Batman Returns Review (revisited) "Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, I hope you all had a good Christmas and I figured I would get a couple of posts in before year is out and so this one is a revisit of a festive film that I watched on Christmas day, so I thought I would take another look at it, which is 1992 superhero film, Batman Returns.

So, this one is said to be a bit of a mixed bag and in the past hasn't been a favourite of mine either in terms of Batman films. So, let's see how it fair 33 years on from its release...

And the usual is coming...

PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!!! 

STORY 

So, the films begins with the birth of the son of Tucker (Paul Reubens) and Esther Cobblepot (Diane Salinger), who turns out to be hideously deformed.  The Cobblepot's soon decide that after the child attacks their pet cat that it may become a menace to society, so they dump the child in its crib into the Gotham river where it soon floats into an abandoned zoo and is found by a flock of penguins who raise the child as one of their own.

The film then cuts to 33 years later, during the lighting of Gotham's Christmas tree, a gangs of circus thugs launch a staged attack but Batman (Michael Keaton) soon arrives at the scene and subdues the criminals.  Present at the lighting ceremony is corrupt industrialist, Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) who is soon abducted and taken to the underground lair of the Penguin (Danny DeVito) a disfigured crime boss, who's body resembles that of a penguin.  The Penguin explains to Shreck that he wants to live again on the surface of Gotham and become a respected citizen and he blackmails Shreck into helping him as he shows evidence of Shreck's past dirty dealings.

In the meantime, Shreck's awkward secretary, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) stumbles upon Shreck's plans to illegally monopolise Gotham's electricity supply.  Shreck on finding her and in order to protect his secrets, pushes Selina out of a high story window and she falls through several canopies on the window before landing on the ground, seemingly dead.  At this point a group of cats swarm around her, licking her and bring her back to life.  Selina the goes back to her apartment, traumatised she then trashes it and fashions herself a black vinyl suit and why, transforming herself into Catwoman.

The Penguin then with Shreck's help, stages the kidnapping of the son of Gotham's mayor (Michael Murphy) allowing the Penguin to save him and bring himself to the surface where now on TV reveals he wants to find out who he is.  The Penguin is then given access to Gotham city's archives where he learns his real name, Oswald Cobblepot but then is seen also making a large list of names from the archives.  This now leaves Bruce suspicious of the Penguin's motives as dressed as Batman, he drives by the archive building and sees Oswald inside.  Bruce also learns that Oswald was previously a member of a circus freak show years ago.

Meanwhile Bruce persuades the mayor to not provide a permit for Shreck's power plant, which soons leads to Shreck hatching a plan to replace the current mayor with the Penguin instead.  The Penguin then stages an attack downtown which ruins the mayor's reputation but while this happens, Catwoman makes her appearance at Shreck's department store, which she blows up.  Batman at the same time confronts the Penguin who flees using a propelled umbrella and Batman then pursues Catwoman, who fights him, which ends with Batman punching her off the roof after she stabs him in his side with one of her claws and Catwoman survives by landing in a sand truck.

Catwoman not long after then visits the Penguin where she says she wants to play a part in a plan to discredit Batman to which the Penguin agrees as they devise the abduction of Gotham's beauty queen, the Ice Princess (Cristi Conaway) and plan to frame Batman for it.  As the abduction takes place, Batman soon turns up but he is unable to save the Ice Princess as the Penguin murders her by using a swarm of captive bats placed in one of his umbrellas, which causes the Ice Princess to fall to her death off a rooftop.  After this the Penguin tries to make an amorous advance of Catwoman but she rejects him, which angers the Penguin who attempts to kill her by using one of his motorised helicopter umbrellas, which takes her into the sky and she soon falls crashing into a greenhouse, which uses up one of her nine lives.

In the meantime as Batman leaves the scene in his batmobile he discovers that it has been sabotaged by the Penguin, who takes remote control of it and drives the vehicle wildly on the streets in a rampage.  Batman then records the Penguin's threats and mocking remarks onto a CD and soon detects the location of the control device and removes it, taking control of the batmobile again he escapes.  Not long after this, Bruce using the recording of the Penguin's words, hacks into the PA system during the Penguin's public speech and plays them over the speaker system, which ruins the Penguin's public reputation, which angers him and he flees to the sewers.  The Penguin then continues with his original plan to snatch the first born sons of Gotham's citizens where he then intends to drown them.

Bruce not longer after attends a masquerade ball where he meets Selina again and by accident they discover each other's secret identities but at this points the Penguin gatecrashes the ball and abducts Shreck (at Shreck's own pleas in place of his first born son, Chip).  However Batman soon thwarts the Penguin's nefarious plan so the webbed foot madman goes for plan B, which is to use his penguins wired up with rockets to launch an assault on Gotham.  And its from here Batman must find a way to stop the Penguin from carrying out his wicked plan and save Gotham....

THOUGHTS

It has to be said that after the huge success of Batman, Batman Returns is a bit of a mixed bag and fails to live up to the standard of its predecessor and Burton himself, who initially had no plans to come back to do a sequel, was given full creative reign to do what he liked in the sequel but I think this was to the film's detriment.  The film also has a much darker tone than the first one and it sees Burton give his own take on the Penguin, rather than leaving him as the portly squat figure that we usually are used to seeing, he decides to turn him into a more grotesque one.

And Batman here as a character actually feels a bit more sidelined than we would like as he appears to play a supporting character to film itself and at times you feel the film just happens around him rather have him be the main focus.  So for me the film remains an inconsistent hotchpotch of ideas and themes that don't quite gel well together.  But despite this, the film still has some good moments here and there even if it isn't an altogether satisfactory one.  

PERFORMANCES AND NOTABLE SCENES (Warning this section may contain spoilers!)

As for the performances, they are actually for the most part very good. 

Starting with Michael Keaton who does a pretty good job as Batman but his Bruce Wayne has always been a bit underwhelming and I think his performance lacks the charisma needed to play the part of Wayne.  Keaton's Batman however is certainly way better and there even moments where you feel that he is perfect in the role.

And Keaton still has some good moments in the film that include Batman's first scene where he subdues the Penguin's gang.  And in the scene there is a moment where one of the gang, grabs Selina and holds a taser to her neck and he threatens Batman not to come any closer.  So Batman then fires his grapple gun into the wall behind the thug who looks back and grins saying "You missed!" but then Batman yanks the grapple line which pulls out a chunk of the wall and hits the thug in the back of the head, knocking him out.

Then there is the scene where Bruce in the Batcave reads up articles from his computer on a circus gang that the Penguin may have been connected to.  And Bruce reads form the article "Featuring a poodle lady, the world's fattest man... and an aquatic bird boy.".  And this prompts Alfred why is Bruce so interested in proving the Penguin isn't what he seems and Bruce continues to read ""... circus folded its tents yesterday, perhaps forever after numerous reports of missing children. In several towns, police have closed down the Red Triangle's fairgrounds, however at least one freak show performer vanished before he could be questioned".  And Alfred then says "I suppose you feel better now, sir" but Bruce then says "No, actually I feel worse".

Another good scene from Keaton is when Batman confronts the Penguin during a staged attack and he says to the Penguin "Admiring your handiwork?" and the Penguin says that he is gravely assessing the devastation and "upstanding mayor stuff!" prompting Batman to say "You're not the mayor" and Penguin replies "Things change!".  And Batman asks "What do you want?" and the Penguin says "Ah the direct approach!  I admire that from a man who wears a mask?  You don't really think you'll win, do you?" and Batman smiles slightly and says "Things change".

Then there is the scene when Bruce and Selina meet up at his place and Bruce awkwardly tries to tell Selina in a cryptic way about his dual personality. So, Bruce says to Selina "See, if I say yes about my personality, you're gonna think of me as some Ted Bundy, psycho type and well...you might not let me kiss you". However, Selina not phased says "It doesn't bother me, its the so-called good guys that always let you down, at least sickos are committed".  So, as they start to kiss and touch each other although they start to unwittingly reach and touch the wounds they sustained during their fight as Batman and Catwoman and they suddenly jump apart.  And at this moment Selina says "I can't do that!" and Bruce awkwardly says "Me neither!".

After this Bruce sees the news of the Ice Princess's kidnapping and he runs off to Alfred and tries to give him an excuse for his departure "Here's what I want you to do... tell Selina - tell Miss Kyle in there - tell her, uh, tell her I had to go out of town, a big business deal came up or some... no, you know what? Tell her, you know, not in some dumb, "be my girlfriend" kind of way...".  And Alfred simply says "I will relay the message" and Bruce says "Great" and then runs off to the Batcave.

And lastly there is the scene when Batman confronts Selina over her actions as she attempts to Shreck near the end of the film.  Before that though, Batman delivers one of the best lines when he turns up and Shreck relieved to see him says "You're not only saving a friend but..." and Batman shoves him back and says "Shut up! You're going to jail!". 

So, Batman, talking to her as Bruce says "Why don't we just take Shreck to the police and go home?  Selina, please don't you see?  We're both the same....split right down the centre" and he rips off his mask, revealing himself to her.  And Selina says "Bruce... I would - I would love to live with you in your castle... forever, just like in a fairy tale.... " and as Bruce reaches out to her she suddenly lashes out and slashes his face with her cat claws and she yells "I just couldn't live with myself, so don't pretend this is a happy ending!".  

