Relax people, the remake of Robocop is actually a good movie. Now the main question is if it’s as good as the original? No, it isn’t. Still, it’s light years better than those abysmally bad sequels that followed the original Robocop, and it has its own identity.
This Robocop remake follows the basic story of the original. Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is an undercover detective for the Detroit police in the near future who is nearly killed in a car bomb explosion that leaves him paralyzed and with major injuries. Enter Omnicorp, the multinational corporate leader in robotic soldiers and cybernetics. The company’s CEO Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton) is trying to have Omnicorp’s products sold and used for civilian law enforcement purposes in the U.S. Standing in his way is that it’s illegal to use robots in such a manner in the U.S. He decides to skirt around the law by having his scientist Dr. Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman) transplant Murphy’s head, right hand and some major organs into a robotic body, thus creating a cyborg policeman.
This film differs a bit from the original in that it examines more closely Murphy’s struggle with his lost humanity. As he recovers, he’s horrified that he is more machine than man, and later Norton, under orders, suppresses Murphy’s emotions to make him more efficient. At first, the nearly lobotomized Robocop is hailed as a hero in Detroit and the country for his swift and ultra proficient law enforcement methods. But over time, his emotions slowly re-emerge as he regains feelings for his wife and son (Abbie Cornish and John Paul Ruttan) and begins going against protocol by carrying out his own mission. That is seeking justice for anyone who has wronged him, including Sellars, who sees Murphy as just a commodity.
Robocop has surprising depth with its look at Murphy’s plight and brings up relevant questions about his humanity and the supposed superiority of machines. The film also covers the impact that the Robocop program has on society and politics. It’s an extrapolation of the predicaments we face today regarding security and corporate responsibility. While the original Robocop went over these issues, it was drowned out at times with its dark humor and satire. Here, these questions are front and center.
These issues are the core of Robocop, which helps it stand apart from the original. The film has great effects and action scenes, although it dragged a bit in some parts. The robotic designs are just exemplary and outdo the original. It helps that the suit is pretty awesome in its own right, even though it’s that solid black color that have the fanboys in an uproar. The suit is intimidating and surprisingly less clumsy looking than the original Robocop suit.
The film, however, sorely lacks the sardonic wit and pace that characterized the original classic. Director José Padilha isn’t Paul Verhoeven, but he does a better job than expected with the material and the actors. Oldman, as always stands out with his typical stellar performance and serves as a conscience for what is going on, even though his hands aren’t that clean. Samuel L. Jackson was too over-the-top with his portrayal of Pat Novak, a histrionic talk show host/propaganda tool for Sellars. Here was an instance where the original’s witty commercials and news briefs gave a better picture of that futuristic society. Antoine Vallon (Patrick Garrow), this movie’s version of Clarence J. Boddicker isn’t nearly as memorable, but that’s fine since the villainy is front and center Sellars and most of his employees, including Jackie Earle Haley as Mattox, a savage merc.
Those that prefer the original’s vicious satirical look at our commercialized society may want to avoid this remake. The same goes for gore hounds that reveled in Verhoeven’s macabre humor, this remake is PG-13 mind you. But a film’s rating shouldn’t count for its quality. Just go look at A Good Day To Die Hard, it had its R rating, but stunk compared to its PG-13 predecessor.
Despite its shortcomings regarding humor and gore, Robocop has its merits, including some food for thought.
One of the best underrated celluloid gems from the ’80s is The Last Starfighter. It starred Lance Guest as Alex Rogan, a bored teenager stuck in a trailer park who wants to leave home and who can blame him? Soon enough, Alex gets his shot…at the stars. Literally.
One night, Alex plays this arcade video game called Starfighter in the trailer park and sets a new record in the game, much to the cheers of his middle-aged and elderly neighbors who have nothing better to do. Later that night, Alex is abducted by a fast-talking con man called Centauri (Robert Preston), who’s actually an alien. It turns out that the video game was a way for Centauri to uncover gifted recruits for the Star League on planet Rylos. Before Alex knows it, he’s caught up in an interstellar war and faces the choice of returning home or defending the Frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada–the plot line of the video game he played back home.
Ok, so The Last Starfighter is a Star Wars ripoff, but it’s a damn good one! Director Nick Castle infused the film with an innocent, sincere and naive charm that works. The film is a wish fulfillment of every sci-fi fan who wants to be whisked away on a grand space adventure. That idea is even expressed at the very end of the movie when Alex Rogan’s little brother Louis (Chris Hebert) eagerly begins playing the Starfighter video game so he too can be recruited.
