MovieChat Forums > RoboCop (2014) Discussion > The problem with remaking films from the...

The problem with remaking films from the 80s and early 90s

posted 10 years ago by AnonymousFriend
26 replies | jump to latest

This isn't the 80s/early 90s anymore. Not only has filmmaking somewhat changed, but audiences have changed.

Back then, action movies could have a two hour movie filled with shootouts and explosions, and car chases every ten minutes or so. And you didn't even need much of a plot to link together much of action.

The original RoboCop was definitely a product of it's time, as is the remake. The new movie takes a lot of the social issues we have today and uses the ones relevant to a "police officer gets brought back to life to become a cyborg cop" movie today. The original kind of glossed over or didn't address issues that the new movie tried to explore. While I was initially turned off by the focus on Murphy's family post-op, that's something that a film these days would delve into, if for any other reason than that audiences would expect something like that.

While I beleive that the action sequences needed to be better, I think this is probably one of the remakes out there. Total Recall, while having some amazing and imaginative action sequences, fell short on taking it's basic premise of "implanted memories" and figuring out what is real and what's not.

I think RoboCop gets to much flak for not being an exact duplicate of the original when films like the Psycho remake and even Watchmen, both which are shot for shot remakes, garnered a lot of hate.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheyChangedItNowItSucks

vs

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ItstheSameNowItSucks

Don't forget: It's just a story being told
Nothing is "overrated". Your opinion is just outnumbered

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] gauli 10 years ago

I think RoboCop gets to much flak for not being an exact duplicate of the original when films

It gets flak because it's not a very good movie. Simple as that. There are remakes that are great(Dredd, Batman). Robocop 2014 just isn't one of them. It's safe and uninteresting...and just very Vanilla.

[–] AnonymousFriend 10 years ago

I don't think Dredd counts as a remake. Neither is Batman Begins.

And how is RoboCop a bad movie? While you may disagree with certain choices regarding the story, all of it's parts work.

Don't forget: It's just a story being told
Nothing is "overrated". Your opinion is just outnumbered

[–] gauli 10 years ago

um.. Whatever you want to call it, they're good movies based on the same characters.... They're good Dredd and Batman movies..

I never said Robocop 2014 was a bad movie. It's just okay/mediocre. At least that's what I got from it. Like you said, all the parts work, but nothing to write home about.

[–] Halo572 10 years ago

Dredd is a real reboot.

It completely ignored the Hollywoodised 95 version and remade it in the same vein as that that made the Marvel and Batman films.

Being grittier and drawing more on its comic strip history.

Having read the strip for 32 years and seeing it again a couple of weeks ago, it isn't the strip on the screen but it was still a good adaption.

This is a reboot of a fantastic film with everything that made it fantastic removed.

[–] d-adrian-williams 9 years ago

Anonymous robocop 2014 is a bad movie because it took a plot that was solid, (the assination of murphy) the very reason you feel for murphy and take it out, which in turn means theres no really bad villain like boddicker cos he just blew a guy up from far away, the point is i REMEMBER boddicker ill NEVER forget that name, now the guy who blew murphy up i cant even rember his name and i saw it two weeks ago! thats the difference with these two movies, the original is DEEP, more characters better plot, more reasom for murphy to get revenge, more violence, ill remember the original till i die, ill be able to quote lines from the original and original total recall, what doi remember from these new versions? ....nothing

[–] cyberdynesystems101 10 years ago

There are remakes that are great(Dredd, Batman).

Dredd isn't a remake, is has nothing to do with the previous Judge Dredd film. It's a new film based on an already existing character just like Batman Begins isn't a remake of the 1989 film.

And how is RoboCop a bad movie? While you may disagree with certain choices regarding the story, all of it's parts work.

It's not great, but it's not that good either. Yes, parts of the story work, but the overall result wasn't that satisfying. The third act for example was extremely rushed and felt like they ran out ideas and just threw whatever they can think of in front of us. You can have awesome ideas for a film, but if it isn't executed properly it means nothing.

I an't afraid of no ghosts!

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[–] therefdotcom 10 years ago

he owned your a55 pretty badly.

"laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone." - Dae-su Oh

[–] cyberdynesystems101 10 years ago

Doesn't make a difference Spanky.

Yes it does.

Based on an older film which was based on a comic, which of course makes it a....
Remake

No it isn't. But since you're troll anyway I won't bother explaining something that will not doubt make your head explode.

Look at it like this bluberry muffin head.....

I guess insulting people makes your insecurity feel better?

I an't afraid of no ghosts!

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[–] Soodinum 10 years ago

You're a tool. The new Dredd film was in no way or shape a remake or was based at all on the first Dredd film.

[–] Catch221987 10 years ago

Just saw the new Dredd movie and if they went with the same brutal violence with the new Robocop, it would gain more respect. They should have done it for the fans, with a bit lower budget perhaps? Dredd was interesting because it took place in one building. But I still like the new Robocop mostly because of the actors. I`m a proud swede and I think Joel made a good performance. Gary is always a favorite. I enjoyed it.

[–] manixkolder 10 years ago

The problem with remaking films from the 80s and early 90s........

....... 12's ( PG-13 in USA )

[–] Halo572 10 years ago

I have to totally disagree with you on both Total Recall and Robocop.

And being as they have been my favourite films for 27 and 24 years I think I am allowed that.

Neither should have been 'remade' or 'rebooted', they should have been called something else and the originals left to stand being as they can never be bettered.

Clueless studio execs allowing untalented writers and directors with nothing left in the cupboard of ideas free reign to take a franchise name and piggy back off of it to produce garbage, that even if renamed would be mediocre.

We live in the cinematic age of Michael Bay and you are saying audiences are more sophisticated?

And what I can tell you about them is that I sat through the first one on TV and suffered for it to the end, there is no way on Earth I would ever sit down and watch that or any of the others in my remaining lifetime.

So yeah OK, either you weren't around 20+ years ago or you are living in a different 2014 to me.

[–] d-adrian-williams 9 years ago

halo 572 i hear ya man, when i was younger the stories were solid but the special effects not so much but we made it work, but now better special effects but story and substance ......gone!

[–] vegytarian 10 years ago

The action sequences and ubiquitous motorcycle whizzing are basically elements of a good video game. The script tries to touch on a half dozen issues regarding corporate greed, free will, man versus machine and political corruption, etc. but fails to draw us in to any one of them. These issues fly by almost as fast as the motorcycle. The production values are very good and Gary Oldman tries his best to rise above the material. Keaton is just along for the ride.
Better luck with the next remake, is all I can say.

[–] statuskuo 10 years ago

I disagree with the subject matter of RoboCop being too outdated for today's society. In fact, The original 1987 seemed prescient to today's crime landscape (in particular the concept of urban pacification). This was one where they felt they needed to address Murphy's connection to his family. Which to the best of my memory, felt much more painful in the original as they were only shown as shadows of his past. An empty home with remnants of a family seemed more heart-breaking than the ridiculous sub-plot of the wife agreeing to a failed experiment.

What this movie did was try to cram the corporation idealism into the war machine concept. Missing out completely on the tongue-in-cheek raw humor of Verhoeven's version. This one lacked that style. Instead, decided to go more serious. I applaud their attempt, and it seemed like on paper it was good. But the execution made it seem more of an entry into series television than a film.

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[–] Heigen1 10 years ago

CGI gore sucks