Michelle Pfeiffer is excellent in her dual role as Selina Kyle and Catwoman and even though its pretty superficial at times she occasionally manages to show Selina's struggle with her own personality after she becomes Catwoman and she becomes intent on getting revenge over Shreck.  And Michelle also manages to play Catwoman's anti-heroic qualities perfectly well as well as imbue the character's sexiness and there's simply no getting round the fact that Michelle looks rather sexy in that vinyl suit! ;-)   

Michelle also has some good moments in the film and some of the film's best (or better) lines and her good scenes include the one where she first appears at Catwoman on the streets as she stops a mugger from assaulting a woman.  And in the scene Catwoman says to the mugger "Be gentle, its my first time!" and she efficiently manages to kick the mugger's ass and slashes at his face with her claws.  And as the woman is about to thank Catwoman, Catwoman grabs her by the throat and says "You woman are so easy, aren't you?   I am Catwoman. Hear me roar!" and the somersaults away (although since when did a cat ever roar?!).  

Another good scene is when Catwoman fights with Batman up ontop of the rooftops but before that she announces herself to Batman and the Penguin just after she rigged Shreck's store to blow and she says to them "Meow!" just before the store explodes.  And in the next moment, Catwoman and Batman fight and in self defence Batman punches and she falls down, hurt she says "How could you?!  I'm a woman!" and Batman apologies but she fights him again.

And then she dangles Batman from a rooftop using her whip she says to him "As I was saying, I'm a woman and can't be taken for granted. Life's a bitch, now so am I!" and Batman uses a napalm device to disable her.  And after they fight Batman lifts her back up on the roof and she asks "Who are you?  Who is the man behind the bat?" and she then stabs him in his side with her claw, which prompts Batman to punch her off the roof and she lands below in a sand truck and she says to herself "Saved by kitty litter!" and laugh saying "Bastard!".

Then there is the scene where Catwoman invites herself into the Penguin's lair and she lies on his bed and says "Its chilly in here!" and the Penguin suggestively says "I'll warm you!" and Catwoman puts her foot on him and says "Don't Oswald!".  And as the two of them toy with each other, Catwoman says to the Penguin "Batman napalmed my arm, he knocked me off a building just when I was starting to feel good about myself. I wanna play an integral part in his degradation.  I want in. The thought of busting Batman makes me feel all... dirty. Maybe I'll just give myself a bath right here!" and she proceeds to lick her hand with her tongue and rub it around the top of her masked head (weird!).

Another good moment is when Selina meets up with Bruce for a date at his place and he awkwardly tells her that if he reveals the truth about himself that "You might think I'm some sort of Norman Bates, Ted Bundy type and....you won't let me kiss you".  And Selina looks indefferently at him and says "It's the so-called "normal" guys who always let you down. Sickos never scare me. Least they're committed" and Selina suddenly leans in and kisses Bruce. 

Then there is the scene where Selina and Bruce meet up again at the masquerade ball and they dance slowly with each other as Selina reveals she has a gun and plans to kill Shreck, which is one of Pfieffer's best scenes. So, as they dance Selina asks "So, why did you come here?" and Bruce says "To see you" and Selian says "That's nice. I wish I could say the same but I'm here for Max". Bruce a bit confused asks "What, you mean you and Max?" and Selina laughs loudly and says "No!" and she pulls out a gun and says "THIS and Max!" and she holds the gun at Bruce and says "Now don't give me a "killing Max won't solve anything" speech! Aren't you tired of the same old, sanctimonious speeches from a guy above ground when he should be six feet under it?!". So, Bruce stunned asks Selina "Who do you think you are?" and Selina a bit confused and emotional says "I don't know who I am, Bruce" and she laughs dementedly.  

So, as they dance, Selina looks up at the ceiling and sees mistletoe and she says to Bruce "A kiss under the mistletoe. You know, mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it" and Bruce says "But a kiss can be even deadlier.....if you mean it" and they both look each other realising their secret identities.   So, they continue to dance as Selina says in surprise "Oh, my God. Does this mean we have to start fighting?!".

Last of all is the scene where Selina reveals herself to Shreck in the Penguin's lair as she takes her mask off and Shreck says "Selina, Selina Kyle! You're fired!". Shreck then looks at Bruce, unmasked as Batman and asks "And Bruce Wayne, why are you dressed up like Batman?" and Selina says "Because he IS Batman, you moron!" and Shreck aims his gun at Bruce and says "Was!" and shoots him. Selina then says to Shreck "You killed me, Penguin killed me, Batman killed me, you think you've got enough in their to finish me off??!" and Shreck says "One way to find out" and he shoots the gun twice. So, Selina painfully whinces and twirls her whip and says "Four, five!" and he furiously whips at Shreck "STILL ALIVE!". Shreck then shoots her twice more and Selina painfully limps and says "Six, seven, all good little girls go to heaven" and she nears him as Shreck points the gun at her stomach and it clicks empty. Selina then bursts out laughing and says "Two lives left. I think I'll save one for next Christmas. In the meantime, how a bout a kiss Santy Clause?!". So, she purses her lips against her taser and Max's lips while holding on a power cable, which basically electrocutes Shreck. 

Danny DeVito also does well enough as the Penguin even if he plays the part a bit of character for the actual role of the Penguin as he plays him morely as a psychotic leering pervert, which makes it much harder to actually bother to sympathise with him.

Regardless of that DeVito does have some good scenes that include his first main one where the Penguin has Shreck brought to his undergound lair.  And as Shreck sees Penguin for the first time he says to Shreck "I believe the word you're looking for is......AGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!".  And in the scene Penguin blackmails Shreck into helping with his plan to ascend above and become a citizen of Gotham.  And the Penguin says to Shreck of his late business partner, Fred Atkins, as he produces his dead partner's severed hand "Hi, Max! Remember me? I'm Fred's hand! You wanna greet any other body parts? Remember, Max. You flush it. I flaunt it!".

Then there is the scene where Catwoman meets with the Penguin to hatch a plan to discredit Batman and he leering walks into the room and says to her "Just the pussy I've been looking for!".  And in the scene Catwoman says to the Penguin that they have something in common and the Penguin asks "Sounds familiar. Appetite for destruction? Contempt for the czars of fashion? Wait, don't tell me... naked sexual charisma!" and Catwoman says to him "Batman!".  And as Catwoman says she wants to play the part in Batman's downfall, the Penguin lies on his bed and says "A plan is forming!" and he puts his webbed hands together and creates the shadow of a bat against the ceiling.

Another scene worth mentioning is when Batman confronts the Penguin and Batman says to him "admiring your handwork?" and the Penguin says "Touring the riot scene. Gravely assessing the devastation. Upstanding mayor stuff!".  And Batman says to him "You're not the mayor" and the Penguin menacingly says to him "Things change!".  And as Batman asks what does he want, the Penguin says "Ah, the direct approach. I admire that in a man with a mask!" and he says seriously "You don't really think you'll win, do you?!" and Batman says "Things change".  And as Catwoman appears and says "Meow" and Shreck's department store blows up, the Penguin says to Bats "I saw her first.  Gotta fly!" and he uses his motorised helicopter umbrella to fly away.

Then there is the scene where the Penguin pours some bubbly for her and Catwoman but she is a bit taken aback at him killing the Princess and she says "I thought you were going to scare the Ice Princess" and Penguin says "She looked pretty scared to me!". So, Penguin then makes leering advances on Catwoman but she rejects him saying "Oh, please I wouldn't touch you to scratch you!".  And this angers the Penguin who shouts "Ya lousy minx!  I oughta have you spayed!  You sent out all the signals and I don't think I like you anymore!" and he hooks his helicopter umbrella around her neck and opens it sending Catwoman flying up in the air and he looks at her saying "Goodbye, my unintended, to go Heaven!". 

Then there is the scene where the Penguin addresses the crowd during his speech which is sabotaged by Bruce who hacks into the PA and plays the recording of Penguin saying "You gotta admit I played this stinkin' city like a harp from hell!" and he repeats it over and over and this prompts the crowd to boo at him.  And then the crowd start to throw tomatoes, eggs and peeled cabbage at him and he puts up his umbrella to defend himself saying "Why is there always someone who brings eggs and tomatoes to a speech?!!".

Another scene is where the Penguin furiously returns to his lair after being disgraced live on TV by Bruce's recording of the Penguin's own words. So, in the scene, Penguins returns to his lair and one of his goons says "Good speech, Oswald" and the Penguin yells "My name is not Oswald, I am Penguin!! I am not a human being, I am an animal!!". So, he gives out his papers of the names of the first born sons of Gotham to his goons and says "And I will toss them all in a watery grave!!". However one of his clowns says "Uhh Penguin? Killing sleeping children, isn't that a little..." and Penguin annoyed grabs a gun umbrella and shoots him dead and says "No! Its a lot!" and kicks the clown's body into the water.

Last of all is the scene where Oswald's first born plan is foiled by Batman, so he goes to plan B where he has his army of penguins armed with rockets and he addresses them all. So, the Penguin says to them "My dear penguins, we stand on a great threshold! It's okay to be scared; many of you won't be coming back. Thanks to Batman, the time has come to punish all God's children! 1st, 2nd, 3rd *and* 4th-born! Why be biased? Male and female! Hell, the sexes are equal with their erogenous zones blown sky high! Forward march! The liberation of Gotham has begun!".    

Christopher Walken is also very good in his role as the corrupt businessman, Max Shreck and his sinister gravelling voice does help to make him a bit more threatening in certain moments.