The film isn’t perfect, it’s pretty simplistic, but it’s a fun watch. It had many nice performances, especially from Preston and Dan O’Herlihy as Grig, Alex’s boisterous reptilian partner on their fighter ship. Alex was a very relatable character who grappled with wanderlust and self doubt. His arc was predictable but well done. The spaceship designs were unique and eye catching thanks to artist Rob Cobb, and the film had a rich and rousing score by Craig Safan. It was one of the best Star Wars-esque themes I’ve ever heard and fits the tone of the film.
There’s been talk of a sequel for some time now, but as these things go, it’s stuck in development hell. It would be fantastic if a sequel were to be made; this story is ripe for further examining. Did Alex return to Earth? Did his brother become a Starfighter? Whatever happened to that buffoonish villain Xur (Norman Snow)? But it’s been thirty years since that film came out, trying to launch a sequel and reunite the remaining cast members may be too difficult.
So it may be best to just remake The Last Starfighter. But in this celluloid market crowded with unnecessary remakes why reboot this one if it’s still fun to watch? Well, while the film has many merits, there’s room for improvement. A remake can be better written and less simplistic, although it shouldn’t try to be dark and gritty. A new take of The Last Starfighter needs to retain the pleasant charm of the original, which will be hard to duplicate. But the right director can pull it off. An important thing that can be improved would be the special effects, of course. At the time it came out, The Last Starfighter had then-revolutionary CGI effects that are horribly dated now. You and I can generate better effects with our desktops at home. Another thing that must be changed for a remake is the look of the Rylans and Emperor Xur. They look utterly ridiculous with white hair that wraps around their heads and bald tops. Another flaw with The Last Starfighter was that the major villain Xur wasn’t menacing at all. There was one scene where he appears as a hologram to taunt our heroes that had me laughing hysterically. He looked so dumb as a disembodied head! That’s surprising because the other aliens in the film are pretty well designed.
Other films with less faults than this one have been remade. The Last Starfighter is worth remaking because it has a nifty story that is relatable to us fans that needs retelling.
When describing Fox’s new TV show Almost Human as cop buddy show with sci-fi trappings, it can cause eyes to roll. It sounds like your typical formulaic cop buddy show with a supposedly clever twist; this time one of the cops is an android. But that has been done before. Case in mind, there’s that moronic comedy Holmes & Yo-Yo with John Schuck as the bumbling android turned detective.
Almost Human, on the other hand, is surprisingly good. Of course, in the end it’s just another cop show in this TV wasteland littered with cop shows, and it does have elements of the too-common procedural motif. However, Almost Human is very inventive, the scripts are well written and most episodes are quite entertaining with a gritty and realistic tone. It’s never dull or routine and that is because the producers (including show creator J.H. Wyman and executive producer J.J. Abrams) run with the concept.
In the 2040s, crime is getting way out of control. Criminals are using more and more high tech to commit crimes. For example, in one episode criminals wore devices around their necks that blotted out their faces on TV cameras so they couldn’t be identified. In another one, this murderer used clones of himself to carry out his work. To combat this, the police force in an unnamed city use androids to supplement their numbers. In the pilot episode, Detective John Kennex (Karl Urban) was severely injured and lost a leg. After returning to work with a new bionic leg, he is forced by his commander (nicely played by Lily Taylor) to partner up with a standard android cop. But Kennex has an aversion to working with the emotionless automaton and decides to reactivate an older android model from a discontinued DRN series to help him on a case. Nicknamed Dorian (Michael Ealy), the android sports software that allows him to emulate emotions and as a result has a personality.
After they solve the case in the pilot, Kennex decides to keep Dorian as a partner, even though he finds the android irritating. Naturally as par for the course with these cop shows, Kennex softens his attitude towards Dorian. So the two of them cruise the dangerous streets of their city, solve crimes and get into heated debates about lots of topics. Those range from Kennex’s personal life (or lack of), crime solving techniques, the nature of humanity and whether or not Dorian is actually sentient.
