) "True To Your Heart" video. Both are quite enjoyable, though you may want to close your eyes or squint at times during both of them. Ha ha. The Theatrical Trailer is also included. Plenty of room for more extras here, but I suppose we'll have to wait for one of those Platinum Releases to come out some time later this century. Still, this video is well worth buying, and it would be even if there were no extras! Mulan is another true and instant Disney Classic!

I love this movie. O.k. I admit it. I have a small crush on Chang. It's all right since he's animated, but he is a hottie. The songs are great in this movie. not too much and entertaining.

I love that Mulan is such a feminist out of necessity. It is one thing to act on a principle b/c you just believe it... but there are a whole world of us out there who simply cannot help but be who we are. Mulan is our spokesperson. She is not trying to lead a revolution. She isn't trying to create the Feminine Mystique... she's just a girl trying to figure out how she fits in, and trying to do the right thing, even when she doesn't always know what that is. And she finds someone who loves her just the way she is.

EXCELLENT story. Also, the scenery and the history is AWESOME as well.

Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook's "Mulan" helped break a string of misfires from the famed Disney animation studio. It does not rank high in the pantheon of the Magic Kingdom's library of classics due to its weak songs and villains, but Disney's time-tested combination of a strong heroine, amusing animal sidekicks, and bumbling supporting characters works well enough once more to provide a good time.

To help fend off the invading Hun army, a Chinese girl named Mulan (Ming-Na) changes her appearance to pass as a boy in order to take her father's place in the Emperor's army. She suffers through the training for the new recruits but develops feelings for Shang (B.D. Wong), the captain in charge of her. Soon Mulan is thrust into the heat of battle but with the help of a lucky cricket, a dragon named Mushu (Eddie Murphy), and some colorful comrades-in-arms, she manages to save the kingdom, preserve her family's honor, and find true love.

The one glaring weakness of "Mulan" is its songs. The musical score from Jerry Goldsmith is great but the individual songs are forgettable. "Reflection" is the only song that you can hum along to. All of the rest of them are lackluster and limp. This is too bad because, as "The Little Mermaid" (1989), "Beauty & the Beast (1991), "Aladdin" (1992), and "The Lion King" (1994) have proved, quality songs can greatly enhance one's enjoyment of a film. Furthermore, the Huns are woefully underdeveloped as villains. They are simply portrayed as one-dimensional thugs who show up to help push the story along. Yet, Mulan's positives outweigh its negatives in the final count: the animation is great, Murphy provides ample comic relief, the film moves at a brisk pace, and Mulan herself is vividly defined. Certainly the Chinese heroine makes a worthy addition to Disney's honor roll of characters.

I love this movie. O.k. I admit it. I have a small crush on Chang. It's all right since he's animated, but he is a hottie. The songs are great in this movie. not too much and entertaining.

I love that Mulan is such a feminist out of necessity. It is one thing to act on a principle b/c you just believe it... but there are a whole world of us out there who simply cannot help but be who we are. Mulan is our spokesperson. She is not trying to lead a revolution. She isn't trying to create the Feminine Mystique... she's just a girl trying to figure out how she fits in, and trying to do the right thing, even when she doesn't always know what that is. And she finds someone who loves her just the way she is.

EXCELLENT story. Also, the scenery and the history is AWESOME as well.

thats about it. Mushu is hilarious, Khan cracks me up, and you root for Mulan throughout.

Mulan is a character unlike any other Disney heroine. She lives for a purpose of bringing herself and her family, honor. She fights, not only the Huns, but also Chinese tradition. All that she does and says is powerful. Other characters present humor and irony, making the film cute and sending a strong inspiration to be yourself and strive for the best. The music, including "Reflection", is well performed and composed (voices of Lea Salonga, Donny Osmond, Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, etc.). Orchestrations from this movie were nominated for the Oscars. The animation combines typical Disney styles with touches of Chinese art. This is truly a moving story with some breathtaking animation thanks to computer technology.