Walken also has some good moments that include the scene where Shreck addresses the crowd near the start of the film but he hasn't his speech as Selina forgot to give it to him and he mutters to his son, Chip (Andrew Bryniarski) "Forgotten my speech, remind me to take it out on what's her name...".  And Shreck says to the crowd "I'm just some poor schmoe that got lucky and sue me if I wan't to given some more back!" and he receives much applause and he continues "I wish I could hand more than just expensive bobbles.  I wish I could hand out World Peace and Unconditional Love, wrapped in a big bow!".

Then there is the scene where Shreck catches Selina spying into his private files and he says to her menacingly "What did curiosity do to the cat???".  And Shreck warns her "This power plant is my legacy, what I leave behind for Chip.  NOTHING must prevent that!" and Selina says he can bully and intimidate her if he likes and "Its not like you can just kill me!" and Shreck says to her "Actually, its ALOT like that!".  And he leans towards her menacingly but then pulls back smiling and Selina laughs with relief saying "You had me for a second there..." and then Shreck gives a fake smile and without warning pushes her out the window.

Another good scene comes when Shreck meets with Bruce who opposes his power plant plan and all of a sudden Selina reappears as Shreck is about to see Bruce out and he looks stunned at her appearance.  And Shreck feebly tries to make an excuse for the cut on her head after her fall when Bruce asks about it " Did you injure yourself on that ski slope? Is that why you cut short your vacation and came back?".  And after Selina sees Bruce out, Chip asks Shreck if she buys Selina's excuse of a "blur or amnesia" and Shreck says "Women. Nothing surprises me, Chip, except your late mother. Who'd have thought Selina had a brain to damage. Bottom line, she tries to blackmail me, I'll drop her out a higher window. Meantime, I got better fish to fry!".

And lastly there is the moment where Selina reveals herself to Shreck as Catwoman, she takes off her mask and Shreck says to her "Selina?  Selina Kyle!  You're fired!".  And Shreck looks to Bruce, who has ripped off his Batman mask at this point and he says to him "And Bruce Wayne?  What are you doing dressed up as Batman????!" and Selina says "Cos he IS Batman, you moron!" and Shreck aims his gun at Bruce and says "Was!" and shoots him.

And lastly Michael Gough reprises his role nicely as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's trusted butler and confidant who helps him.

And Gough has some good moments too that include his first scene where Alfred, carrying bags is stopped by a paperboy and he says to the boy "My dear boy.  Sometimes it is a diversion to read such rubbish, but most of the time its a waste of time!" and he walks off leaving the paperboy indifferently saying "Whatever!".

And lastly (to keep this brief!) there is the scene when Bruce and Selina both separately speak to Alfred, both looking for excuses to give each other for why they have to suddenly leave.  And to Bruce, Alfred says to him as Bruce fumbles for an excuse "I will relay the message!".  And then Alfred goes to Selina and says "Miss Kyle, Mr Wayne told me to tell you....." and as Selina fumbles to make an excuse she asks "Could you just make up a sonnet or something? A dirty limerick?" and Alfred says to her "One has just sprung to mind!" and Selina says "Thanks" and runs out.

DIRECTION

As for the film's director, Tim Burton, he does a decent job but the problem is that he has been given a bit too much license to do what he wants with the film so it is filled with all sorts of weird and whacky ideas and sequences that we all too readily associate with Burton, which don't quite fit the Batman universe imo.

Regardless of that though there is no denying that Burton's visual style is incredible and he knows how to make a film look lavish and stunning as for the most part Batman Returns looks just that with large sets and unique visual style and its 80 million dollar budget is evident for all to see.  Burton also does a reasonable job with the action in the film too but for me there isn't quite enough of it here but of what there is its ok and Batman's fight scenes with Catwoman are highlights as are their little moments of biplay. 

MUSIC 
 
As for the music the score was again done by Danny Elfman, who provides a pretty decent score for the film but it isn't in the same class as his first one, which for me personally is one of my favourite film scores.  However the score still has some nice moments in it such as the opening scene where the Cobblepots decide to get rid of their son and the playful theme for Catwoman as she breaks into Shreck's department store.  Also the title theme is also pretty good in its build up for the motif of theme itself. So while overall its not one of Elfman's best scores its still a fairly good one.

The soundtrack also includes a track "Face to Face" by Siousxie and the Banshees, which is partly used in the scene where Bruce and Selina dance at the Masquerade ball and its actually not a bad track and way better than some of the stuff that Prince featured in the first film.  And one of the film's best points is the fact that it doesn't overly rely on using extra artists music to fill up the soundtrack, which is kept minimal here so well done to Burton there. 

Its also worth mentioning that this was the first film to use the surround sound format, Dolby Digital, which introduced the use of five separate channels of sound and an additional subwoofer for bass frequencies (i.e. the subwoofer gives more oomph to explosions and rumbling noises in films).  So from a technical point of view, Batman Returns is something of an innovation and set the blueprint for future surround sound films. 

FLAWS (Warning this section may also contain one or two spoilers!)

As for Batman Returns flaws.... yeah it does have some worth mentioning and for starters it has to be said that the film's much darker tone from the first one is one of the aspects I didn't like about it.  And as I previously said it felt like Tim Burton was given too much freedom to do what he wanted in the film and make it as weird and whacky as he wanted.

In fact one good example of this is having a small poodle dog carry a grenade in its mouth into a store and running out in time just before the store is blown up. Now, this is just stupid on a number of levels, I mean how would the dog pull out the pin of the grenade? Also, how did it manage to get out in time just before it exploded anyway? Also, this is perhaps the single cringiest moment in the film for me regardless and I never liked it as its just dumb as hell.   

It also introduced some pretty disturbing ideas into the story, particularly the subplot where the Penguin plans to kidnap all the first born sons of Gotham and drown them in chemical sludge in his underground lair.  I mean that is pretty strong stuff for a Batman film that is allegedly and supposedly targeted at family audiences.  And in the scene where the children are seen snatched almost resembles something out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, where the main villain, the Child Catcher snatches children off the streets.  Thankfully Batman quickly manages to put the Penguin's horrendous plan out of action as he rescues the children.

I also felt the film blurred the lines a bit between when Catwoman lost one of her 9 lives as there are certainly some instances when she wouldn't necessarily have died.  And one such instance is the one where Batman punches Catwoman off the roof after she stabs him and she lands safely (and rather conveniently at that!) into a sand truck and she later claims that Batman had killed her as a result, losing one of her 9 lives, however she wouldn't necessarily have been killed by this although just maybe she might have done, who knows???

And further to this point when Shreck shoots Selina later on in the Penguin's underground lair, he shoots her in non vital organs but she claims each bullet as a lost life but again these are not necessarily fatal wounds and would count as one of her lives lost.  So there is a pretty daft logic involved here (or a lack of) where Selina could have lost one of her lives and when she really didn't but yeah she sure somehow (SPOILER!!!) manages to survive frying Shreck using the taser to kiss him while holding onto a power cable attached to a electrical generator.  Yep you can survive that for sure! 

Another problem with the film that I had was to do with the idea of Batman killing people as here onscreen you clearly see him kill two bad guys.  And the two in question are a fire breather, which he sets on fire with the exhaust from his Batmobile and the other a big burly circus man who Batman attaches dynamite to and he punches him into a manhole and as Batman walks on, we see the explosion come up from below.  I mean this really violates the whole moral code of Batman's character as in the comic books he never killed anyone (nor does he in the video games) and Nolan later got Batman's morality right but here Burton is just happy for the dark knight to get blood on his hands.  So this again never really sat right for me although Zack Snyder has followed suit with his version of the dark knight in Batman vs Superman, but for me it never sat well that Batman should be a killer. 

I also felt that while the film's sets and its overall design is very impressive at the same time it really scales down Gotham to being more like a big village than an actual city and when you look at the small amount extras in the film it doesn't seem that populated for a big city either!  And the scenes that we do see people on the streets of Gotham in it feels like they are just walking around a town square and not a city.  So for me I think Burton should have represented Gotham better as an actual city as opposed to just using big expansive sets.

And further to the whole Selina/Catwoman thing I also thought it was a pretty stupid idea how Selina would somehow be revived by cats after being pushed out of a high story window when she most definitely would be dead from the impact of the fall anyway.  In that instance I'm pretty sure cats licking her hands and face isn't going to revive her from that one!  Not only that after Selina becomes Catwoman she all of a sudden has developed some kung-fu moves and has become a world class acrobat who can climb, jump and somersault all over the place!  I mean that cat saliva must have some serious regenerative powers that can bring anyone back from the dead, not to mention turn them into world class athletes with martial arts skills!!  

I also felt the film's climax (SPOILER!!) was a bit of a letdown with the Penguin's ridiculous back-up plan of using his penguins to launch a rocket assault on Gotham, it just seemed a really stupid and whacky idea that ultimately, thanks to Batman, falls flat on its face (rather like a penguin!).  And that also brings up the point as to how did the Penguin suddenly get swarmed by a bunch of bats just before he died????  I mean they seem to appear out of nowhere from behind the Batmobile, not unless Batman summoned them somehow, but it just seems a bit convenient that the bats come out of nowhere right at the moment to kill off the main villain!

And last of all the film is also known for that one scene which has a big continuity error where Bruce tears off his Batman mask to reveal himself to Selina.  However when Bruce does it in the moment before we see that he is wearing eyeliner under his Batman mask but when he rips off the mask the eyeliner has been removed.  And it kind of begs the question: why did they not redesign the mask so they didn't need to use eyeliner in the first place???  Perhaps it might be because they didn't want to make the eye slits for the mask too narrow or that would be uncomfortable for Michael Keaton, but if it wouldn't be then there is no real reason for Batman to wear eyeliner in the first place!  

Anyway that is for the flaws.

