tisdag 24 mars 2020

30 Years Anniversary Review Of Robocop 2

I am one of those who miss the early days of the 90´s, because there were some really good films made back then ( especially if you were a teenager during this time, like i was ). Just look at this list of films released in the year of 1990 and you will see what i mean:

* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
* Blue Steel
* The Gods Must Be Crazy II
* Back To The Future Part III
* Total Recall
* Another 48 Hours
* The Exorcist III
* Jacob´s Ladder

There are a lot of other titles i could mention, but i think it becomes clear from the list above that 1990 was a really good film year. But let´s talk about one film that you don´t hear much about these days, that i consider to be a 1990 classic. And that is the film known as The Rookie, directed by Clint Eastwood. If you appreciate the humour of Clint Eastwood, and lots of action scenes, then you will guaranteed have a good time with The Rookie. This film also have actors such as Charlie Sheen, legendary actor Raul Julia, Lara Flynn Boyle and Tom Skerritt. I suggest you pick up this film on DVD or Blu Ray, and have a nostalgic 90´s evening with your family. Speaking of 1990, this was the year of sequels. I mentioned some of the titles above, and there are still some more sequels that i did not mention, such as Child´s Play 2. Now that´s one of those wonderful films that helped me become the wonderful man i am today. All you needed was to see Chucky, the possessed doll kill some victims, and everything would feel fantastic. If there was two sequels that i especially remember from 1990, it is Predator 2 and... Robocop 2. Let´s talk about Robocop for a while. The 1987 film is one of the true classic action films of the 80´s, and if you have not seen this film, you have broken of of the most important rules of The Ten Commandments in the Bible that says :- You shall see Robocop. I suggest you pick up the Arrow Video Limited Edition of Robocop on Blu Ray, and experience a fantastic release of this classic. Since the sequel Robocop 2 had a lot of pressure from fans of the first film, you know it would be hard to make a sequel. I enjoyed Robocop 2 back in the days, but i decided to go back and see this film again, if this film is still enjoyable 30 years later. Is it possible that Robocop 2 is entertaining 30 years later, or has this sequel aged too much over the years ?

In the near future, Detroit is on the verge of bankruptcy after failing to pay of its debt to Omni Consumer Products ( OCP ). The OCP chairman intends to have the city default on its debt, then foreclose on all public property, effectively taking over it´s government and allowing for a radical urban redevelopment plan. OCP sparks an increase in street crime by terminating Detroit Police Department´s pension plans and cutting salaries, triggering a police strike. Robocop, also known as Alex Murphy ( Peter Weller ) and his partner Anne Lewis ( Nancy Allen ), raid a manufacturing plant where the biggest street drug Nuke is made, that is causing chaos in Detroit. The cartel´s leader Cain ( Tom Noonan ) and adolescent accomplice Hob ( Gabriel Damon ) escape. Hob managed to hit Robocop in the head with a bullet. that causing him to have technical issues. Robocop manage to locate Cain again at an abandoned construction site, but is caught in a trap. Cain and his men destroy Robocop´s body, leaving him to suffer. OCP manage to put him back together, but the spirit of Robocop has changed. It is like OCP have messed with his mind, and Anne Lewis knows that they did something to him. Meanwhile, OCP are working hard to make Robocop 2, a different model than the first Robocop to take over his job. But inside of Robocop 2 is the mind of Cain, that OCP decided to use after he is killed, hoping he will fight crimes instead, by using forbidden methods. Nothing goes as OCP planned, and the original Robocop may be their only hope to clean up the streets once more.

I must say, going back to Robocop 2 today is like going into a bar and finding Ron De Jeremy Rum on the meny. It feels like coming home, and you know that you are getting something that you have missed. Robocop 2 is an action film that has a lot to offer, especially when it comes to action scenes. You get plenty of shootings, violence, and funny dialogue as well. I would not say that this film is as good as the first film, but as a sequel i have to say i still find entertainment value in Robocop 2. Lead actor Peter Weller knows exactly how to portrait Robocop in his own unique way, and in this film he show a different side of Robocop that we have not seen before,  and i find that interesting. Speaking of characters, i really enjoy seeing actress Nancy Allen back as police officer Anne Lewis. Nancy gives her character the right kind of roughness that this character needs, but she also have a good heart. One of the funniest characters in Robocop 2 has to be Mayor Marvin Kuzak ( played by actor Willard E. Pugh ), and i could not think of anyone who would have done this character better than Willard does in this film. Mayor Marvin has to be the only mayor who had 47 cups of coffee in one day, overdosed on caffeine and have so much energy that he have no idea what to do with it. And this comes out in the acting performance of Willard E. Pugh, and is without a doubt one of the highlights of this film. Main evil character Cain, played by legendary actor Tom Noonan ( who is especially good in the independent horror film The House Of The Devil ), is actually a good match for this film. Cain is clearly a disturbing personality with no sympathy for anyone, and Noonan manage to bring this out in his performance. I have to mention Gabriel Damon, who was a child actor during this time as the character Hob, the coolest kid ever in an action film. The CGI effects may have aged, but i still feel that they still work, considering this film was made 30 years ago. The violence in this film may be very brutal, but this is actually the biggest strength of this sequel since the plot does not feel very deep. Director Irvin Kershner have made a sequel that may not reach the same level of quality as the first film, but he clearly tried to bring back Robocop in his own way, and deliver a solid action film. With great characters, and a lot of fun action scenes, Robocop 2 has a lot to offer fans of the first film. I think this sequel proves that it is possible to do a good sequel, if you know what the audience wants. Worth being in your DVD or Blu Ray collection, so you can show the next generation of kids why the films of the 90´s made us more intelligent.

Rating: DDD

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