Reviewed By Jason LockardThe taglines were Part Man, Part Machine, All Cop! The Future of Law Enforcement! The film was the action-packed Robocop. I remember watching Robocop as a young kid on TV. I was enthralled with the story and the horrific events. I was instantly hooked. Every time it came on TV I tried to catch it.
Now Arrow Video has decided to give this 80's cult action film a release this iconic film deserves. But does it live up to the other releases that Arrow Video gave some other cult classics? Let's take a look!
The film takes place in Detroit in the not-too-distant future. Heroic cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is gunned down in the line of duty, only to be brought back as RoboCop – a cybernetic mix of spare human parts and Motor City steel, and the the latest defense against crime designed by the all-powerful OCP Corporation.
As RoboCop’s memories of his former life as Murphy resurface, only his ex-partner (Nancy Allen) stands beside him to fight against the vicious thugs responsible for his death, as well as a nefarious top-level OCP executive orchestrating the chaos from above.
The film has been restored in 4K from the original camera negative by MGM, transferred in 2013 and approved by director Paul Verhoeven. The film is presented in wide screen format in HD. The audio is the original lossless stereo and four-channel mixes plus DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound option on both cuts. The film looks and sounds absolutely stunning.
But Arrow Video went above and beyond with this 80's cult classic release. Let's take a look at everything included in this 2 Disc Blu-ray set.
DISC ONE – DIRECTOR’S CUT
- Archive commentary by director Paul Verhoeven, the executive producer Jon Davison and co-writer Ed Neumeier (originally recorded for the Theatrical Cut and re-edited in 2014 for the Director’s Cut)
- New commentary by film historian Paul M. Sammon
- New commentary by fans Christopher Griffiths, Gary Smart and Eastwood Allen
- The Future of Law Enforcement: Creating RoboCop, a newly filmed interview with co-writer Michael Miner
- RoboTalk, a newly filmed conversation between co-writer Ed Neumeier and filmmakers David Birke (writer of Elle) and Nick McCarthy (director of Orion Pictures’ The Prodigy)
- Truth of Character, a newly filmed interview with star Nancy Allen on her role as Lewis
- Casting Old Detroit, a newly filmed interview with casting director Julie Selzer on how the film’s ensemble cast was assembled
- Connecting the Shots, a newly filmed interview with second unit director and frequent Verhoeven collaborator Mark Goldblatt
- Analog, a new featurette focusing on the special photographic effects, including new interviews with Peter Kuran and Kevin Kutchaver
- More Man Than Machine: Composing Robocop, a new tribute to composer Basil Poledouris featuring film music experts Jeff Bond, Lukas Kendall, Daniel Schweiger and Robert Townson
- RoboProps, a newly filmed tour of super-fan Julien Dumont’s collection of original props and memorabilia
- 2012 Q&A with the Filmmakers, a panel discussion featuring Verhoeven, Davison, Neumeier, Miner, Allen, star Peter Weller and animator Phil Tippett
- RoboCop: Creating a Legend, Villains of Old Detroit and Special Effects: Then & Now, three archive featurettes from 2007 featuring interviews with cast and crew
- Paul Verhoeven Easter Egg
- Four deleted scenes
- The Boardroom: Storyboard with Commentary by Phil Tippett
- Director’s Cut Production Footage, raw dailies from the filming of the unrated gore scenes
- Two theatrical trailers and three TV spots
- Extensive image galleries
- Archive commentary by director Paul Verhoeven, the executive producer Jon Davison and co-writer Ed Neumeier (originally recorded for The theatrical version of the film)
- Two Isolated Score tracks (Composer’s Original Mix and Final Theatrical Mix) in lossless stereo
- Edited-for-television version of the film, featuring alternate dubs, takes and edits of several scenes (95 mins, SD only)
- Split-screen comparisons between the Director’s Cut and Theatrical Cut, and the Theatrical Cut and edited-for-TV version
- Robocop: Edited For Television, a compilation of alternate scenes from two edited-for-television versions, including outtakes newly transferred in HD from recently-unearthed 35mm elements
So if you're a fan of 80's films or the cult classic RoboCop. This release is an absolute must-own release. Head over to MVDShop.com or Amazon.com and get your copy.
Moral Rating: Violence, Scary Images, Language
Audience: Teens and Adults
Genre: Action
Length: 1 hour 42 Minutes
Blu-ray Value Rating: A+
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