Mulan is a cute, but less than graceful young woman growing up in ancient China. She has come of age, and it is time to be married off, but the village matchmaker does not believe it is possible. Mulan is simply not a proper young Chinese woman, and will never bring her family honor. Until the day a Hun army decides to make war against China, and Mulan is the only member of her family who is able to fight. The catch is, she has to hide her femininity, because only men can fight in the army. Her ancestors send a mighty dragon to bring Mulan back before she causes her family further shame and embarrassment, but Mushu (Eddie Murphy), a much more miniscule dragon, takes his place, and decides to help Mulan in her quest instead of bringing her home. Disguised as a male soldier, Mulan barely manages to keep her secret while training, marching, and fighting, but by the time her struggle is over, Mulan learns that she doesn't have to be a perfect bride or beauty in order to bring her family plenty of honor.
There's a lot of Negativity about the Disney animated features that have been released since The Lion King. Many have said that The Lion King was the last film of the Disney Renaissance that supposedly started with The Little Mermaid. Not at all true. Mulan is a prime example. It's true that the last of Disney's Broadway Style musicals was The Hunchback of Notre Dame (though hopefully we'll see more someday), but Mulan is still a wonderful animated film full of beautiful art and music. The characters are loveable, funny, believable, and endearing, and well played by their respective voice talents. Eddie Murphy, of course, is the big name tagged to this feature, playing a role that he nearly seemed to be reprising in Shrek, but he's much funnier in Mulan. And while there IS a clear villain, Shan Yu and his army of Huns, the real conflict in this film is Mulan's struggle to discover herself and to prove her worth, to her family, her people, and to herself.
The DVD includes a surprisingly sophisticated and downright old looking Christina Aguilera (surprisingly from before her Genie In a Bottle days) video, singing the song "Reflections." It also features a 98 degrees (Who? Ha ha) "True To Your Heart" video. Both are quite enjoyable, though you may want to close your eyes or squint at times during both of them. Ha ha. The Theatrical Trailer is also included. Plenty of room for more extras here, but I suppose we'll have to wait for one of those Platinum Releases to come out some time later this century. Still, this video is well worth buying, and it would be even if there were no extras! Mulan is another true and instant Disney Classic!

I love this movie. O.k. I admit it. I have a small crush on Chang. It's all right since he's animated, but he is a hottie. The songs are great in this movie. not too much and entertaining.

I love that Mulan is such a feminist out of necessity. It is one thing to act on a principle b/c you just believe it... but there are a whole world of us out there who simply cannot help but be who we are. Mulan is our spokesperson. She is not trying to lead a revolution. She isn't trying to create the Feminine Mystique... she's just a girl trying to figure out how she fits in, and trying to do the right thing, even when she doesn't always know what that is. And she finds someone who loves her just the way she is.

EXCELLENT story. Also, the scenery and the history is AWESOME as well.

This movie is the 2nd funniest movie of all time, only because the first hot shots movie is slightly better and funnier. I'm still wondering where the DVD version of this is ? I'm wearing out my vhs tape watching this over and over again. Pat Proft is so good at comedy and if you watch Wrongfully Accused you realize he's responsible for some of the funniest parts of the movie and the classic, hilarious sound effects and sound humor.
You can't own Hot Shots without owing this, i love movies like this, that even the credits are funny. People actually stayed in the theater to watch the credits. Lloyd Bridges just makes this movie and Charlie Sheen is a great comedy actor. The Scene with the bow and arrow and the chicken is the classic scene from this movie, too bad they showed it in the trailer, when the movie came out. Can't have one without the other. Own both of the hot shots movies.

This movie is better than "Hot Shots!" because it spoofs more than one movie that the first one did(Top Gun).The second spoofs mostly "Rambo III" and some of "Rambo:First Blood Part II" as well as Robocop,Total Recall,Kickboxer.I thought one of the funniest parts was where Sheen runs out of ammo and reaches into a crate and tosses a handful of bullets at the enemy as they topple down!Lloyd Bridges is back as the not-so-bright Admiral Benson who is hilarious!

I like tis movie better than hots shots 1. It one you need to put in your dvds. I love the sence where topper and the
cia agent are in the limo making love to each other, the driver
watching and eating popcorn. that the funniest part, I can't wait to get my copy of this on dvd.

This movie is the 2nd funniest movie of all time, only because the first hot shots movie is slightly better and funnier. I'm still wondering where the DVD version of this is ? I'm wearing out my vhs tape watching this over and over again. Pat Proft is so good at comedy and if you watch Wrongfully Accused you realize he's responsible for some of the funniest parts of the movie and the classic, hilarious sound effects and sound humor.
You can't own Hot Shots without owing this, i love movies like this, that even the credits are funny. People actually stayed in the theater to watch the credits. Lloyd Bridges just makes this movie and Charlie Sheen is a great comedy actor. The Scene with the bow and arrow and the chicken is the classic scene from this movie, too bad they showed it in the trailer, when the movie came out. Can't have one without the other. Own both of the hot shots movies.

This movie is better than "Hot Shots!" because it spoofs more than one movie that the first one did(Top Gun).The second spoofs mostly "Rambo III" and some of "Rambo:First Blood Part II" as well as Robocop,Total Recall,Kickboxer.I thought one of the funniest parts was where Sheen runs out of ammo and reaches into a crate and tosses a handful of bullets at the enemy as they topple down!Lloyd Bridges is back as the not-so-bright Admiral Benson who is hilarious!

I like tis movie better than hots shots 1. It one you need to put in your dvds. I love the sence where topper and the
cia agent are in the limo making love to each other, the driver
watching and eating popcorn. that the funniest part, I can't wait to get my copy of this on dvd.