SUM UP

So in summing up, Batman Returns while its not a bad film, it is a bit of a letdown as a follow up to Burton's acclaimed first film.  Overall I think Burton had too much creative control given to him and it showed in the film with its overly dark tones, weird characters and twisted subplots that don't quite stack up.

It does have some good moments however here and there and Michelle Pfeiffer is very good as Catwoman/Selina Kyle and her scenes with Batman work well and she does a good job at showing Selina's struggles with her dual personality. Then there is are also some nice touches elsewhere and the film's set design and visuals are very impressive and Elfman's score is a pretty decent one.

But in the end I think there are far better Batman films than Batman Returns, which while its not the worst Batman film of all it sure isn't the best one either and for that reason while its fairly entertaining in places, it just doesn't work as a whole. 

So, I will give Batman Returns:

6 out of 10 

So, that's it for this one and I will be back soon with another post before the New Year.

So, until then its bye for now! 

 

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, guys, so figured it was time for another post just before Christmas is upon us and this one will be on a video game I recently played, which is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which is a much anticipated title that sees the return of legendary Nintendo character, Samus Aran, a stoic female bounty hunter. 

So, this game was basically 8 years in the making and goes back to the Nintendo Switch 1 era, so now that it is finally out, how does it fair?? Well, let's take a look...

So, I will say a bit about the story below, so the warning is coming...

PLOT SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!!

STORY

So, I will quote a bit of the plot directly from Wikipedia below:

"Following the failure of their previous mission, the Space Pirates use Metroids to become stronger, a process that involves infusing Metroids into their subjects at a cost of their free will. Samus (Erin Yvette) is dispatched to Tanamaar by the Galatic Federation to prevent the Pirates stealing a recently unearthed artifact, following their attack on Federation facilities. The Pirates are being led by Sylux (Laith Wallschleger), a rogue hunter whom Samus had previous dealings with. In the confrontation with him, Sylux accidentally damages the artifact, causing it to activate and teleport everything in its surroundings to the unknown planet of Viewros." 

"On Viewros, Samus exploring the Chronos Tower. She acquires a crystal with psychic capabilities and uncovers a holographic recording from Chatoyant Vooloon, the last priest of the extinct Lamorn race. Facing extinction, the Lamorn made plans for their legacy to be preserved and teleported to a new world by a Master Teleporter at the pinnacle of the Chronos Tower. It can only be activated by five keys scattered across Viewros".

So, its Samus's mission to try and locate these keys on Viewros by entering five different and dangerous realms while also being aided by some Federation soldiers, who have also been teleported to the planet. 

THOUGHTS

Well it has to be said that this game was well received by critics on its release for the most part but the fan base, as fan bases usually are these days, were split down the middle on this game. This is mainly because for this game, Nintendo tried to include more interaction with NPC's in the game and take away from Samus's isolation, which if you have played previous Metroid games, was always the case that Samus was and still is a silent lone figure, who embarks on dangerous missions without help. However, the NPC's were obviously added to make the game feel more accessible to newer audiences but this didn't sit too well with many fans, who wish they kept the spirit of the earlier Metroid games with Samus being fully alone. However, I personally don't think this ruined the game for me in anyway (unlike a lot of fans it has to be said!) and if anything adds a welcome dimension to the game.

It also has to be said despite the inclusion of the chatty new NPCs and yes one, which many fans hate, Myles MacKenzie, a nerdy technician, who basically acts a tutorial character for the game, this still feels a lot like a Metroid game and Samus for long parts of it is still indeed on her own. So, overall, I felt despite the changes, Samus still does a lot of the things she did in the previous games in terms of puzzle solving, platforming and action. 

GAMEPLAY

As for the gameplay, I will split this as usual into the sub sections below on the different aspects of the gameplay itself.

MOVESET

Starting with the moveset, Samus is controlled via a first person perspective and her moveset is somewhat simplified by that mode and she can basically walk or run and jump, however she can also turn into a 3rd person perspective when she activates her morph ball mode, allowing her to traverse tight confined areas. I will say more about the special features below but these are her basic moves from the start of the game.

PSYCHIC POWERS 

As for a new inclusion to the game, Samus will gain psychic powers that allow her to move objects with ther power of her mind, this comes in handy especially when she has to sove certain puzzles found throughout the game or access doors leading to secret areas.  She can also gain a visor that allows her to scan various items, lifeforms and enemies on the planet. Another power Samus has is a control beam, which works much like the remote batarang in the Batman games, which Samus uses to solve puzzles or hit certain items or even enemies. 

SUIT POWERS & ABILITIES

Moving onto Samus's suit, she will gain a number of powers and abilities as she progresses in the game, starting with the morph ball, which as already mentioned, allows Samus's suit to convert into a rolling ball to allow her to move in confined areas. Samus can also use a lasso to open locks or access mech components but it can come in handy with certain boss fights as well. Then there is the pyschic bomb, which is a component of the morph ball, which Samus can use to trigger a powerful explosion to e.g. destroy rubble blocking a passageway. 

Another aspect of Samus's suit is the energy tanks, which she can collect throughout the game and there are 14 in total and they are scattered in the different regions of Viewros. It is quite difficult to get them all in a single playthrough and I myself only got 11 of the 14 but that in itself is enough to finish the game but ideally getting all 14 is a good idea.  

ARM CANNON MODES

Next are Samus's modes for her arm cannon, her primary weapon, which she will gain as she progresses during the game. Samus starts with a regular rapid fire beam but she will also later be able use missiles and super missiles that deal greater damage. Samus will also gain an ice shot, fire shot and thunder shot, all of which deal their respective types of damage but these beams can also be used to open certain doors. There is separate types of ammo that can be collected for the shots and the missiles and these can also be upgraded in quantity throughout the game.

VI-O-LA 

Then we have the Vi-o-la, which is a motorcycle, which Samus use to traverse the open world area of the game, which is known as Sol Valley. Vi-o-la itself can use a speed boost to travel faster out in open areas but this is restricted in interior areas and this can be upgraded as well. Vi-ol-a can also be used for attack as it is equipped with a laser that can target single or multiple enemies out in the Valley or within the different realms Samus travels around. The Vi-o-la can lastly also be used to access ramp areas that take you further into a realm and there is also another upgrade that allows the Vi-o-la to travel on lava but this can be found later in the game. 

VALLEY CRYSTALS 

Another key item of the game are the crystals, which can be found out in Sol Valley and Samus needs to collect these crystals (and a large number of them!) in order to complete the game and I will say more about that later! ;-) 

But getting onto the crystals a bit more, there are two different types of crystals, green and white and the green ones are what you need to complete the game and are basically a plot point used to grow a key item called memory fruit. The white crystals on the other hand actually restore Samus's health and both these crystals can only be collected out in the valley by using Vi-o-la. There are also some crystal clusters that Samus can break on the Vi-o-la that give it a speed boost but that's their only function. 

NPCs

Another new aspect of the game are the NPCs as in most of the previous Metroid games, Samus worked alone but here, she will engage with other NPCs and even travel with some of them. The main one in the game is of course already mentioned, Myles MacKenzie, who is a nerdy tech guy, who can help upgrade Samus's arm canon as well as provide her with some useful hints throughout the game. Myles however certainly has gained alot of negative press attention as most fans found him very annoying and chatty and would rather he was removed from the game altogether! However, I personally didn't find him too annoying and the bad hype surrounding him was overblown and there were times where he was actually quite helpful in reminding what I could do next when I was a bit stuck. So, yeah his personality admittedly become a bit grating but at the same time, he does add a lighter tone to the game, which is something that was missing from previous Metroid games. 

As for the other NPCs, there are mostly military soldiers that include the gruff Sgt Duke, who accompanies Samus in one or two areas of the game, as well as Private Armstrong, a female soldier, who geeks out over meeting Samus as she is a big fan of her! In fact Armstrong provides a funny moment of dialogue where she asks Duke "do you think I could get her autograph??". Another NPC also worth mentioning is VUE-995, a large robot that helps Samus during sections of the game and I actually thought he was best of the NPC's personally, especially when you first meet him and he keeps kicking enemies assess! ;-)

SOL VALLEY & OTHER REALMS

Moving onto Sol valley itself, this is the central hub of the game as mentioned already and connects the other areas of the game. However it is mostly open and barren but there are still some areas where you can stop off and access certain items, some of which you will need for completing the game such as mech parts and of course the green crystals. There are also some passages that Samus can access that take her to underground areas where she can collect certain items. There are also some enemy droids that can attack Samus in the valley, which you are best taking out using the Vi-o-la itself. 

As for the other realms that is Fury Green, which is a beautiful, lush forest that is of course decidedly green and this will also act as a meeting place for the NPCs as the game progresses. The Volt Forge is another area, which is a large industrial complex where the Vi-o-la bike is manufactured. The Ice Belt is a remote area that is largely frozen and contains a big laboratory complex and feature some dangerous ice storms. And last of all is the Flare Pool, which is the firey region of the planet, which is filled with lava pools.

ENEMIES AND BOSSES

As for the enemies, MP4 has quite a few to speak that include the regular enemies of the series, the space pirates, who are mostly just seen at the star of the game. As for the other enemies there are grievers, which are feral creatures that attack in groups, the shren, which are small fly like creatures that also attack in numbers. Then there are the snow wolves that will attack Samus in the Ice Belt area of the game and in great numbers in one sequence. There are also some mechanical enemies such as the Psy-bot soldiers that can fly around and attack in numbers as well but they come in different forms and can be quite challenging. 

