Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘RoboCop 2’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​I don't envy the folks that are tasked with crafting a sequel to an extremely successful film, simply because of the fact that it is up to them to make sure that the magic of the first film is found in the second one, all while finding a way to advance the story and the characters in new and exciting ways, otherwise they face the ire of the fans.

We all know how it goes when filmmakers fail at that task, but more often than not we are treated to adequate if not stellar sequels that get the job done. But once in a great while, a sequel comes along that accomplishes all the goals we've discussed thus far, and also manages to take the franchise in a wild and bold direction... as was the case with RoboCop 2. 

Now granted, the film doesn't start off making that bold new direction evident, because everything we loved about the original is present early on in spades. Alex Murphy is still a tough as nails cyborg who doesn't take any crap from anybody and all the familiar faces from the first motion picture pop up to satisfy the fans as well. But shortly after we reacquaint ourselves with this world, the film takes quite the left turn, shedding the hallmarks of science fiction and social commentary that were staples of the first film as it quickly evolves into an angry dystopian nightmare.

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​Case and point, the film's focus on extreme violence and the sheer disregard for human life. In the last film, Murphy and his past mattered and there are hints of that here, but all of that is quickly replaced with the stop at nothing hunt for Cain and the violence that goes into that quest is utterly breathtaking. Whereas in the first film the violence was utilized to lighten the mood and remind us it's all a silly motion picture, the constant juicy headshots and pulpy flesh on display here are to remind us that OCP never had any intention of making this world better, they simply bought Detroit to bolster their profit margin and because of that their disregard for humanity has allowed for the worst parts of our psyche to run rampant on the streets. It's the wild west, set far in the future and quite frankly... it's outright brilliant.

Because more or less, RoboCop 2 plays everything straight. The over the top notion of a guy turned into a cyborg is no longer a running joke, and despite a few moments of levity in this film, he is a being whose only purpose in life now is to constantly combat a never ending stream of crime and that's where this film takes the franchise into a bold new direction, because by playing it straight, by robbing the film of its humanity it gives us a frightening vision of the future where right and wrong don't exist for the elite and where everyday citizens are forced to take a side and stick with it in order to survive and perhaps my only lament when it comes to this motion picture... is that they didn't explore this kind of dystopia in depth, opting instead to make the violence the focus over all things.  

While all of that may sound bleak and unappealing to watch, the no holds barred presentation of this world that the film presents us with actually ends up drawing you in rather than repelling you and this is the kind of motion picture that you watch several times over to try and absorb all the little details to help your mind understand how a world filled with technological wonders that should make life better for everyone instead became such an awful place. Either way, this film took one hell of a risk in altering the direction of this franchise and it's one that in my opinion paid off, meaning that RoboCop 2 is a motion picture that should be celebrated, because it is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.

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