This DVD showcases the original cut of ROBOCOP, the one that had a couple o' really fun scenes of tasty mayhem that got the MPAA worked up, threatening the film's wider demographic possibilities with an 'X' rating. As a result, parts of these precious moments were cut for the theatrical release. But, the moviegoing public being the curious folks they are, Criterion saw a good thing when it decided to release the original cut on DVD. And, as usual, they put out a pretty good presentation. Trailers, articles on the production of the flick, a running commentary track and storyboards of unfilmed sequences are among the extras as well as the restored controversial footage. There's no shortage of stuff to keep the average action/sci-fi film buff occupied for a while... well, besides actually watching the movie, that is!

Actually, I don't consider the extra several seconds of visceral imagery to be that big a deal. Murphy's arm gets blown off some more, and that unfortunate exec gets filled with even MORE lead from the ED-209. Compared to the over-the-top ultraviolence of subsequent Verhoeven-directed fare as 'Total Recall' and 'Starship Troopers', these scene extensions are practically feel-good family viewing. Besides, I find 'The Amazing Disintegrating Toxic Man' sequence & 'Robo opening an artery' to be the film's most disturbingly memorable moments.

Speaking of the director, I do find it a hoot listening to the commentary track, featuring Verhoeven and wo-writer Ed Neumeier. I especially love the part where, when they come to the slaying of Murphy, they relate it to the death and resurrection of Christ. In the words of the Benny Hill of the RoboCop world, I'd buy THAT for a dollar! It's also revealed that a lot of the location filming was actually done in *GASP* Dallas, rather than Detroit! Of course, if you've never been to either city, it's not like there's that much of a diff anyway...

In conclusion: if you're planning to view this cut of RoboCop to be startled and disturbed by the extra gory cutting-room bits, you'll likely be in for a bit of a disappointment. However, if you're looking for a futuristic shoot-em-up actioner that's both fun and kinda scary, this bad-boy's worth at least a rent!

'Late

Eclectic (some would say eccentric) Dutch director Paul Verhoeven broke into the U.S. market in a very big way with his ROBOCOP (1987), which is not so much an action film as a high-energy adrenaline rush. Its futurism is two-fold; it is a work of futuristic sci-fi but, even more significantly, when it was released in 1987, it heralded the future of action films: bigger, badder, faster, ultra-violent and extremely well-written. Boasting a killer script by Michael Miner and Edward Neumeier, ROBOCOP manages to be intelligent, cynical, metaphorical, bleak, allegorical, nihilistic, bloody, stoic, emotional and very funny--often in the same scene.

It is also extremely well-acted. Peter Weller brings a lot of subtlety to his doomed Officer Alex Murphy, while veteran blond actress Nancy Allen (previously known for her varied roles in some of the best '70's and early-'80's films by Brian De Palma, to whom she had been married during that period of time) brings a lot of strength as well as sensitivity to her Officer Anne Lewis. But most memorable are the bad guys: Ronny Cox as Dick Jones, the cold-blooded Senior VP of OCP. Miguel Ferrer as the smarmy young exec Bob Morton, who tries to knock Jones off his perch. Lastly, and undoubtably most memorable, is Kurtwood Smith as the ultra-violent gang leader Clarence Boddicker. Among the most sadistic villains in film history, Clarence Boddicker is two parts creepy and three parts bada$$; a supervillain beyond compare to most others portrayed in movies. Kurtwood Smith, now known to the younger two generations as Red Foreman in the wonderfully funny series "That '70's Show," plays Clarence Boddicker so well--vulgar language & all--that it's absolutely shocking to revisit him in this role after having gotten to know him over the past five years as a TV dad, even one as gruff as his Red Foreman.

I decline to summarize the plot of ROBOCOP, since so many reviewers have already done so. Besides, most of you reading this have most likely already seen it at least once. Let's face it, ROBOCOP ushered in a new era for film; afterwards we got other Verhoeven mega-hits such as TOTAL RECALL and STARSHIP TROOPERS. Other filmmakers inevitably tried to copy him, such as Robert Longo with the mega-bomb JOHNNY MNEMONIC (which should be retitled JOHNNY MORONIC); the fact is, nobody can do futuristic sci-fi like Paul Verhoeven. Of course, let's not forget that Verhoeven himself was probably influenced to some extent by James Cameron, who had set the original cyborg gold standard with his 1984 classic THE TERMINATOR. However, ROBOCOP is unique--its dark humor and cynicism sets it completely apart in style from THE TERMINATOR. (Both are great films, and any comparisons between the two are tantamount to comparing apples with oranges.)