Moving onto the bosses, there are quite a few to be found in the game starting with the Aberax, which is a large creature with weak spots that can be hit on its body. Xelios, an armored machine found in the Volt Forge that uses shockwave attacks. Phenoros, which is a large snake like creature that can be found in the Flare Pool and can be very challenging. And last of all is Sylux, who is primary antagonist of the game, who Samus will fight at different times during the game, who can be quite tough as well. 

GRAPHICS 

As for the game's visuals, this is definitely an area of the game where it really shines, as Metroid Prime 4 easily must be the most stunning game Nintendo has ever produced. The visuals of this game are absolutely superb and especially so on the Switch 2 version, which runs up to 4K at 60fps and this is pretty much a locked 60fps and its just a real treat to look at. The game's enviroiniments are also really impressive and varied in their design as each area has a very unique feel such as the beautiful forest of Fury Green, the industrial area of the Volt Forge, the frozen wastelands of the Ice Belt and of course the beautiful expanse of desert in Sol Valley. The character models are also very good for the game too, as Samus's outfit looks great and the NPC's all look quite impressive too for a Nintendo game. 

So, overall this game is a real visual feast and its graphics are amazing and it also shows just what the Switch 2 is capable of given its modest hardware specs compared to the other current gen consoles. 

MUSIC

As for the music, the game's score was composed by Kenji Yamaoto and Minako Hamano and its pretty good score overall and even features variants of previous Metroid themes. Again each area of the game has its unique score and for the most part they are all pretty good with the Fury Green track probably being the standout one for the individual areas. The main theme for the game is probably however one of the more weak aspects of the score, which I didn't care for too much. Other than this, its a pretty decent score overall. 

VOICE ACTING

Moving onto the voice acting, the cast for the most part do a pretty good job.

Starting with David Goldstein, who plays the infamous Myles MacKenzie, the overly talkative technician that helps out Samus on her journey. Goldstein does well with his role even though the character has gotten a ton of flak for Myles being excessively chatty and to be fair, he is somewhat annoying at times but overall I think he's OK despite it all. Goldstein does deliver some fun lines here and there and it is good to see Nintendo try and add a bit of comic relief into the Metroid series given how stoic and silent Samus is as a character herself. 

Ezra Duke does a good job too in his role as Sgt Duke, who is a Federation soldiers, who helps out Samus on Viewros and is a somewhat hardened soldier, who is a bit wary of Samus at first but quickly admires her and appreciates her help. 

Jennifer Sun Bell is also pretty good in her role as Private Armstrong, who is an enthusiastic soldier, who geeks out on first meeting Samus and is even keen to get her autograph! Armstrong however does also show her determination in fighting alongside Samus and proves to be a good supporting character as the game progresses.

Laith Wallschleger does well enough in his role as the main villain, Sylux, although his dialogue is somewhat limited (not as limited as Samus's of course!) he does convey Sylux's menace pretty well and I guess he doesn't really need too much dialogue in that respect.

Last of all is Erin Yvette, who does the voice of Samus although it has to be said that she has no dialogue whatsoever as Samus, given she never speaks throughough the game. So, Erin, basically recorded a series of grunts and screams for whenever Samus is attacked or killed, so for that she does well enough and that's all I can say about that really.

FLAWS

As for the flaws...well yeah Metroid Prime 4 isn't quite perfect.

For starters however, I have to start by saying none of my main gripes with the game are to do with the addition of the NPCs and the chatty Myles interrupting Samus while she is out, so he can give you advice on where to go next, or taking away from the original sense of isolation that was key to the Metroid games. No, none of these changes really bothered me it has to be said and to be fair to Nintendo, I think they made these changes to make the game more accessible to a new audience, as just having Samus silently wander around the world on her own with no interaction might have turned off new audiences, so the inclusion of NPCs does actually help add a new dimension to the game, even if many fans didn't like it.

So, for me instead the flaws of the game are more to do with to an extent its setting, especially Sol Valley which was also a common crticism to be fair, as its a bit too empty and boring to navigate as a connecting hub. There are some things of course you need to do in the valley such as collect crystals as well as travel to the other zones on the planet in addition to collecting mech parts or discovering underground areas, however that aside, the area itself just isn't that interesting and it takes a long time to go from A to B between zones as well. So, yeah I do admit that Sol Valley could have been better than it was in the game.

Another issue I had was to with the control beam, which is one of Samus's new psychic powers, which for me was a real pain in the ass to control easily. The whole idea of this is like the remote batarang in the Batman Arkham games, as you need to shoot it at certain enemies, locks or puzzles and it slows down time while you do it. However, its too easy to overshoot the controls and to miss the target as I quite often did, so I really did find to be one of the more infuriating aspects of the game.

One other issue I had with the game was the insistance on using the old save station method as the primary was to save the game and i just wish it adapted to autosave more given we are now in 2025. Now to be fair, there are some moments which are checkpointed and if you fight a boss, it can tend to checkpoint it if you resume the fight after an attempt. However, if you choose to quit out and reload, it will not save that checkpoint and it willl revert you to your previous save station file, which could be ages before the boss fight itself! So, I did find this to be pretty annoying and one of the more backward aspects of the game given so many games have adapted to the autosave feature.

Another problem I had was to do with the completion percentage of the game, which I found to be a bit misleading as its spit between items and scans collected. So, in order to get 100% or a high percentage rate, Samus needs to scan everything item in sight as well as collect as many missiles and shots as possible as well as other items to ensure that. However, the problem is that it shows a percentage for both rather than show an overall percentage completion for the game, which left me confused as I was hoping to get the ending where Samus's face is revealed (at 75% or above) but instead I missed out as i had 62% scans and 76% items.  So, I just wish there was a flat percentage for the completion given rather than splitting it between two different percentages. 

And last of all is an issue to do with the collection of the green crystals, which becomes quite a lengthy tedious task and sadly it is one you MUST complete in order to finish the game, which frankly sucks, as this quickly becomes a real chore. This can be especially frustrating if you didn't collect any crystals before the final stage of the game can be initiated and it will take you a couple of hours or so to collect the crystals that are necessary and as I said, this quickly becomes a major bore and a nuisance. So why they decided to block the game's ending behind this stupid task is beyond me and is definitely one of the flaws of the game.     

So, that's it for the flaws.

SUM UP

So, to sum up, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is very solid and enjoyable entry in the Metroid series and despite toxic bandwagon hate the game has gotten so far from fans for its NPCs and inclusion of Sol Valley and a motorcycle (how dare they lol!) its a really good game imho. The game also has some of the most impressive visuals I've not just seen in an Nintendo game but in ANY game, as its just an absolute treat to look at. The gameplay is also a lot of fun for the most with the usual satisfying mix of exploration and puzzle solving as well as shooter action. 

It is of course not perfect and does have some issues especially with the rather boring open world of Sol Valley, the green crystal hunt, which fast becomes a chore and one or two other issues but despite all that, this is stil a really entertaining Metroid game, which I found way less frustrating than Metroid Dread. I mean come one, would you really rather be stabbed in the neck by an EMMI 200 times in a row in Metroid Dread than to have to chat to Myles MacKenzie for a bit (wait on second thoughts...!).

So, this again is another example of a piece of entertainment getting way too much overblown hate thrown at it by a fanbase that is too hung up on the game living it to its expectations when they should just try and enjoy it for what it is, well that's my two cents on it anyway!

So, I will rate Metroid Prime 4 Beyond...

8.5 out of 10

So, that's it for now and I will be back again if not before Christmas then just after it, so if I am not back with another post before then, I hope you have a Merry Christmas.

Till the next one, its bye for now! 

Robocop Review (Revisited) "Come quietly, or there will be trouble!"

 

 

 

 

So, I figured it was time for another post just before Christmas time but I will try and get another one day before Xmas time, so hopefully that might on Christmas Eve or before. 

So, for this post, I will do a revisit of a previous older review on the channel, which is of the sci-fi classic action film, Robocop, starring Peter Weller in the titular role as the cyborg cop, who is ressurected from death after being killed in the line of duty. 

So, with that said, let's see how this film fairs almost 40 years later... 

And yes again, SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!!

STORY

So, the story is set in the near future in Detroit, where crime is out of control and the police are struggling to deal with and as a result the city gives the mega-corporation Omni consumer products (OCP) control over the police.  The company plans to replace the run down sections of Detroit with the new "Delta city" but they first must deal with the violent crime rate.  During a presentation the senior president of OCP Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) unveils a prototype law enforcement droid, ED-209 however the droid goes awry during the presentation and kills a board member.  The OCP chairman as a result then decides to back a younger rival to Jones, Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer) and his experimental cyborg police officer project nicknamed "Robocop".  

In the meantime a police officer, Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is transferred to the old Detroit police force where he is teamed up with office Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen).  Together they patrol and tail a gang of bank robbers to an abandoned steel mill where Lewis is knocked out by one of the gang and Murphy is captured by the gang members lead by the ruthless Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith).  Boddicker taunts Murphy before he shoots off his hand and then lets his gang riddle his body with gunshots before Boddicker finishes him off with with a shot to Murphy's head.  Murphy is then taken to hospital but is soon pronounced dead and his body is taken to the OCP labs where he is rebuilt as Robocop.  As a result of Robocop's programming he follows three directives, one: serve the public trust, two: protect the innocent and three: uphold the law, but he also has a fourth secret directive.

Robocop is soon unveiled to the press and is sent out on the streets where he stops several crimes and soon gains alot of media attention as a result.  Robocop however starts to have flashbacks of his old life as Murphy and of his murder.  Lewis also stops Robocop just before he leaves the station and quietly tells him that he is Murphy after which Robocop starts to search out his killers.  

