Robocop 2 (1990)

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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RoboCop 2 is probably the most under-rated and most harshly criticized sequel in history (tying with Predator 2, which came out the same year). Because of a few missing elements from the first and a slightly more cartoonish approach to the violence, the critics and public alike were not pleased and opinions and feelings toward the franchise nosedived with the just plain awful RoboCop 3.

Don't con yourself out of a good movie though. RoboCop 2 still has the same savage sense of humor, cynical social commentary and character pathos of the first film. It's a hyper-realistic vision of an America populated by gun-loving psychos, a democracy owned by big business and the poverty-stricken addicted to drugs dealt to them by peddlers believing themselves to be the second coming of Christ.

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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Far-fetched could be the typical way of describing it. Completely-over-the-top would be more appropriate. Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner chucks in as much sadistic violence, deafening gunfire, endless destruction and loss of human life that the film just begs you not to take it so seriously.

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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Some of the blame was placed on writer Frank Miller for the film being more cartoonish than the original. I don't think this is very fair. I read Miller's original script when I was in high school and it is rather different and, dare I say, unfilmable. RoboCop 2 himself was not Nuke Lord Caine, the psychotic hippie with delusions of Godhood. He was called Kong, a psychotic cop who pretty much killed everybody he came across. Sgt. Reed and the Old Man died too, and there wasn't much humor. Screenwriter Walon Green was hired to doctor the script and much of what appears on screen is actually his work. Frank Miller's original ideas are pretty much just left as the framework for the whole movie and some of his story was recycled into RoboCop 3 (don't blame him for that one either). Miller was obviously upset with this but was still a good enough sport to appear in the film (keep a lookout for him playing Doctor Frank), though he vowed not to work in Hollywood again for fear of being taken advantage of. Until Robert Rodriguez promised to make good on his Sin City graphic novels.

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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Verhoven may be gone but Irvin Kershner tries hard to deliver the same mix of mirth and magic and actually does get it right. Basil Poledouris' brooding score is also gone (it returns in RoboCop 3) but new composer Leonard Rosenman creates a wonderfully heroic and upbeat theme that suits the film more than Poledouris' moody, tormented score to the first.

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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There have also been many complaints that the humanity of RoboCop and his relationship with Lewis was neutered along with too many other ideas fighting for screen time. I get why most would be annoyed by this but you have to remember that films need to be economic when it comes to length. If every single idea was fully explored and fleshed-out RoboCop 2 would have been 4 hours long. In my opinion each thread has just enough for keen viewers and fans to appreciate. Lazy viewers only see what they want to see and I feel that this has led to many of the negative reviews the film has been met with (which usually comment on how "offensive" the character of Hob is-sheesh, gimme a break). And don't give me that the "humanity" of the first film is gone. Murphy has not resigned to being a machine. He lies to pacify OCP. Pay attention to the very last line of dialogue in the film if you want proof.

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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Filmed once again in Texas, Houston this time, you really have to feel for Peter Weller walking around in that Robosuit. It must have weighed a ton and he'd be sweating bucketloads inside. There is a particular scene in the film where Murphy is tortured into near-death/destruction that is very hard to watch. But it does lead to him getting a brand-new makeover and those crazy new directives put into his head. The bit where he lectures the Little League kids and scolds the youngsters playing by the leaky fire hydrant (after quoting some very suspicious philosophy) is hilarious.

RoboCop 2 is a great movie. Despite harsh critisisms of the script and story and some slightly dated stop-motion effects it's a brilliant sequel that lives up to expectations. Do listen to the nay-sayers. I don't know what kind of film they were expecting.

And thank you for not smoking!

IMDB Reviewer

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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RoboCop 2 is one of those science-fiction movies that really does a good job presenting a bleak vision of the future. As with the first RoboCop, the setting is the city of Detroit truly gone to hell. You can see this with the opening scene of RoboCop 2. There are depictions of all sorts of criminal activity. One great example involves a man snatching an old woman's purse, only to be robbed by two prostitutes a short time later. Nearby, a weapons shop is being robbed, and one man amuses himself by testing a rocket launcher on an incoming police car. If that isn't enough, machine gun bullets are fired into the already demolished car.

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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In a situation like this, you need a strong, unstoppable machine to stop these crooks. That's where RoboCop enters the picture. He is the one driving the police car I just mentioned. Once he gets out, he becomes a cop you don't mess with. He proceeds to infiltrate a drug ring that is distributing a narcotic called Nuke. The drug lord of this group is a man named Cain. While RoboCop does make a few kills, he doesn't catch Cain. Furthermore, RoboCop is done in by, believe it or not, a teenage boy with a gun, who is also part of this drug ring.

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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This sets the stage for a story arc that involves RoboCop versus the drug lord Cain. As this is going on, other things are happening. The corporation OCP (Omni Consumer Products), which had built RoboCop out of the remaining brain tissue of officer Alex Murphy, is seeking to take over the entire city of Detroit without any government interference. There is also talk within the company about the development of another crime-fighting cyborg, the RoboCop 2. For this to happen, the brain of an appropriate individual would have to be used for the machine.

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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The movie from beginning to end is an engrossing mix of story and action. The plotlines related to RoboCop, Cain, OCP, and RoboCop 2 converge in rather interesting ways. I especially enjoyed how RoboCop, as tough as he is built, can still be quite vulnerable, as shown in scenes where he is forcefully taken apart and reprogrammed erroneously. As for the action, it's pretty violent. Expect to see gunshots with large bullet holes and blood, big explosions, and even the sadistic use of a scalpel on a living person. But that's what I love about the action. It doesn't care if you're squeamish.

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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RoboCop 2 is a fun ride from the start, and it gets better towards the end. The explosive action in the climax does not disappoint as elements from all of the plotlines come together. Aside from the cast and script, director Irvin Kershner, who previously directed The Empire Strikes Back, is perhaps the main reason RoboCop 2 works. He manages to deliver the story and action in just the right mix. To be honest, I did not see the original RoboCop movie before RoboCop 2. Thankfully, it's not necessary. I was still able to understand who RoboCop and Alex Murphy are, and nowhere did I feel lost. Overall, I was quite satisfied with this sci-fi action movie, enough to want to see more of RoboCop.

Anthony's Film Review

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Robocop 2 (1990)

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Special Features: Theatrical trailer