I give this DVD four stars because it only contains the film and original theatrical trailer, plus ads for the remastered DVD versions of three films, including CARRIE. That's it. In order to get the extras the this film demands, I will need to purchase the Critierion Collection DVD, which has extensive commentary by Verhoeven and a few others, plus storyboards, a "making-of" video, etc. But for now, this plain-jane DVD will have to do. Too bad, because ROBOCOP is anything but plain-jane. Even by today's standards, it kicks major you-know-what!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Another fine edition to the Criterion Collection, director Paul Verhoeven's 1987 "Robocop" functions on many different levels, not only as a very entertaining science fiction movie, but also as a piece of social satire. Verhoeven and screenwriters Michael Miner and Edward Neumeier surely had the ability to see into the future, as the world they envisioned has, in many ways, come true.

Old Detroit, the near future. The city is terrorized by a gang of thugs, headed by Clarence Boddicer ("That 70's Show" Kurtwood Smith) and his men. The city has decided to turn over the operation of the police department to the OCP corporation.

Enter cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller), freshly transferred to the Old Detroit police department. Partnered with Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen), Murphy and Lewis hit the streets.

An encounter with Boddicer and his boys leaves Murphy, well, dead. Enter smarmy OCP executive Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer), who has been developing a program to create a cyborg cop. Murphy becomes his guinea pig and "Robocop" is born.

Much of the social satire and humor Verhoeven interjects into the movies comes in the form of in-movie television broadcasts, the sort of which are common now, on CNN, MSNBC and the like. Smiling reporters dish out daily doses of sex and violence to the masses.

The story is essentially the robot Murphy's regaining of his humanity. His creators erase his memory, or so they think, until Murphy begins to experience flashbacks from his former life, including memories of his death, which leads him on a search to avenge his death. His search takes him back to OCP as he confronts the man who was responsible for his death.

As submitted to the MPAA, "Robocop" was going to be awarded with the dreaded "X" rating for violence. The Criterion Collection release of "Robocop" restores Verhoeven's original vision, which is a few seconds here and there of blood and gore. While the film is indeed violent, the bloodshed is certainly tame by today's standards -- Verhoeven's "Starship Troopers," released in 1997, is much bloodier and violent than "Robocop" and it received an "R" rating.

The transfer, while non-anamorphic, is still very good; the film is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. There are two audio tracks, a Dolby Digital 2.0 track and commentary track. The commentary is lifted from the laserdisc edition of "Robocop," and is an entertaining discussion with Verhoeven, his writers, and others involved in the production.

Until "Robocop" gets the special edition DVD treatment, this Criterion version is worth hunting down. "I'd buy that for a dollar!"

This DVD showcases the original cut of ROBOCOP, the one that had a couple o' really fun scenes of tasty mayhem that got the MPAA worked up, threatening the film's wider demographic possibilities with an 'X' rating. As a result, parts of these precious moments were cut for the theatrical release. But, the moviegoing public being the curious folks they are, Criterion saw a good thing when it decided to release the original cut on DVD. And, as usual, they put out a pretty good presentation. Trailers, articles on the production of the flick, a running commentary track and storyboards of unfilmed sequences are among the extras as well as the restored controversial footage. There's no shortage of stuff to keep the average action/sci-fi film buff occupied for a while... well, besides actually watching the movie, that is!

Actually, I don't consider the extra several seconds of visceral imagery to be that big a deal. Murphy's arm gets blown off some more, and that unfortunate exec gets filled with even MORE lead from the ED-209. Compared to the over-the-top ultraviolence of subsequent Verhoeven-directed fare as 'Total Recall' and 'Starship Troopers', these scene extensions are practically feel-good family viewing. Besides, I find 'The Amazing Disintegrating Toxic Man' sequence & 'Robo opening an artery' to be the film's most disturbingly memorable moments.

Speaking of the director, I do find it a hoot listening to the commentary track, featuring Verhoeven and wo-writer Ed Neumeier. I especially love the part where, when they come to the slaying of Murphy, they relate it to the death and resurrection of Christ. In the words of the Benny Hill of the RoboCop world, I'd buy THAT for a dollar! It's also revealed that a lot of the location filming was actually done in *GASP* Dallas, rather than Detroit! Of course, if you've never been to either city, it's not like there's that much of a diff anyway...

In conclusion: if you're planning to view this cut of RoboCop to be startled and disturbed by the extra gory cutting-room bits, you'll likely be in for a bit of a disappointment. However, if you're looking for a futuristic shoot-em-up actioner that's both fun and kinda scary, this bad-boy's worth at least a rent!

'Late

Eclectic (some would say eccentric) Dutch director Paul Verhoeven broke into the U.S. market in a very big way with his ROBOCOP (1987), which is not so much an action film as a high-energy adrenaline rush. Its futurism is two-fold; it is a work of futuristic sci-fi but, even more significantly, when it was released in 1987, it heralded the future of action films: bigger, badder, faster, ultra-violent and extremely well-written. Boasting a killer script by Michael Miner and Edward Neumeier, ROBOCOP manages to be intelligent, cynical, metaphorical, bleak, allegorical, nihilistic, bloody, stoic, emotional and very funny--often in the same scene.