Robocop stops a robbery in progress at a petrol station by one of Boddicker's gang, Emil (Paul McCrane) who recognises Robocop when he uses the phrase that Murphy used earlier "Dead or alive you're coming with me!" which prompts Emil to shout "I know you!  You're dead.  We killed you!" and as he tries to escape on his bike Robocop disables Emil's bike and grabs him asking who he is but Emil passes out.  Robocop then takes a visit by his old house where he has more flashbacks of his old life and then he decides to go after another member of Boddicker's gang, Leon Nash (Ray Wise) and interrogates him on Boddicker's whereabouts. 

In the meantime Morton is promoted to vice president for his success with Robocop much to the annoyance of Jones who resents Morton's success and warns him Robocop better not end up failing. However later that night, Morton has two models around his house with whom he shares some cocaine with only then for Boddicker to then interrupt them, he scares the models into leaving.  Boddicker then shoots Morton in his kneecaps and plays a video messsage from Jones revealing that he sent Boddicker to kill him for going over his head to the chairman. Boddicker places a grenade on a table and walks out leaving Morton to die in the resulting explosion.  

Soon after Robocop tracks down Boddicker at a cocaine factory and he takes down most of the criminals there and he attempts to kill Boddicker but stops when Boddicker mentions that he works for Dick Jones and that OCP runs the cops and instead arrests Boddicker.  Robocop then goes after Jones and tries to arrest him but he is suddenly incapacitated and Jones explains that this is because of Robocop's secret fourth directive, which prevents him from harming any OCP executive.  Jones then sets ED-209 on Robocop and the two of them fight, injuring Robocop but he manages to escape as ED-209 falls down some stairs and the droid can't get up again.  

Robocop however is soon confronted by an army of Detroit police officers who have been given the order from Jones to kill him so they open fire on Robocop who is eventually saved by Lewis.  Lewis takes Robocop to the abandoned steel mill earlier in the film where Robocop removes his helmet to reveal Murphy's face. Lewis tells Murphy what happened to his wife and son and Lewis tells him she re-married after his death, Robocop laments that he can no longer remember them. 

However, in the meantime, Jones meets with Boddick and tells him that he wants him to destroy Robocop for him with the incentive of further opportunities for his criminal empire ahead if he co-operates. So, Boddicker and his gang turn up at the old steel mill with some powerful firearms to try and take down Robocop, which leads into the film's climax.   

THOUGHTS

Robocop is a highly entertaining not to mention an incredibly violent action film which is also quite intelligent and it also has some pretty good ideas in the story as well.  The character of Robocop was said to have been influenced by Blade Runner as the film's writer Edward Nueimer liked the notion of a cyborg police officer chasing down criminals in contrast to Blade Runner where a cop chases down cyborgs.  The film also further seems to echo the ideaology of corporations taking control of everything also as seen in Blade Runner where the Tyrell corporation is an all consuming enterprise and its fairly similar here with OCP.  And the film also acts as a pretty good satire on the social commentary of crime in America and how Detroit is the prime example of a city that is out on control crime wise and is desparate need of a cure.

PERFORMANCES 

Performance wise Robocop is pretty good overall.

Starting with Peter Weller (whom I share a birthday with!) who does an excellent job in his dual role of Alex Murphy/Robocop and he pretty much plays the part fairly straight down the line.  

Weller has some great moments in the film as well such as the scene where near the start Murphy plays with his gun by twirling it and Lewis notices him and he says how his kid once saw a TV advert which showed a cowboy twirling his gun and he wanted him to do it too and as Lewis gives him a look, Murphy says "OK I admit I get a kick out it!".  

Then there is the scene where Murphy is confronted by Boddicker at the steel mill and Boddicker says to him "You probably think I'm not a very nice guy" and Murphy says "Buddy, I think you're slime!".  

And then later on as Robocop, Weller also has some good moments such as the scene where Robocop prevents a woman from being raped by two thugs and he shoots one of them in the balls through the woman's dress and Robocop says "Your move, creep!".  And afterward the woman runs crying up to Robocop thanking him and he says "Madam, you have suffered an emotional shock.  I shall notify a rape crisis centre!".  

Then there is the scene where Robocop crashes the cocaine factory and he targets all the men in the factory and he says to them "Come quietly, or there will be trouble!" and one of Boddicker's men simply says "Oh fuck you!!" and they open fire on Robocop who takes most of them out leaving Boddicker alive. This is then followed by Robocop grabbing Boddicker and saying "Lawrence Boddicker, you are under arrest!" and Boddicker spits blood in Robocop's helmet and says "Fuck you!". Robocop proceeds to throw Boddick through more windows and is about to choke him to death but admit he works for Jones and he says "OCP runs the cops, YOU'RE a cop!" and Robocop let's him go and says "Yes, I am a cop". Then after Robocop takes Boddicker to the police station he says to Sergeant Reed (Robert DuQoi) "Book him!" and Reed says "What's the charge" and Robocop turns and says "He's a cop killer!".  

Another good scene is when Robocop is taken to the steel mill by Lewis after he survive the attack on him by the police and he removes his helmet and visor to reveal his own face and he look at himself in a mirror.  And he asks Lewis "Murphy had a wife and son, what happened to them?" and she tells him and he says "I can feel them, but I can't remember them" and as Lewis goes to put her hand on his shoulder in comfort he says "Leave me alone" and she walks off.   

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD IN THE NEXT TWO PARAGRAPHS!!! 

Then (SPOILER!!!!!) there is the scene near the end when Robocop kills Boddicker by stabbing him in the neck with his sharp knife-like data access port.  And Robocop calls out to an injured Lewis who says weakly "Murphy I'm a mess!" and Robocop says "They'll fix you.  They fix everything!".  

Last of all, there is the scene where Robocop enters the board to confront Jones and he says "Dick Jones is wanted for murder" and Jones anxiously paces around and says "That thing is a violent mechanical psychopath!!". So, Robocop then says "My program will not allow me act against an officer of this company". So, the Old Man asks "These are very serious charges, what's your evidence?" and he Robocop plays the video footage recorded from his data port. So, in the scene Jones grabs a gun and holds the Old Man at gunpoint and shouts "I want a chopper NOW! If anyone tries to stop me...the old geezer get's it!!". So, the Old Man then says "Dick, you're FIRED!!". So, Robocop's directive now vanishes and he says "Thank you" and shoots Jones dead who falls through the windows.  Then then the Old Man says to Robocop "Nice shooting, son.  What's your name?" and Robocop stops and turns back and smiles saying "Murphy".

Kurtwood Smith is great in his part as the ruthless Clarence Boddicker and he appears to really relish in playing the role and why not as he must rank as one of the villains you would most love to hate.  

Smith also his share of good scenes such as his first one where Boddicker and his gang have just fled the scene of a robbery only to find that the money was burned as a result of one of the gang blowing the doors off the safe.  And in the scene Boddicker says to the gang member, Bobby "I don't believe it!  YOU BURNT THE FUCKING MONEY!!!" and then as they are tailed by Murphy and Lewis, Boddicker grabs Bobby who is shot in the leg and Boddicker says "Can you fly, Bobby?!" and proceeds to throw him onto the cops car.  

Then there is the scene where Boddick having captured Murphy says to him "You probably think Im not a very nice guy" and Murphy says "Buddy, I think you're slime" and Boddick knocks him down to the ground and laughs. So, Boddicker then teases Murphy and says "See I got this problem, cops don't like me, so I don't like cops!" and he aims his shotgun and makes a noise like a tracking device and then shoots off Murphy's right hand and he says "Well, give the man a hand!" and he says to his gang "He's all yours!".  

Then have the scene where Boddicker meets with a drug dealer named Sal at the cocaine factory and he says to him "I don't want to fuck with you, Sal, but I got the connections. I got the sales organization. I got the muscle to shove enough of this factory so far up your stupid wop ass that you'll shit snow for a year!".  However, as Sal has his men pull guns on Boddicker (as do Boddicker's men on Sal's), Boddicker diffuses the situation and says "Come on, Sal! Tigers are playing tonight! I never miss a game!" and Sal laughs and says "Just kidding!".  

So, this is followed by the scene where Robocop gatecrashes the meeting and guns down most of the bad guys he grabs Boddicker and throws him through some glass windows and Boddicker wearily shouts "You cocksucker! I work for Dick Jones! DICK JONES! He's the Number Two Guy at OCP!  OCP runs the cops! You're a cop!!".  And after Robocop takes the bloodied Boddicker to the police station, Boddicker spits on the front desk and says to Reed "Just give me my fucking phone call!".  

Then we have the scene where Boddicker meets with Jones at his office the day after Robocop goes on the run from the cops having nearly been killed on the orders of Jones himself. So, Boddicker goes into meet Jones and asks "Hey, Dickie boy! How's tricks?" and Jones warns him that Robocop is still alive and he has evidence of his admission of his involvement with Boddicker.  So, Jones tells Boddicker he wants him to destroy it and Boddicker angrily says "Your company built the fucking thing! Now, I've gotta deal with it?! I don't have time for this bullshit!!". 

And last of there is Smith's last moment where Boddicker stabs Robocop with a piece of piping and Robocop screams out in pain and Boddicker leans in and says "Sayonara, Robocop!!" and Robocop then activates his sharp knife like data access port and uses it to kill Boddicker by stabbing him in the neck! Funnily enough, I always thought Boddick was saying "so, you're not a Robocop!" which made sense given Robocop was screaming out in pain like a human would. However apparently its sayonara after all! 

