Wow...what a let down

I was 7 and I was the problem. I liked Robocop and I was the problem. I was too little to have seen it. So many of us were just to young for the violence and satire. So a movie studio did what they should have done, the responsible thing, they made the choice to make money or at least stop from losing money. They watered down Robocop and gave us Robocop 3.

Robocop, at first blush, is another 1980s hyper-violent action movie. If you pay attention you will see the less than thinly veiled critique of capitalism and biblical symbolism (Murphy is American Jesus). So when you remove all of the violence, the satire for a cartoonish action adventure for kids it feels like a betrayal. People still die, if that matters to you, but this movie lacks the visceral punch of the first two films.

Instead what we receive is the late 80s/early 90s xenophobia, specifically towards the Japanese, actors going through the motions, a paper thin, under-baked script with the subtly of a train horn.

The story continues with OCP's efforts to gentrify Detroit and turn it into 'Delta City'. OCP's paramilitary wing, 'Urban Rehabilitators' forces poor people out, by wrecking ball and gun point. The Urban Rehabilitators, nicknamed "Rehabs". Robocop defenses some of the civilians out and is damaged in the process. He works together with what is left of the police, to mount an armed resistance and even fights a, and I am not kidding, a Samurai robot.

Robocop is no longer played by Peter Weller but instead Robert Burke. He is joined by Jill Hennessey, John Castle, Rip Torn, CCH Pounder, Stephen Root, and Daniel von Bargen, all of whom must have owed someone money or lost a bet. It’s wild to see so many good—or even great—character actors work so hard on such a mess of a movie.

The money ends with Robocop using a jet pack.

Ugh...I am so sorry.

Again, I was little. I watched the cartoons. I ran around playgrounds pretending to be Robocop. I was the reason for this course correction off a cliff.

Supplemental: There is a movie review youtube channel that I enjoy called "Double Toasted". They do a movie roast about once a week and a few years ago they roasted Robocop 3. That is one of the their funnier roasts, in my humble opinion.