It is also extremely well-acted. Peter Weller brings a lot of subtlety to his doomed Officer Alex Murphy, while veteran blond actress Nancy Allen (previously known for her varied roles in some of the best '70's and early-'80's films by Brian De Palma, to whom she had been married during that period of time) brings a lot of strength as well as sensitivity to her Officer Anne Lewis. But most memorable are the bad guys: Ronny Cox as Dick Jones, the cold-blooded Senior VP of OCP. Miguel Ferrer as the smarmy young exec Bob Morton, who tries to knock Jones off his perch. Lastly, and undoubtably most memorable, is Kurtwood Smith as the ultra-violent gang leader Clarence Boddicker. Among the most sadistic villains in film history, Clarence Boddicker is two parts creepy and three parts bada$$; a supervillain beyond compare to most others portrayed in movies. Kurtwood Smith, now known to the younger two generations as Red Foreman in the wonderfully funny series "That '70's Show," plays Clarence Boddicker so well--vulgar language & all--that it's absolutely shocking to revisit him in this role after having gotten to know him over the past five years as a TV dad, even one as gruff as his Red Foreman.

I decline to summarize the plot of ROBOCOP, since so many reviewers have already done so. Besides, most of you reading this have most likely already seen it at least once. Let's face it, ROBOCOP ushered in a new era for film; afterwards we got other Verhoeven mega-hits such as TOTAL RECALL and STARSHIP TROOPERS. Other filmmakers inevitably tried to copy him, such as Robert Longo with the mega-bomb JOHNNY MNEMONIC (which should be retitled JOHNNY MORONIC); the fact is, nobody can do futuristic sci-fi like Paul Verhoeven. Of course, let's not forget that Verhoeven himself was probably influenced to some extent by James Cameron, who had set the original cyborg gold standard with his 1984 classic THE TERMINATOR. However, ROBOCOP is unique--its dark humor and cynicism sets it completely apart in style from THE TERMINATOR. (Both are great films, and any comparisons between the two are tantamount to comparing apples with oranges.)

I give this DVD four stars because it only contains the film and original theatrical trailer, plus ads for the remastered DVD versions of three films, including CARRIE. That's it. In order to get the extras the this film demands, I will need to purchase the Critierion Collection DVD, which has extensive commentary by Verhoeven and a few others, plus storyboards, a "making-of" video, etc. But for now, this plain-jane DVD will have to do. Too bad, because ROBOCOP is anything but plain-jane. Even by today's standards, it kicks major you-know-what!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Another fine edition to the Criterion Collection, director Paul Verhoeven's 1987 "Robocop" functions on many different levels, not only as a very entertaining science fiction movie, but also as a piece of social satire. Verhoeven and screenwriters Michael Miner and Edward Neumeier surely had the ability to see into the future, as the world they envisioned has, in many ways, come true.

Old Detroit, the near future. The city is terrorized by a gang of thugs, headed by Clarence Boddicer ("That 70's Show" Kurtwood Smith) and his men. The city has decided to turn over the operation of the police department to the OCP corporation.

Enter cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller), freshly transferred to the Old Detroit police department. Partnered with Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen), Murphy and Lewis hit the streets.

An encounter with Boddicer and his boys leaves Murphy, well, dead. Enter smarmy OCP executive Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer), who has been developing a program to create a cyborg cop. Murphy becomes his guinea pig and "Robocop" is born.

Much of the social satire and humor Verhoeven interjects into the movies comes in the form of in-movie television broadcasts, the sort of which are common now, on CNN, MSNBC and the like. Smiling reporters dish out daily doses of sex and violence to the masses.

The story is essentially the robot Murphy's regaining of his humanity. His creators erase his memory, or so they think, until Murphy begins to experience flashbacks from his former life, including memories of his death, which leads him on a search to avenge his death. His search takes him back to OCP as he confronts the man who was responsible for his death.

As submitted to the MPAA, "Robocop" was going to be awarded with the dreaded "X" rating for violence. The Criterion Collection release of "Robocop" restores Verhoeven's original vision, which is a few seconds here and there of blood and gore. While the film is indeed violent, the bloodshed is certainly tame by today's standards -- Verhoeven's "Starship Troopers," released in 1997, is much bloodier and violent than "Robocop" and it received an "R" rating.

The transfer, while non-anamorphic, is still very good; the film is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. There are two audio tracks, a Dolby Digital 2.0 track and commentary track. The commentary is lifted from the laserdisc edition of "Robocop," and is an entertaining discussion with Verhoeven, his writers, and others involved in the production.

Until "Robocop" gets the special edition DVD treatment, this Criterion version is worth hunting down. "I'd buy that for a dollar!"

