RANKING the RoboCop Films - Worst To Best / RoboCop 1987 SPEED-ART
With the Evolution of RoboCop out on my main channel, it’s time to rank all four films in the RoboCop franchise from worst to best! I know a lot of people think this franchise is dead or a poor shadow of what it used to stand for, but I'm not gonna let anyone’s opinion change my own. So without any further ado, let's get to the rankings. I'd also love to see your ranking left in the comments of this speed art video!
Before going through my ranking, let’s see what my Twitter followers considered their favourite RoboCop film. At number 1, the original RoboCop has over 71% of the vote, the 2014 remake got 18% of the vote, RoboCop 2 was nearly at 10% of the vote and RoboCop 3 was left with 0%, which has never actually happened before with one of my polls funnily enough. So let's see how my own ranking stacks up against what Twitter thought.
4. RoboCop (2014)
Coming in last place for me is the most recent RoboCop film, the 2014 reboot. It's an okay but generic action movie. When compared to the original film, it really doesn't stack up. Despite spending much more time with Murphy's family, I somehow sympathise less with the character. Maybe it's because every actor feels like they're on auto-pilot, but it's just not great. Furthermore, the commentary on the Iraq War at the time and drone attacks is a good addition, as the original is full of commentary on the cold-war and the media, but it feels detached from the main plot, and Samuel L. Jackson is so over the top he probably belongs in a different film. Also, Gary Oldman seems to be constantly yelling when he isn't giving the audience information about the suit. So, all in all, not a horrible film but just not a great RoboCop movie.
3. RoboCop 3
So I'll probably get some flack for picking this above the remake, but for me, RoboCop 3 has just a little more of what I look for in a RoboCop movie. It helps that it’s still in the same universe that Paul Verhoven created with the original film, although it’s a much more toned-down version. Returning characters include Sergeant Reed and RoboCop's partner Ann Lewis, which both help to make this feel like a continuation of the first two films. RoboCop also returns, although he's now played by Robert John Burke instead of Peter Weller. You may know Burke from the Stephen King adaption of Thinner, which is the only thing I can place him in other than RoboCop 3. Burke does a pretty good job in the role, but I feel like his voice comes off too robotic, although I think his movements in the suit are pretty good. The plot itself is about families being forced from their homes by OCP, and RoboCop teams up with a ragtag team to help take them down, which is an interesting plot, but it’s toned down way too much. RoboCop gets a jetpack, but he barely does anything with it, and instead of being a part of the final battle against two robotic samurai, he instead falls over and then just flies away. But even still, while this film is much messier than the reboot, for me, it just comes in a little bit above it.
2. RoboCop 2
This one is far, far above the last two entries in this list. Coming in at number 2 is RoboCop 2. Now the best word to describe this movie is probably disjointed. It has a lot of different plots going on. RoboCop facing off against another bigger RoboCop model, policemen going on strike, RoboCop taking down a drug gang, a plot about making the original RoboCop more child-friendly, and OCP making a new RoboCop model. Now what makes this more or less work is the direction Irvin Kershner took, which seems to pull all the plots together and make the film feel comprehensible. In case you didn’t know, Irvin Kershner is best known for directing Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back. Peter Weller gets a bit more to do in this film emotionally, especially when he talks with his wife as RoboCop, and the world of Detroit feels even more heightened and more neon coloured than the first film. RoboCop himself has a more blue-tinted look to fit in with the more heightened surroundings. The main bad guy in this film, Cain, is played competently by Tom Noonan, who also played the lead bad guy in the first Hannibal Lecter movie, Manhunter, and Frankenstein in The Monster Squad. Though arguably, OCP itself is actually the main evil in RoboCop 2, verse an individual person. So while it may be a little more violent than the first film and lacks the commentary of the original, it's still a great Sci-Fi Action flick and a worthy sequel to the original.
1. RoboCop
But of course, coming in first place is the amazing original RoboCop, film. From what I read regarding the making of this movie, nothing seemed to go easy, but you wouldn't be able to guess by how smooth the film flows from point A to point B. The movie is basically a western revenge film with a Sci-Fi Cyberpunk twists, with commentary on the cold-war thrown in as well. On top of this, the film is basically about a man who gets resurrected as a machine and then has to find his humanity once more. It's also super violent and I saw this movie when I was way too young, probably 10 years old, and while it was most likely the edited TV version, it's still super violent. The design department also nailed RoboCop's suit. While it's maybe a little clunky, it still comes off as more realistic than the remake, especially thanks to how Peter Weller moves while wearing the suit. Also, the last few moments of the film always leave a huge smile on my face. It's somehow both heartwarming and extremely violent. So obviously, the 1987 classic is my favourite RoboCop film, and I'd argue a near-perfect movie.
What's your RoboCop film ranking? Feel free to leave a comment on this video and check out the Evolution of RoboCop on Tell It Animated!