Ronny Cox is also great in his role as the corrupt No.2 man at OCP, Dick Jones who secretly is working with Boddicker. Cox up to this point in his career was known for playing good guys, so this was his first role as a villain and he does a great job here.   

Cox has some great moments as well in the film such as the scene where Jones confronts Morton in the bathroom and he tells him "I always knew where the line was drawn, and you just stepped over it, buddy-boy. You've insulted me and you've insulted this company with that bastard creation of yours!". So, Jones goes on to rant at Morton and says "I had a deal with ED-209! Spare parts and everything! Who cares it worked or not?!" and Morton says "The old man thought it was pretty important, Dick". So, Jones then says "You know, he's sweet old man and he means well but he's not gonna last forever and I'm the number two around here, pretty simple math huh, Bob?".  Jones proceeds to threaten Morton saying "You just....fucked with the wrong guy!" and grabbing his hair and Morton angrily pushes him back and Jones finishes by saying "You'd better pray that that unholy monster of yours doesn't screw up!".  

Then there is the scene where Robocop comes to arrest Jones at his office and Robocop says he will arrest him for "aiding and abbetting a known felon" and Jones says "You better take me in".  And as Robocop goes to arrest Jones he suddenly short circuits and Jones walks around him saying "What's the matter officer? I'll tell you what's the matter. It's a little insurance policy called "Directive 4", my little contribution to your psychological profile. Any attempt to arrest a senior officer of OCP results in shutdown. What did you think? That you were an ordinary police officer? You're our product, and we can't very well have our products turning against us, can we?!".  And then Jones activates a button and ED-209 stalks into the room and Jones says "I had to kill Bob Morton because he made a mistake.  Now its time to erase that mistake!".  

Lastly there is the film's last scene where Robocop barges and he plays back the previous quoted comment Jones made about killing Morton in front of the OCP board.  And Jones suddenly grabs the old man and holds him at gun point and he says to Robocop "I want a chopper on the roof!  Now!  If anyone tries to stop me.... the old geezer get's it!!".  And then the old man says "Dick!  You're FIRED!!" and Robocop who was held back by directive four suddenly no longer is as a result of the old man's actions and shoots Jones who falls to his death out the window.

Nancy Allen (who I ALSO share a birthday with!) is also pretty good in her role as Lewis, Murphy's partner who later on helps out Robocop in taking down Boddicker.  

Allen also has some good moments in the film such as the scene where Lewis stops Robocop in the corridor and she asks him "Hello, my name is Lewis? What's your name? Don't you have a name?" and Robocop just stares at her and she then moves in and quietly says to him "Murphy.  Its you!".  And in the next scene as a result Reed is grilled by Morton and Lewis says apologetically "Sorry, Sarge. I fucked up" and Reed smiles saying "Forget it, kid.  This guy's a serious asshole!". 

Then there is the scene where Robocop and Lewis flee to the steel mill and Robocop removes his visor to expose the face of Murphy and Lewis says to him "Its really good to see you again, Murphy". So, Robocop asks "Murphy had a wife and son, what happened to them?" and Lewis tells him "Well, after the funeral she moved away" and Robocop asks "Where did she go?" and Lewis says "She thought you were dead. So, she started over". Robocop then with some sadness says "I can feel them but I can't remember them" and Lewis goes to comfort him but he says "Leave me alone" and she walks off. 

And last of all is her final scene where Lewis is shot by Boddicker and he is about to finish her off and says "Bye bye, baby!" when we hear "Clarence!!" and we see Robocop walk on the water toward him. So, as the scene progresses, Boddick's remaining gang member, Leon drops some scaffolding on Robocop and he celebrates loudly only for Lewis to kill Leon by blowing him up with the cobra assault rifle. So, after Robocop fights off and kills Boddick, he shouts out to Lewis and she says weakly "Murphy, I'm a mess!" and Robocop says "They'll fix you, they fix everything!".  

Miguel Ferrer who is great as the young arrogant and cocky Bob Morton who is the mastermind behind the Robocop program.  

Ferrer also has some good moments in the film such as the scene where after Jones makes his disastrous presentation involving ED-209 killing an OCP associate Kinney, during a demonstration, Morton seizes his chance to get the go ahead for his project.  And afterward Morton says to his associate Johnson " Yes! Now that's how it's done in the big leagues, Johnson. You see an opening, you GO for it!".  So, Johnson warns then warns about Jones and Morton says "Oh fuck Jones! He fumbled the ball when I was there to pick it up!".  they Johnson then says of their fallen associate Kinney "Too bad about Kinney" and Morton says indifferently "That's life in the big city". So, as they look out the window of the elevator Johnsons asks "When do we start?" Morton says "As soon as some poor schmuck volunteers!".  

And then there is the scene during Robocop's unveiling he asks Robocop what his prime directives are and Robocop tells him "Serve the public trust, protect the innocent, uphold the law" and Morton says "That's good!" and then delighted turns to his assistant, Dr Tyler (Sage Parker) and kisses her saying "I fucking love that guy!!".  

And then there is the scene where Morton is confronted by Jones in the bathroom.  And just prior to Jones confronting him, Morton laughs about Jones to one of his fellow colleagues and says "Hey we're young, he'd old and that's life!" only for Jones to suddenly appear from one of the stalls and everyone but Morton rushing out of the room in panic!  And Jones berates Morton by angrily saying "I had a guaranteed military sale with ED 209 - renovation program, spare parts for twenty-five years... Who cares if it worked or not?!" and Morton says "The old man thought it was pretty important....Dick!".   

Last of all is Miguel's final scene where Boddicker barges into Morton's home to kill him, who plays a video message from Jones telling him he is "cashing him out". So, in the scene, Morton shouts at Boddicker "What the fuck are you doing???!! If you think you are gonna get away with this then you..." and Boddicker shoots Morton several times in the kneecaps. So, Morton yells painfully and pleads "STOP!!! I'll give you anything you want!! Please don't kill me!!". Boddicker then plays the video message from Jones and Morton pleads with Boddicker "Whatever he's paying, I'll double it right now!" but Boddick doesn't care and places a grenade on a table and walks out as Jones's message finishes and the house explodes as Morton scrambles to reach the grenade.    

So, for the last two I will mention are first off Paul McCrane who is pretty good in his role as one of Boddicker's gang, Emil and he manages to make Emil quite menacing.  

McCrane's best scene comes in the film when he robs a gas station and he taunts the scared attendant by saying "Give me your money bookworm or I blow your brains out!".  And as Emil notices the attendant has a book he says "Hey man what are you reading in there?" and the attendant holds up a book which is titled "Plane geometry" and Emil laughs saying "Are you college boy or something?".  And Emil walks over and taunts the terrified attendant more by saying "I guess you think you're pretty smart.  You think you could outsmart a bullet?!  Hey what do you say we find out?!" and the attendant silently shakes his head and continues "I'M TALKIN TO YOU!!".  But Robocop at this point turns up and says "Drop it!  Dead or alive you coming with me!" and Emil suddenly recognises him as being Murphy "I know you.  You're dead.  We killed you!" and he shoots at him and runs off on his bike only for Robocop to shoot out the engine causing Emil to crash off it.   

Then of course there is the scene where Boddicker arrives with his new state of firepower that Jones gave him to destroy Robocop. So, Boddicker gives them out to his gang and Emil takes one and destroys a shop with it and he shouts out his most quoted line "I LIKE IT!!!". 

Jesse D.Goins who plays the role of one of the Boddick's gang, Joe Cox who does very well in his role although his character is a bit of a pain in the ass and has one of the most annoying laughs of any onscreen character it has to be said! In fact amusingly enough, in the recent excellent documentary Robodoc, which covers the production of the film, Jesse said he got tired of being asked to do the laugh when asked to in real life, so even he didn't like it! ;-)  

Jesse also has good moments such as the scene where Lewis spots Joe taking a piss at the old steel mill and she tells him to "freeze" during his urination and he turns around and says "Sure.  You mind if I zip this up?!" and Lewis is distracted for a sec by Joe's thing  and he uses that to knock her out as she falls a few floors below to the ground and Joe looks over and points and laughs (sick git!). This is then followed up by the moment where after Murphy is captured by the gang, Boddicker asks Murphy "Where's your partner?!" and Joe walks in and says "Well the other was upstairs and she was sweet...hmmm mmm! I took her out!" and laughs loudly.   

Then later there is the scene where Jesse turns up and reunites with Clarence and the others and he has a new car and Clarence produces his new cobra cannon gun and Joe says "Oohh a new toy!  Can I play?!" but Clarence proceeds to blow up his new car.  And later on as Clarence and the others show up at the steel mill for their last showdown with Robocop, Joe get's a good line when they arrive he says "The wreckin' crew are here!  Where is that metallic mother??!".

Daniel O'Herilhy is also very good in his role as the un-named Old Man, who is the CEO of OCP and accepts Morton's proposal for the Robocop program to go ahead after Jones's disastrous demonstration of his own law enforcement robot, ED-209. 

So, I will mention a couple of Dan's scene that include his first one where the Old Man opens the presentation for Jones's reveal of ED-209. So, in the scene Jones's unveils ED-209 and has one of the execs, Kinney go up as an arrest subject for the robot, which goes horribly wrong as ED-209 malfunctions and brutally guns down Kinney infront of the board, despite dropping the gun Kinney aimed at it.