This DVD showcases the original cut of ROBOCOP, the one that had a couple o' really fun scenes of tasty mayhem that got the MPAA worked up, threatening the film's wider demographic possibilities with an 'X' rating. As a result, parts of these precious moments were cut for the theatrical release. But, the moviegoing public being the curious folks they are, Criterion saw a good thing when it decided to release the original cut on DVD. And, as usual, they put out a pretty good presentation. Trailers, articles on the production of the flick, a running commentary track and storyboards of unfilmed sequences are among the extras as well as the restored controversial footage. There's no shortage of stuff to keep the average action/sci-fi film buff occupied for a while... well, besides actually watching the movie, that is!

Actually, I don't consider the extra several seconds of visceral imagery to be that big a deal. Murphy's arm gets blown off some more, and that unfortunate exec gets filled with even MORE lead from the ED-209. Compared to the over-the-top ultraviolence of subsequent Verhoeven-directed fare as 'Total Recall' and 'Starship Troopers', these scene extensions are practically feel-good family viewing. Besides, I find 'The Amazing Disintegrating Toxic Man' sequence & 'Robo opening an artery' to be the film's most disturbingly memorable moments.

Speaking of the director, I do find it a hoot listening to the commentary track, featuring Verhoeven and wo-writer Ed Neumeier. I especially love the part where, when they come to the slaying of Murphy, they relate it to the death and resurrection of Christ. In the words of the Benny Hill of the RoboCop world, I'd buy THAT for a dollar! It's also revealed that a lot of the location filming was actually done in *GASP* Dallas, rather than Detroit! Of course, if you've never been to either city, it's not like there's that much of a diff anyway...

In conclusion: if you're planning to view this cut of RoboCop to be startled and disturbed by the extra gory cutting-room bits, you'll likely be in for a bit of a disappointment. However, if you're looking for a futuristic shoot-em-up actioner that's both fun and kinda scary, this bad-boy's worth at least a rent!

'Late

Eclectic (some would say eccentric) Dutch director Paul Verhoeven broke into the U.S. market in a very big way with his ROBOCOP (1987), which is not so much an action film as a high-energy adrenaline rush. Its futurism is two-fold; it is a work of futuristic sci-fi but, even more significantly, when it was released in 1987, it heralded the future of action films: bigger, badder, faster, ultra-violent and extremely well-written. Boasting a killer script by Michael Miner and Edward Neumeier, ROBOCOP manages to be intelligent, cynical, metaphorical, bleak, allegorical, nihilistic, bloody, stoic, emotional and very funny--often in the same scene.

It is also extremely well-acted. Peter Weller brings a lot of subtlety to his doomed Officer Alex Murphy, while veteran blond actress Nancy Allen (previously known for her varied roles in some of the best '70's and early-'80's films by Brian De Palma, to whom she had been married during that period of time) brings a lot of strength as well as sensitivity to her Officer Anne Lewis. But most memorable are the bad guys: Ronny Cox as Dick Jones, the cold-blooded Senior VP of OCP. Miguel Ferrer as the smarmy young exec Bob Morton, who tries to knock Jones off his perch. Lastly, and undoubtably most memorable, is Kurtwood Smith as the ultra-violent gang leader Clarence Boddicker. Among the most sadistic villains in film history, Clarence Boddicker is two parts creepy and three parts bada$$; a supervillain beyond compare to most others portrayed in movies. Kurtwood Smith, now known to the younger two generations as Red Foreman in the wonderfully funny series "That '70's Show," plays Clarence Boddicker so well--vulgar language & all--that it's absolutely shocking to revisit him in this role after having gotten to know him over the past five years as a TV dad, even one as gruff as his Red Foreman.

I decline to summarize the plot of ROBOCOP, since so many reviewers have already done so. Besides, most of you reading this have most likely already seen it at least once. Let's face it, ROBOCOP ushered in a new era for film; afterwards we got other Verhoeven mega-hits such as TOTAL RECALL and STARSHIP TROOPERS. Other filmmakers inevitably tried to copy him, such as Robert Longo with the mega-bomb JOHNNY MNEMONIC (which should be retitled JOHNNY MORONIC); the fact is, nobody can do futuristic sci-fi like Paul Verhoeven. Of course, let's not forget that Verhoeven himself was probably influenced to some extent by James Cameron, who had set the original cyborg gold standard with his 1984 classic THE TERMINATOR. However, ROBOCOP is unique--its dark humor and cynicism sets it completely apart in style from THE TERMINATOR. (Both are great films, and any comparisons between the two are tantamount to comparing apples with oranges.)

