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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: Robocop - Remastered Unrated Director's Cut
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 01-22-2014 08:41 PM
Finally, a Blu-ray version of Robocop worth buying has arrived on store shelves.
Most F-T participants are already familiar with story line of Robocop. For me it was one of those surprise hit movies. The previews made it seem really stupid, but it turned out to be quite an entertaining flick. The first time I watched it I sat through it twice at the Loews 34th East Six theater in Manhattan. The mix of comedy, satire, unflinching graphic violence and a really odd sensibility wrapped around an entertaining revenge story was a winning combination.
I could be wrong, but I think the upcoming remake, sanitized in PG-13 packaging, is probably going to suck. At the very least it won't have the same kind of impact as the original film.
Previously three other versions of Robocop have been released on Blu-ray, all using a very sub-par video transfer. I avoided buying any of those versions, sticking with my old Criterion Collection DVD. The new Blu-ray is sourced from a new 4K master, created with a 4K scan of the original camera negative.
The new Blu-ray looks a hell of a lot better. The image quality is not perfect, but the color, contrast and level of detail is pretty satisfying in most shots and vastly superior to DVD. The picture is sharp enough you can clearly some some errors (like the camera catching the "dead" Murphy on the hospital table blinking his eye). There is a lot of film grain in many camera shots. I checked the bit rate display on my PS3 and saw the level averaging 28 Mb/s.
The only area where the picture falters: the violent clips not originally included in the theatrical cut. I can only imagine those pieces of film were not stored very well. Perhaps only so much could be done (technology limits or budget constraints) to improve the look of those clips.
The new Blu-ray of Robocop features only the "unrated director's cut." I had hoped there would be a seamless branching option between the theatrical cut and unrated cut. DTS Master Audio 5.1 is the only English language option. It doesn't replicate the original Dolby SR optical mix.
The sound mix is pretty good. The mix isn't nearly as dynamic as those from movies originally made with 5.1 digital in mind. But it has a lot of discrete activity in all the sound channels and a few good panning effects too. The movie won a special achievement Academy Award in sound effects editing and was also nominated for the Best Sound Oscar. It was also Oscar nominated for film editing.
Some places, such as Best Buy and Amazon, have been offering the new Blu-ray at prices below $10. Other stores may have it priced higher, but also may be including coupons worth $7.50 to see the remake of Robocop hitting theaters February 12.
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 01-23-2014 11:32 AM
I liked Robocop. I found very little to like in Robocop 2. I never bothered watching Robocop 3. For those who did like the 1987 version of Robocop, I recommend the new Blu-ray. The bargain price makes it an even better deal.
quote: Justin Hamaker
As far as the update, I don't think there was anything in the movies that necessitated being done as an R rated film - especially since this is not a shot by shot remake.
The original Robocop from 1987 was very well known for its graphic violence. It was not a movie for kids. The MPAA gave the original cut an X rating. Paul Verhoven, Jon Davison & editor Frank J. Urioste trimmed a few scenes repeatedly to get an R rating. An animatronic model of Peter Weller's upper body was built to show Murphy getting shot through the head. Most of that dolly shot ended up on the cutting room floor. That footage was restored in the "unrated" version. The violence that remained in the R-rated cut was still pretty jarring -like Murphy's hand getting blown off with a shotgun. I think Paul Verhoven got a bit more lee-way with the MPAA when he made Total Recall, a much bigger budget project. BTW I thought the remake of that movie sucked.
With the remake of Robocop carrying a PG-13 rating, presumably so parents can bring their kids to the movie, it's not going to have anywhere near the impact of the original. This will probably be another movie to add to a long line of polished, bigger budget yet completely forgettable remakes. Worse yet, the sanitized PG-13 violence of the remake may do more to show violence being fun and without consequence. No blood, no mess.
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