Story
RoboCop is set in the year 2028. It opens with scenes showing robots battling terrorists in what appears to be a Middle Eastern country. The robots are manufactured by OmniCorp, a billion-dollar company run by Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton). Sellars wants his robots to be deployed throughout the USA to replace American law enforcement officers. But the American public are sceptical about using robots for this purpose, and Congress has passed a law preventing their use on US soil. To get around this, Sellars decides to develop an android that is part human and part robot – a RoboCop.Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is a Detroit undercover detective hot on the trail of corrupt police officers selling high-powered guns to drug dealer Antoine Vallon (Patrick Garrow). Realising that Murphy is getting too close for comfort, Vallon orders Murphy murdered in a car bomb explosion. The explosion doesn’t kill Murphy, but it does leave him badly mutilated.Murphy’s injuries make him the perfect choice for OmniCorp’s experimental RoboCop project. Scientist Dr Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman) is given the job of transforming Murphy into the world’s first RoboCop. But the transition from man to machine isn’t smooth. Dennett is forced to alter Murphy’s brain, making him more machine than man. But there is more to the human brain than either Sellars or Norton bargain for. When Alex’s old personality overrides his programing, he seeks to right the injustices done to him.
Themes
Corruption; urban warfare and terrorism; suicide bombers; robots
Violence
RoboCop includes some violence. For example:
Sexual references
RoboCop has some sexual references, including reference to a rapist.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
RoboCop shows some use of substances. For example:
- A man drinks spirits from a glass in a bar.
- Alex Murphy drinks beer from a bottle.
- One scene shows a drug deal – people exchange small packages and money.
- One scene shows an illegal drug lab with equipment, people making drugs and large plastic bags with white powder.
Nudity and sexual activity
RoboCop has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- Alex Murphy embraces his wife and kisses her passionately. He then pulls off her top and reveals her bra, pushes her onto a bed and lies on top of her, kissing her passionately. The scene ends when a car alarm goes off.
- A woman wears a tight-fitting top.
- A robot uses x-ray to scan several women, revealing the outlines of their bodies beneath their clothes.
Product placement
There is no product placement of concern in RoboCop, but merchandise associated with this movie is being marketed to boys in particular.
Coarse language
RoboCop has some coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
RoboCop is a remake of the 1987 movie of the same name. It is a science fiction action thriller targeting older adolescent boys and adults.
Although it has less blood and gore than the original movie, it deserves its M rating. It has numerous gun battles, suicide bombers, gruesome images and a very high body count. Although the movie might attract children under 15 years, it has several violent and disturbing scenes and characters. These make it unsuitable for children under 13 years, and we strongly recommend parental guidance for young adolescents.
These are the main messages from this movie:
- It isn’t worth giving up freedom for safety.
- There are problems with drawing the line between humans and machines.
- Greed can be an overriding factor when large companies determine people’s needs.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include commitment and determination. Although Alex’s wife must contend with extraordinary circumstances, she remains totally committed to him. She is determined to make their marriage work and keep their family together. Both Alex and his wife show commitment towards their son by helping him cope with changing circumstances.