It sounds very been-there-done-that, but as mentioned before, the stories and presentation elevate the show far beyond a standard cop show. This doesn’t mean Almost Human is perfect. Sometimes ethical and legal questions aren’t fully addressed. In one episode, it’s shown that witnesses to a murder trial can just give a testimony via holograms. Things get complicated when they are attacked at a safe house. The episode didn’t dwell on the issue of them being more endangered by being in the safe house rather than going to the courthouse. In another episode, Dorian meets another model from his line who is now used as a janitor. Dorian decides to bring him on a ride along with his partner, but nothing much comes of it, the other model doesn’t add anything to the story, nor does he do anything of importance. Another drawback is the way Kennex is written. Sometimes it’s like every bitter, loner cop cliché is used to define him, but what saves the day is Urban’s acting prowess.
In addition to the imaginative scripts, what makes Almost Human stand out are the acting from the major players like Urban. Ealy does a nice job of portraying the android Dorian and adds a balanced level of humanity to his role. The production values are excellent, the show gives the impression that it’s in the future with new technology like small drones that patrol the skies and holographic alarm clocks. It all looks real and the show almost looks as good as what is usually seen in theatrical films. The only gnawing thing is that the cell phones are hardly different from what we have today. The producers probably hit a brick wall in trying to extrapolate on communication technology. The crimes in the show more importantly seem futuristic; illegal activities range from cloning to farming kidnapped women for their skin (to be used on sex androids) and to extorting victims with illegal artificial organs that have timers.
In a littered TV landscape of mediocre cop and procedural shows, Almost Human stands out brightly. While it still has room to grow, it strikes a good balance between cop-buddy banter, interesting cases and a well-paced tone. The show also embraces its sci-fi trappings that add some needed oomph and enjoyment.
Doctor Who has been going on for fifty years and it’s still an entertaining and imaginative romp. The show was at its creative peak this season thanks to wonderful scripts, a spunky new Companion (Jenna Coleman) and Matt Smith’s perfect portrayal of our favorite time-traveling alien. All this was topped off with its fiftieth anniversary special that united the Doctor with past incarnations to save his world.
Best Horror TV Show:
The Walking Dead is the best genre show on TV right now and for good reason. Gory, suspenseful and gripping, The Walking Dead reached creative heights with the introduction of the evil Governor (David Morrissey), who was a greater force for our heroes to grapple with than the flesh-eating zombies. The show has become a must-see event with each new episode.
Best Fantasy Show
Game of Thrones, man can the Starks ever catch a break? The wedding event was a surprising game changer and the body count both infuriated many and created new fans of this adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy saga. Its rich production values, dense plotlines and acting make it one of the best shows on TV.
Best Documentary/Reality Show
Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited, throughout the year BBCAmerica aired at the end of the month three-hour long specials that examined each incarnation of the Doctor starting from William Hartnell’s era up to the present. Then once that was done, we were treated to episodes from each era. This was a great way for old and new fans to see each version of Doctor Who.
Best Cancelled TV Show
Touch was cancelled after its second season, which was too bad. After its over reliance on touchy, feel-good stories in its first season, Touch switched gears and introduced an evil corporation that wanted to kidnap Jake Bohm (David Mazouz) to harness his near-precognitive ability. Meanwhile, he was stalked by a religious fanatic. With these developements, Touch added a much-needed narrative and purpose as Jake’s father (Keifer Sutherland) struggled to understand his son and protect him.
Best Animated Show
Beware The Batman, the computer-animated show looked at the early years of the Dark Knight’s crime-fighting career. The stories and the animation were great, as was the use of lesser-known villains like Firefly and Anarky. We cannot wait to see new episodes next month!
Best TV Character
The Doctor (Matt Smith) in Doctor Who was very memorable this year thanks in large part to Smith’s performance. Showing an unexpected maturity while retaining his zest for life, the Doctor was someone who was a joy to watch as he outwitted his foes. Sadly, while Smith was at his peak, he decided to leave the show. But his last couple of outings were a tour de force and brought a tear to the eyes in his final moments as he reflected on how while things will always change, it’s important to remember your past.
Most Missed TV Character
Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson) in The Walking Dead was a gentle and wise patriarch and the voice of reason for the show’s characters, especially Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). As the show’s moral compass, Hershel’s shocking death at the hands of the Governor was outrageous and we can only wonder how Rick and the others will carry on without him now.
