Subject: RETROSPECTIVE: ROBOCOP 2 (1990)

From: [email-masked] (Randy Parker)
Date: 14 May 1996 21:02:49 GMT

ROBOCOP 2
                       A film review by Randy Parker
                        Copyright 1996 Randy Parker

RATING:  **  (out of ****)

(Review written in 1990)

     For a while, ROBOCOP 2 promises to live up to its predecessor, the
inventive tale of a murdered cop brought back to life as a cyborg, part man
and part machine.  Under Paul Verhoeven's stylish direction, ROBOCOP was a
novel combination of comic book heroics, gory action, and black humor.

     The sequel begins with a brutally funny television commercial in
which John Glover pitches a high-tech car alarm.  In fact, the entire first
hour is fairly satisfying.  The movie picks up several loose ends which
were not adequately resolved in the original, such as whether Robocop,
played again by Peter Weller, is simply a machine following a computer
program or whether he is still human, with emotions, thoughts, and
memories.  Unfortunately, half-way through, ROBOCOP 2 drops these plot
strands and degenerates into a senseless barrage of explosions, gunfights,
and special effects.

     Like TOTAL RECALL, ROBOCOP 2 assaults you with so much violence
that you become numb and apathetic.  The difference is that in TOTAL RECALL
you become apathetic only to the violence itself, whereas in ROBOCOP 2 you
just become apathetic in general.

     ROBOCOP 2 was co-written by Frank Miller, the author of several
graphic novels, including BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS.  As a comic book
writer with a talent for telling sophisticated stories, Miller was an
intriguing choice to write ROBOCOP 2.  Regrettably, Miller's first attempt
at screenwriting is a major disappointment.  The sequel's plot is feeble
and fragmented.  In fact, it really contains two story lines, both of which
are woefully half-baked.

     Miller attempts to recreate the intelligent social satire which
made the first film intriguing and entertaining.  Like the original, the
sequel uses TV newscasts and commercials to spoof society.  Unfortunately,
the television parodies generally seem tacked on; the humor is not only
forced, but also awkwardly incorporated into the movie.  ROBOCOP 2 is a
victim of sloppy editing.

     About all the movie has to offer is some remarkable stop-motion
animation, but the film's hollow story line makes its technical
achievements seem pointless.  The net result is a movie as cold and
mechanical as the robots it depicts.

---
Randy Parker
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