I give this DVD four stars because it only contains the film and original theatrical trailer, plus ads for the remastered DVD versions of three films, including CARRIE. That's it. In order to get the extras the this film demands, I will need to purchase the Critierion Collection DVD, which has extensive commentary by Verhoeven and a few others, plus storyboards, a "making-of" video, etc. But for now, this plain-jane DVD will have to do. Too bad, because ROBOCOP is anything but plain-jane. Even by today's standards, it kicks major you-know-what!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Another fine edition to the Criterion Collection, director Paul Verhoeven's 1987 "Robocop" functions on many different levels, not only as a very entertaining science fiction movie, but also as a piece of social satire. Verhoeven and screenwriters Michael Miner and Edward Neumeier surely had the ability to see into the future, as the world they envisioned has, in many ways, come true.

Old Detroit, the near future. The city is terrorized by a gang of thugs, headed by Clarence Boddicer ("That 70's Show" Kurtwood Smith) and his men. The city has decided to turn over the operation of the police department to the OCP corporation.

Enter cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller), freshly transferred to the Old Detroit police department. Partnered with Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen), Murphy and Lewis hit the streets.

An encounter with Boddicer and his boys leaves Murphy, well, dead. Enter smarmy OCP executive Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer), who has been developing a program to create a cyborg cop. Murphy becomes his guinea pig and "Robocop" is born.

Much of the social satire and humor Verhoeven interjects into the movies comes in the form of in-movie television broadcasts, the sort of which are common now, on CNN, MSNBC and the like. Smiling reporters dish out daily doses of sex and violence to the masses.

The story is essentially the robot Murphy's regaining of his humanity. His creators erase his memory, or so they think, until Murphy begins to experience flashbacks from his former life, including memories of his death, which leads him on a search to avenge his death. His search takes him back to OCP as he confronts the man who was responsible for his death.

As submitted to the MPAA, "Robocop" was going to be awarded with the dreaded "X" rating for violence. The Criterion Collection release of "Robocop" restores Verhoeven's original vision, which is a few seconds here and there of blood and gore. While the film is indeed violent, the bloodshed is certainly tame by today's standards -- Verhoeven's "Starship Troopers," released in 1997, is much bloodier and violent than "Robocop" and it received an "R" rating.

The transfer, while non-anamorphic, is still very good; the film is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. There are two audio tracks, a Dolby Digital 2.0 track and commentary track. The commentary is lifted from the laserdisc edition of "Robocop," and is an entertaining discussion with Verhoeven, his writers, and others involved in the production.

Until "Robocop" gets the special edition DVD treatment, this Criterion version is worth hunting down. "I'd buy that for a dollar!"

This DVD showcases the original cut of ROBOCOP, the one that had a couple o' really fun scenes of tasty mayhem that got the MPAA worked up, threatening the film's wider demographic possibilities with an 'X' rating. As a result, parts of these precious moments were cut for the theatrical release. But, the moviegoing public being the curious folks they are, Criterion saw a good thing when it decided to release the original cut on DVD. And, as usual, they put out a pretty good presentation. Trailers, articles on the production of the flick, a running commentary track and storyboards of unfilmed sequences are among the extras as well as the restored controversial footage. There's no shortage of stuff to keep the average action/sci-fi film buff occupied for a while... well, besides actually watching the movie, that is!

Actually, I don't consider the extra several seconds of visceral imagery to be that big a deal. Murphy's arm gets blown off some more, and that unfortunate exec gets filled with even MORE lead from the ED-209. Compared to the over-the-top ultraviolence of subsequent Verhoeven-directed fare as 'Total Recall' and 'Starship Troopers', these scene extensions are practically feel-good family viewing. Besides, I find 'The Amazing Disintegrating Toxic Man' sequence & 'Robo opening an artery' to be the film's most disturbingly memorable moments.

Speaking of the director, I do find it a hoot listening to the commentary track, featuring Verhoeven and wo-writer Ed Neumeier. I especially love the part where, when they come to the slaying of Murphy, they relate it to the death and resurrection of Christ. In the words of the Benny Hill of the RoboCop world, I'd buy THAT for a dollar! It's also revealed that a lot of the location filming was actually done in *GASP* Dallas, rather than Detroit! Of course, if you've never been to either city, it's not like there's that much of a diff anyway...

In conclusion: if you're planning to view this cut of RoboCop to be startled and disturbed by the extra gory cutting-room bits, you'll likely be in for a bit of a disappointment. However, if you're looking for a futuristic shoot-em-up actioner that's both fun and kinda scary, this bad-boy's worth at least a rent!

'Late

Eclectic (some would say eccentric) Dutch director Paul Verhoeven broke into the U.S. market in a very big way with his ROBOCOP (1987), which is not so much an action film as a high-energy adrenaline rush. Its futurism is two-fold; it is a work of futuristic sci-fi but, even more significantly, when it was released in 1987, it heralded the future of action films: bigger, badder, faster, ultra-violent and extremely well-written. Boasting a killer script by Michael Miner and Edward Neumeier, ROBOCOP manages to be intelligent, cynical, metaphorical, bleak, allegorical, nihilistic, bloody, stoic, emotional and very funny--often in the same scene.