Best TV Villain
The Governor (David Morrissey) in The Walking Dead was one of the most malicious, manipulative and sadistic characters ever to grace a TV show. His character elevated the show as he and his machinations were one of the best reasons to tune in each week. His well-deserved death after the destruction he created was welcomed, but we can’t help wondering how the show’s creators will follow up this character.
Most Improved TV show
Supernatural and many other genre shows greatly improved this year. But the long-running show about two brothers facing down the supernatural found new life in its latest episodes. Gone was the turgid storyline about the Leviathan with a renewed emphasis on Castiel (Misha Collins) and the troublesome angels that are just as bad as the demons in the show.
Best Series Finale
Fringe, the show came to a very satisfying conclusion very early in 2013. The storyline wrapped up the future invasion of the Observers and we got to see the parallel world for one last time. More importantly, we were allowed to say goodbye to the quirky characters that defined Fringe. The final episode’s lastimage of the white tulip drawing that Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) held was pure perfection. Thanks guys for five great years of stimulating weirdness. We’ll leave out some licorice for Walt if he ever leaves the distant future and drops by to visit.
Biggest Disappointment
Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D, Joss Whedon, the mastermind behind Buffy, The Vampire Slayer and Firefly, is the show’s executive producer. For Pete’s sake he directed The Avengers! How could this show be so bland with generic and annoying characters? Instead of elite, badass super spies this show is riddled with so-called cute and perky morons that should be tossed from that S.H.I.E.L.D. plane at the first chance!
Best Sci-Fi Film
Gravity, it was a hard choice between this and Pacific Rim. An argument can be made that Gravity isn’t really a sci-fi film, but there are a few elements that imply that it is such as a still functioning space shuttle program (perhaps it’s an alternate reality?) and the nature of the space disaster. Nonetheless, Gravity was an electrifying and immersive viewing experience thanks to its perfect depiction of living in space and direction by Alfonso Cuarón’s expert hands.
Best Horror Film
The Conjuring set out what it wanted to do, which was to provide good, old-fashioned scares thanks to James Wan’s direction. What is even more frightening to ponder at night when you’re all alone is that this was supposedly based on actual events.
Best Fantasy Film
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Peter Jackson continues his journey into Middle Earth with this lush and exciting adventure. The entire affair was elevated to new heights with the revelation of the dragon Smaug. His presence was so captivating that it made some forget about Gollum!
Best Animated Film
Monsters University, none of 2013’s animated movies were really exceptional, but this was the best one released. A surprisingly good and effective prequel that accomplished its goal of examining its main characters and helping audiences understand where they came from. It was also very funny.
Best Superhero Film
Man Of Steel, after the perceived misfire of Superman Returns years ago, it seemed that making an exciting Superman movie was impossible. Well, folks it was done with Man Of Steel. It had its flaws (another round at the editing station could’ve helped) and was controversial, but it’s clear that it got people talking about Superman again. Those fight scenes over Metropolis and Smallville were really epic, too.
Best Superhero on Film
Superman in Man Of Steel, thanks to Henry Cavill’s performance the Man of Tomorrow became relevant again in this bold and exciting film. While Christopher Reeve will always be Superman, Cavill’s interpretation takes him to the new century.
Best Film Character
Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) in Gravity. She was the emotional core of the movie and audiences empathized with her as she found her inner resolve to fight on and survive in a hostile environment. Audiences couldn’t help but root for her during her struggles with herself and her plight.
Best Film Villain
Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Star Trek Into Darkness. One of the highlights from the latest Star Trek film was Kirk’s greatest nemesis. Putting aside the complaints about using the genetic superman in the rebooted Trek, it can’t be denied that Cumberbatch gave a chilling performance.
Best Surprise In Film
World War Z, it should’ve been DOA like After Earth given its many production problems. It went into massive reshoots, which delayed its release. All this spelled a crappy film, yet this zombie apocalypse film was actually well done.
Best Use of 3D & IMAX In a Film
Gravity is the kind of film tailor made for 3D and IMAX with its space visuals that looked so realistic. The entire thing looked like it was actually filmed up in the I.S.S. It’s hard to see how typical home theater can do this film any justice when it’s released on Blu-ray and other outlets.
Best Trailer For an Upcoming Film
Godzilla, beat out a crowded crop of many excellent trailers (X-Men: Days Of Future Past, Transcendence, Interstellar) but this one hit all the right notes with its ominous mood. From the beginning with the Navy SEALs preparing to take on a force of nature to the mayhem shown in quick cuts, Godzilla is now a must-see for 2014.
