After sucking the Marvel and DC Comics pool dry, Hollywood has turned its sights on the few remaining cult classics from the better side of the millennium. As it turns out, everyone's favourite cyborg will be getting the remake treatment soon. The trailer for the upcoming Robocop rehash is out and it looks all well-produced and shiny all right.

However, for those born on the wrong side of the '80s, here's a primer on why you should be excited. But before we get on with that, you might want to take a gander at the trailer for the original film in order to see what made it a cult classic.



It's Badass Because It's From the '80s
Firstly, let's just admit it, the past is often quite awesome indeed. Back in the '80s, everything from the people to pop culture itself was more brutal and politically incorrect than the chronically unfunny and watered down versions we are served up these days. And Paul Verhoeven's cult classic Robocop (1987) is one of the best examples of this badassery.

Because Paul Verhoeven Nailed Anti-Corporate Allegory
It was not only brutal and chock full with cool stuff such as cyborgs and mechas, but the narrative also captured the essence of the archetypal evil corporation. And therein lies a perfect antithesis to current trend of company-worshipping fanboys, whom I often recommend this movie in the hope that they would see a reflection of their beloved Apple, Microsoft, or Samsung in the movie's fictional Omni Consumer Products.


Another ideal anti-establishment role model from the '80s

A Perfect Role Model
In an age where, the brainwashed sheeple need strong anti-establishment role models, tapping back to the ones that already got it right in the '80s is your best bet. I mean, when was the last time you saw a movie where an accidentally self-aware cyborg is used as an allegory for breaking out of corporate slavery and brainwashing?

However, there's a catch. This isn't the '80s, and big-budget Hollywood productions these days tend to be sanitised and dumbed down to appeal to the lowest common denominator, while removing all that would hurt the sentiments of all and sundry. That generally means stripping a film of all that could potentially make it awesome. Going by the trailer, there's a good chance that this might just be the case.



The PG13 Cop Out
Unfortunately, the trailer disappoints by watering down the brutal original story of the '80s classic into a flagrantly obvious cop out to attain the all important PG13 rating. I refer to Murphy's death scene by that. While the original showed deranged thugs dismembering the soon-to-be Robocop with a barrage of shotguns in true Paul Verhoeven style, the remake goes for the significantly less graphic route of a car bomb explosion. You could term this artistic licence, but such nerfing of graphic content is to be expected in a day and age where film studios funding multi-million dollar projects don't want to risk losing a considerable chunk of younger audience.


Certainly not the ideal way to disarm an opponent

Please, Not Spiderman All Over Again
Then you also have, what seems to be a disturbingly significant emphasis on Robocop's family. That points to the sort of mawkishness that could potentially ruin any action movie. I'm looking at you, Spiderman. I don't think there's anything wrong in putting a bit of an emotional angle in the backstory, just like Robocop did with Murphy's flashbacks. However, mangling the narrative of what's supposed to be an action movie with unnecessary pathos not only detracts from the experience, but it seems forced and irrevocably boring as well. Let's just hope the remake keeps this family angle on the down low; again, just like the original.


No, just no

Disturbingly Uncharacteristic
Apart from the absence of violence, old-school Robocop fans have pointed out many things amiss with the trailer as well. From Robocop's I, Robot like agile movements, the lack of tell-tale servo motor, and hydraulic noise is been deemed uncharacteristic by the fans to say the least. In the light of this, it wouldn't be far fetched to assume that the remake has a snowflake's chance in hell of capturing the original's anti-corporate allegory.

However, the movie has been directed by José Padilha, whose credits include the critically acclaimed Elite Squad series. As it turns out, he does intend to underscore the deeper political theme, albeit with drones this time around. This is Padhila's first major Hollywood project after gaining global recognition with Elite Squad, so the jury's still out on how much of his originality will shine through under the creatively sanitising influence of a big budget Hollywood production. Well, we will only know that once the movie hits the theatres in February next year.

Tags : Culture