It is also extremely well-acted. Peter Weller brings a lot of subtlety to his doomed Officer Alex Murphy, while veteran blond actress Nancy Allen (previously known for her varied roles in some of the best '70's and early-'80's films by Brian De Palma, to whom she had been married during that period of time) brings a lot of strength as well as sensitivity to her Officer Anne Lewis. But most memorable are the bad guys: Ronny Cox as Dick Jones, the cold-blooded Senior VP of OCP. Miguel Ferrer as the smarmy young exec Bob Morton, who tries to knock Jones off his perch. Lastly, and undoubtably most memorable, is Kurtwood Smith as the ultra-violent gang leader Clarence Boddicker. Among the most sadistic villains in film history, Clarence Boddicker is two parts creepy and three parts bada$$; a supervillain beyond compare to most others portrayed in movies. Kurtwood Smith, now known to the younger two generations as Red Foreman in the wonderfully funny series "That '70's Show," plays Clarence Boddicker so well--vulgar language & all--that it's absolutely shocking to revisit him in this role after having gotten to know him over the past five years as a TV dad, even one as gruff as his Red Foreman.

I decline to summarize the plot of ROBOCOP, since so many reviewers have already done so. Besides, most of you reading this have most likely already seen it at least once. Let's face it, ROBOCOP ushered in a new era for film; afterwards we got other Verhoeven mega-hits such as TOTAL RECALL and STARSHIP TROOPERS. Other filmmakers inevitably tried to copy him, such as Robert Longo with the mega-bomb JOHNNY MNEMONIC (which should be retitled JOHNNY MORONIC); the fact is, nobody can do futuristic sci-fi like Paul Verhoeven. Of course, let's not forget that Verhoeven himself was probably influenced to some extent by James Cameron, who had set the original cyborg gold standard with his 1984 classic THE TERMINATOR. However, ROBOCOP is unique--its dark humor and cynicism sets it completely apart in style from THE TERMINATOR. (Both are great films, and any comparisons between the two are tantamount to comparing apples with oranges.)

I give this DVD four stars because it only contains the film and original theatrical trailer, plus ads for the remastered DVD versions of three films, including CARRIE. That's it. In order to get the extras the this film demands, I will need to purchase the Critierion Collection DVD, which has extensive commentary by Verhoeven and a few others, plus storyboards, a "making-of" video, etc. But for now, this plain-jane DVD will have to do. Too bad, because ROBOCOP is anything but plain-jane. Even by today's standards, it kicks major you-know-what!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Another fine edition to the Criterion Collection, director Paul Verhoeven's 1987 "Robocop" functions on many different levels, not only as a very entertaining science fiction movie, but also as a piece of social satire. Verhoeven and screenwriters Michael Miner and Edward Neumeier surely had the ability to see into the future, as the world they envisioned has, in many ways, come true.

Old Detroit, the near future. The city is terrorized by a gang of thugs, headed by Clarence Boddicer ("That 70's Show" Kurtwood Smith) and his men. The city has decided to turn over the operation of the police department to the OCP corporation.

Enter cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller), freshly transferred to the Old Detroit police department. Partnered with Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen), Murphy and Lewis hit the streets.

An encounter with Boddicer and his boys leaves Murphy, well, dead. Enter smarmy OCP executive Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer), who has been developing a program to create a cyborg cop. Murphy becomes his guinea pig and "Robocop" is born.

Much of the social satire and humor Verhoeven interjects into the movies comes in the form of in-movie television broadcasts, the sort of which are common now, on CNN, MSNBC and the like. Smiling reporters dish out daily doses of sex and violence to the masses.

The story is essentially the robot Murphy's regaining of his humanity. His creators erase his memory, or so they think, until Murphy begins to experience flashbacks from his former life, including memories of his death, which leads him on a search to avenge his death. His search takes him back to OCP as he confronts the man who was responsible for his death.

As submitted to the MPAA, "Robocop" was going to be awarded with the dreaded "X" rating for violence. The Criterion Collection release of "Robocop" restores Verhoeven's original vision, which is a few seconds here and there of blood and gore. While the film is indeed violent, the bloodshed is certainly tame by today's standards -- Verhoeven's "Starship Troopers," released in 1997, is much bloodier and violent than "Robocop" and it received an "R" rating.

The transfer, while non-anamorphic, is still very good; the film is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. There are two audio tracks, a Dolby Digital 2.0 track and commentary track. The commentary is lifted from the laserdisc edition of "Robocop," and is an entertaining discussion with Verhoeven, his writers, and others involved in the production.

Until "Robocop" gets the special edition DVD treatment, this Criterion version is worth hunting down. "I'd buy that for a dollar!"