Best App
Plants Vs. Zombies 2, the sequel to the hit app is one of the best free apps around. Addictive with great content and game play, Plants Vs. Zombies 2 is worth downloading to your devices.
Best Online Social Network Game
Marvel: Avengers Alliance, is a very addictive, turn-based game based on the Marvel superheroes. It’s very buggy and the player vs. player feature is annoying as hell, but it’s a lot of fun to play. The game rocked fans with the introductions of obtainable lockbox characters and group bosses that had to be fought by you and your allies online.
Best Video Game
Bioshock: Infinite, the sequel to the superb Bioshock video game took the story in a new and fresh direction, in a year with many great games like The Last Of Us, this one stood out thanks to its storyline and game features.
Best Hallmark Ornament
It wasn’t the best year for genre ornaments with the slim pickings offered by Hallmark. Still, the Star Trek ornament based on the classic episode “Arena” is our pick for best Hallmark ornament. Whether it was the sight of Kirk cowering in terror from the might of the Gorn or hearing the alien hiss, this ornament is a very kitschy thing to hang on a tree.
Biggest News Item
Forget the government shutdown and the Obamacare debacle! The news that truly shook fandom came in the summer when it was announced that the Man Of Steel sequel would pit Superman against the Caped Crusader himself, Batman! DC and Warner Brothers have clearly thrown the gauntlet at Marvel and its cinematic universe. Each new update, ranging from Ben Affleck being cast as Batman to the confirmation that Wonder Women will appear has sent fandom into tizzies.
*Be sure to check out our Facebook page for our lists of the top 10 films and TV shows of 2013.
One of the stranger gift requests I received for this Christmas is the new Star Trek book A Very Klingon Khristmas by Paul Ruditis. It’s obviously a parody about the holiday season done Klingon style. Sure, there are many absurd Klingon parodies floating around pop culture out there, but this is one of the more better made ones. BTW, the honor for the most bizarre, yet hysterical spoof is the Klingon video parody of Psy’s famous dance song “Gangnam Style”.
Getting back to A Very Klingon Khristmas, the book looks at the holiday from a Klingon point of view. The holiday being celebrated tongue-in-cheek style is the birth of the mighty Klingon warrior Kahless. In the Klingon holiday, Santa Claus has retractable claws and leaves tribbles in the stockings of the naughty kids, and so on. But, what really sells the book are the Norman Rockwell-like paintings (by Patrick Faricy) that capture the festive, family mood of Christmas with a Klingon spin.
It’s a cute and fun book for Star Trek fans that isn’t too pricy, (less than $20) though the hardcover is only 32 pages long. That’s something to consider if you’re doing some last minute shopping and need to get something for a Star Trek fan. Look at it this way, A Very Klingon Khristmas will last longer in a fan’s memories than another Star Trek calendar.
So this can be the start of a new kind gift idea. Who knows? Maybe they’ll do other Christmas-themed Star Trek books. Personally, I’d like to read a A Ferengi Christmas Carol. 😀
Robocop has surprising depth with its look at Murphy’s plight and brings up relevant questions about his humanity and the supposed superiority of machines. The film also covers the impact that the Robocop program has on society and politics. It’s an extrapolation of the predicaments we face today regarding security and corporate responsibility. While the original Robocop went over these issues, it was drowned out at times with its dark humor and satire. Here, these questions are front and center.
stands out with his typical stellar performance and serves as a conscience for what is going on, even though his hands aren’t that clean. Samuel L. Jackson was too over-the-top with his portrayal of Pat Novak, a histrionic talk show host/propaganda tool for Sellars. Here was an instance where the original’s witty commercials and news briefs gave a better picture of that futuristic society. Antoine Vallon (Patrick Garrow), this movie’s version of Clarence J. Boddicker isn’t nearly as memorable, but that’s fine since the villainy is front and center Sellars and most of his employees, including Jackie Earle Haley as Mattox, a savage merc.
Those that prefer the original’s vicious satirical look at our commercialized society may want to avoid this remake. The same goes for gore hounds that reveled in Verhoeven’s macabre humor, this remake is PG-13 mind you. But a film’s rating shouldn’t count for its quality. Just go look at A Good Day To Die Hard, it had its R rating, but stunk compared to its PG-13 predecessor.
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