RoboCop - Director's Cut - Blu-ray

Content: It's been a long time coming, but the time has finally come: Paul Verhoeven's action classic RoboCop is no longer on the index in Germany and may now be sold in uncut version in free trade. Just in time for the theatrical release of the significantly weaker remake, the 1987 original can now finally shine in new splendor in the directors cut on Blu-ray. The film tells the story of Detroit cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller), who is brutally gunned down by gangster Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith) and his men on his very first day in his new precinct. This crime comes just in time for the OCP company. It wants to reach the new city of Delta City on the old, crime-infested Detroit. In order to clean Detroit of criminals, the perfect policeman must be created. And the mutilated body of Murphy is the ideal basis for their RoboCop program. And so Murphy becomes the perfect fighting machine, quickly bringing law and order to Detroit. But his programmed sense of justice doesn't stop at the machinations at OCP's executive headquarters. And of course the unscrupulous Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) doesn't like that at all...

RoboCop is not only an action film that still works brilliantly, but also a cynical social satire that offers the best entertainment of the witty kind with completely exaggerated brutality and a proper wink. It may be that some of the effects seem a bit outdated after more than 25 years. Nevertheless, the classic RoboCop still works really well today. On the one hand, this is due to the unfortunately very timeless themes such as corruption at large corporations and gentrification of cities, whereby especially the latter seems to be more topical than ever nowadays. On the other hand, the unbroken entertainment value is also due to Verhoeven's staging, which doesn't give a damn about political correctness and stands out from many too smooth action movies of the last years just because of that.

RoboCop is full of little moments that fans can watch again and again. Even though the franchise has declined more and more in quality after a still quite successful second part with the following sequels, the TV series and even a cartoon, this has admittedly not changed the cult status of the first film and the character of RoboCop. So it's no wonder that a remake hit theaters in 2014. And while it turned out surprisingly decent, it can't hold a candle to Verhoeven's film, especially in its core aspects.

Admittedly, 1987's RoboCop is clearly a product of its time, as evidenced by more than a few nasty hairstyles and outfits. Dialogue, the visual style, the music - all bear the distinct 80s stamp. But while many of its contemporaries haven`t aged particularly well and simply don`t work properly from today`s perspective, Verhoeven`s film still has enough bite, wit, topicality and also a nostalgic charm that somehow makes the film timeless. The fact that it is now finally available on Blu-ray as a director's cut turns the incomprehension about the fact that it was indexed in Germany for such a long time into great joy very quickly. For all fans, but also for younger viewers who found the 2014 remake good but a bit too slick, this disc is an absolute must!

Picture + Sound: For the Blu-ray release, the film has been resampled in 4k resolution. The result is far superior to the picture quality of the old DVD. Even if the age of the film can never be completely hidden, the visual realization of the Blu-ray can really be seen, especially in terms of contrast and color. In terms of sharpness of detail, there are still visible weaknesses here and there, but in some moments the whole thing is definitely on HD level. The sound in the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is naturally much more powerful and spacious than the German DTS 5.1 track. But even though this may sound a bit muffled in places, the end result is still audibly better than the old DVD. Of course, not comparable with contemporary action smashers, but for a film that is over 25 years old, there is a more than satisfied: good!

Extras: Here fans get the full program offered. Things kick off with an older audio commentary by director Paul Verhoeven, writer Ed Neumeier and producer Jon Davidson. This conversation is not only very lively and amusing, but also extremely informative. Optional subtitles are commendably available. Moving on, there is a live discussion with the makers of the film recorded in May 2012. In addition to Verhoeven and Neumeier, actors Peter Weller and Nancy Allen also participated in the nearly 43-minute conversation. For fans a really worth seeing extra.

Same goes for the very good Making of Fleisch und Stahl, which in 37 minutes goes into various aspects of the production. There are also two featurettes from 1987, one about the filming (approx. 7:59 mins) and a promo making of (approx. 8:01 mins). Five very brief deleted scenes (approx. 2:51 min.) and storyboards with commentary by Phil Tippett are also still on the program.

That's not all: the Blu-ray also has short documentaries on The Villains of Detroit (approx. 16:59 min.), comparing special effects then and now (approx. 18:22 min.), and the making of the legend Robocop (approx. 21:09 min.). A look at Paul Verhoeven's mini-cameo (approx. 0:38 min.), the trailer and TV spots round out the bulging bonus offerings. Very good!

Conclusion: Get off the index and into your Blu-ray player. Now that Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop from 1987 has finally been removed from the index and released from 18 years, the Director`s Cut appears in new splendor on Blu-ray. The picture and sound quality are clearly superior to those of the DVD release and also in terms of bonus material, fans are treated to something more. Unabridged, picture and sound polished and super equipped - there are hardly any wishes left open for fans. And therefore applies to this Blu-ray also without doubt: absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp