Fuck the Robo-Police
Watching Robocop last night, it has become clear to me that Robocop is no hero at all. He is nothing more than an iron-clad vigilante on a neurotic quest for justice at all costs. Far from being the object of our sympathy, he is an unfeeling automaton with no regard for human life.
Blatant breaches of procedure and ethics comitted:
Robocop goes out on partol without a proper briefing.
Robocop pacifies an offender and leaves him at the scene of the crime. The offender clearly needs medical attention - his head is lodged in a commercial freezer.
Robocop shoots an offender in the genitals without provocation.
Robocop interrupts hostage negotiations and takes matters into his own hands.
Robocop throws the hostage-taker from a window without needing to.
Robocop illegally downloads files from the Police database.
Robocop uses that information to break into a house.
Without backup, Robocop busts a drug factory and kills most of the occupants. He makes only one arrest and uses excessive force in doing so.
In the final scene, Robocop shoots the suspect in the chest no less than three times at point blank range. Again, the suspect is fatally propelled through a window and no arrest is made.
Yep, Robocop is a loose cannon. Worse - a mechanical fascist. On the plus side, I really liked the comedy parts of the movie. They were bit like Starship Troopers, although Troopers is still way better - that movie is *so* underrated.
BTW: If you wanna hear some real cop stories, go visit Marcheline.
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yeah! there is a history, best exemplified by mad max, of the lone gunman of the western (operating within a frontier space bringing order to chaos) becoming the lone policeman operating within a state of exception. what is the us war-machine, but the robocop of the world?
Comment by Glen — Monday April 18 2005 @ 3:29 pm
Yeah!! Bitchin’ point. Except the US war machine doesn’t have metal pants. (God help us if they ever get any.)
Comment by Mark — Monday April 18 2005 @ 3:54 pm
But Robocop only busts the bad guys anyway. Good vs Evil. Like the Yanks do. Why should we be worried ;)
Comment by mellipop — Monday April 18 2005 @ 9:26 pm
You forgot to mention the scene at the chemical factory when Robo runs over one of Clarence’s henchmen (the pseudo-punk denim wearing one) after dumping a vat of toxic chemicals on him.
The poor guys face is melting off, but Robo just plows into him in a total Troma ’squishy corpse’ moment.
Have to agree with your ideological analysis of the movie … but despite all that it still rocks :)
Comment by Disappearing Boy — Tuesday April 19 2005 @ 11:52 am
Ha ha! I watched Robocop that night too! Oh, shit. I just ripped apart my pyjama pants.
Comment by Clare — Tuesday April 19 2005 @ 11:46 pm
*gulp*
Comment by Mark — Tuesday April 19 2005 @ 11:55 pm
No No No No No. He has humanity (Murphy) trapped inside this robotic authoritarianism. It’s a commentary of the 20C.
Agreed SST very underrated, Doogie Howser as a Crypto-nazi, genius.
Comment by anthony — Tuesday April 26 2005 @ 1:12 am
Of *course* Robocop’s a bastard. That’s part of the joke. Amongst other things, the movie parodies old Western heroes (as Glen sorta says). It’s like the anti-Dirty Harry.
Comment by mark — Saturday April 30 2005 @ 6:00 pm
Jeez. I never have him that much credit. UR way too smart :P
Comment by Mark — Saturday April 30 2005 @ 9:33 pm