So, after the presentation ends in a catastrophic manner, the Old Man looks shocked and dispondent and tells Jones "Dick, I am VERY disappointed!". Jones then says "I'm sure its just a glitch, a temporary setback" and the Old Man stands and angrily says "You call THIS a glitch??!". The Old Man then get's up and walks out with Jones aside him and he says "We're scheduled to begin construction in six months. Your "temporary setback" could cost us fifty million dollars in interest payments alone!". Morton then seizes his moment to interrupt and tell the Old Man about his proposal for the Robocop program and Jones tries to cut him off but the Old Man says "Now just a moment!! Dick!! Perhaps what we need is a fresh perspective. Very well, have a demonstration set up for me in 20 minutes".

And second and lastly is the final scene of the film (SPOILER!!) where Robocop enters the boardroom and confronts Jones over his murder of Morton. So, in the scene the Old Man asks "How can we help you, officer?" and Robocop says "Dick Jones is wanted for murder". So, the Old Man says "These are very serious charges, what is your evidence?". So, Robocop then plays the footage he recorded of Jones stating he "had to kill Bob Morton because of a mistake! Now its time to erase that mistake!". So, Jones grabs the Old Man and holds him with a gun and warns the board "I wanna chopper! NOW!! I will go to the roof with my hostage, if anyone tries to stop me...the old geezer get's it!". So, the Old Man says "Dick...you're FIRED!!!" and Robocop's directive 4 vanishes and he says "Thank you!" to the Old Man, who hits Jones and frees himself as Robocop shoots Jones five times, who falls through the window to his death. So, the Old Man asks Robocop "Nice shooting, son, what's your name?" and Robocop turns and says "Murphy" and he smiles as he exits. 

Felton Perry also does a pretty good job in his role as the exec, Donald Johnson, who works along side Bob Morton on the Robocop program.

So, I will mention a couple of his scenes that include the one where after the disastrous board meeting with ED-209 going haywire, Morton and Johnson go back in the elevator. So, Morton says excitedly to Johnson "See, that's how you do it in the big leagues, Johnson! You see an opening, you GO FOR IT!!". Johnson then warns Morton "You better watch your back, Bob. Jones is gonna come after you" and Morton dismissively says "Oh fuck, Jones! He fumbled the ball when I was there to pick it up!". Johnson then says "Too bad about Kinney" and Morton says "That's life in the big city". Johnson then asks "When do we start?" and Morton says "As soon as some poor schmuck volunteers". 

Lastly there is the sene where Morton's team begin to work on creating Robocop from Murphy's corpse and Morton debates with his team on removing Murphy's arm. So, in the scene Morton says "I thought we agreed on full body prosthesis, what do you think, Johnson?". Johnson looks at Murphy's body and says "We, he signed the release papers when he joined the force and he's now legally dead, so we can do pretty much anything we want to" and Morton says to his team "Lose the arm".  

Last of all is a special mention in the cast which is to Jon Davison, who was actually the producer on the film and he does the voice for ED-209. So, Davison's voice was altered to make it sound more robotic and menacing and he does a pretty good job it has to be said.

So, Davison's main dialogue comes in the boardroom scene where ED-209 malfunctions during an arrest subject test involving board exec, Kinney. 

So, in the scene, Jones tells Kinney "Mr Kinney, use your gun in a threatening manner" and Kinney points it at Jones and Jones says "Point it at ED-209". So, Kinney aims his gun at ED-209 who springs to life and trains is canons on him and says "Please put down your weapon, you have 20 seconds to comply!". Jones then advises Kinney "I think you better do as he says, Mr Kinney" so Kinney drops the gun. However, ED-209 looks at the ground and makes a noise and says "You now have 15 seconds to comply! You are in direct violation of penal code 1.13, Section 9". Kinney then begins to panic and tries to flee the boardroom as ED-209 counts down "You now have five seconds to comply! Four, three, two one! I am now authorised to use physical force!" and it proceeds to brutally gun down Kinney.  

DIRECTION AND MUSIC

Finally getting on the film's director, Paul Verhoeven does a great job here as this was his first major Hollywood film having spent the last decade or so making films in his native land in the Netherlands.  Verhoeven strangely intially turned down directing the film but was later persuaded by his wife to do so after she insisted he re-read the script.  Verhoeven injects alot of pace and good fun into the film and film's humour is largely tongue in cheek despite its strong levels of violence but Verhoeven confidently handles the film's action scenes and it would something he would continue to do well in his future Hollywood films.

Verhoeven however met much adversity during the production of the film and fell out with numerous crew members due to his intense and somewhat energetic style of direction and at one point, he even fired Weller from the role but in the end, they reconciled their differences and Weller was hired back. He also met with struggles from the studio, Orion pictures as he was new to making American films, so creative control was a big issue for him. 

Verhoeven also had trouble with the MPAA censor board, as the film was considered way too violent and bloody for its time and many cuts had to be made in order to get the R rating. The cuts to the film included the killing of the OCP exec, Kinney and Murphy's torture and death at the hands of Boddick and his gang but these were later restored for the DVD special edition releases.   

Music wise the film also features a pretty good score by American composer Basil Poledouris and he provides a pretty memorable title theme for Robocop which is quite catchy and is sure to stick with you but in a good way.  Poledouris's score also has some good dramatic moments as well and makes good use of both its orchestral and electronic arrangements Poledouris prior was known also for scoring films such as Conan the Barbarian and would later score Verhoeven's 1997 film, Starship Troopers. Poledouris has since passed away in 2006, aged 61.  

FLAWS

As for Robocop's flaws....... yes OK it does have some.  

To kick off I think one of the things that is a bit daft about the film is the whole "directive four" idea which is OCP's security get-out clause that no high ranking exec of the company can be arrested by their own product.  And in the scene where Robocop short circuits when he attempts to arrest Jones is pretty daft as Jones says "Any attempt to arrest a high ranking executive of OCP will result in shutdown" but Robocop doesn't acutally shut down he is just temporarily incapacitated!  And surely if they wanted Robocop to shut down they should have programmed in directive four in a more specific way in that it should completely shut him down as opposed to rendering him disabled for a bit!

I also think that Jones reinforcement droid, ED-209 is basically a bit crap and could Jones not have thought of investing the company's money into something a bit more efficient than that???!!  I mean the thing can't even walk down stairs without collapsing and not to mention squealing like some sort of animal either.  ED-209 can't even follow simple instructions either as we see in the scene at the start of the film where they demonstrate the big clunky monstrosity to the COP board and one of the members, Kinney aims a gun at it and ED says in a big voice "Please put down your weapon!  You have 20 seconds to comply!".  And the board member does so only for ED-209 to not recognise this and it instead counts down and says "I am now authorised to use physical force!" and it brutally guns down Kinney. So, yeah putting this pile of junk out on the streets wouldn't be a good idea, as it would be bound to shoot at everything that moves and not just criminals! 

Also not to mention Jones at the end of the film during his COP boardroom meeting intends to have ED-209's dispatched throughout the city and he has one guarding the COP headquarters only for Robocop to show up and blow it to bits with one of the powerful explosive military guns.  And even though the meeting is on the top floor surely they would have heard the explosion from up there!  But no they don't!  And it allows for Robocop to casually walk into the building and head upstairs to the meeting to confront Jones.  

Which leads me onto one of the things I found to be a bit daft about Robocop's design for that matter and that is in how he walks as he is basically far too slow at moving as he makes big clumpy steps and wouldn't it be better if somehow could have made Robocop a bit more slimelined and agile on his feet????  And a perfect example of this problem comes in the scene where Boddicker and his gang show up at the steel mill with their powerful military-based firepower and Robocop shoots one of the gang and slowly walks away leaving plenty of time for Boddicker and the others to blow him up!

I also thought that some (or more specifically one) of Robocop's abilities are never properly explained such as the big sharp spike like device he uses in one scene to access computer databases but we can only make a guess that's really only what its main use is for (well that and stabbing bad guys!).  And there is no time in the film where someone asks "Oh and what is that big spike that comes out of Robocop's fist???".  And more to the point why bother make it so sharp other than make it serve as a plot device to kill one of the main bad guys in the film?!!  For whatever its actual purpose is, its still handy as a technical tool and a weapon of death. 

Last of all, I had an issue to do with the disappearance of the humming noise that Robocop makes at the steel milll, which you normally hear everywhere else he goes. However, to be fair, you could argue he took alot of gunfire damage, which probably cut out the systems that generated the humming from his frame. However, the humming reappears when he enters the boardroom at the end of the film, so did he make some sort repairs to restore the noise before then??? Seems a bit odd but hey ho. 

So, that's it for the flaws! 

SUM UP 

So, to sum up, Robocop is still a great action thriller 38 years on from its release and has some great albeit very violent action scenes as well as solid performances from its cast and Peter Weller does a great job in the titular role of the film. The supporting cast are also excellent including Ronnie Cox, Kurtwood Smith and Nancy Allen in their respective roles. The special effects are also quite impressive for the time with use of some stop motion animation as well as practical make-up effects created by Hollywood effects master, Rob Bottin one of which really surprised me was a model of Murphy, which looked pretty life like!  

The film does have some minor flaws and plot issues here and there but they don't really detract from this otherwise great action classic, which is well worth watching almost 40 years on from its release.

So, I will rate Robocop:

9 out of 10 

So, that's it for now and I will be back sometime soon with another post before Christmas, so until then its bye for now! 

Lethal Weapon Review (Revisited) "I'm too old for this s***!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, now we are into December of 2025, I figured its time for another post or two before the year is out and I thought I would start with a revisit of my Lethal Weapon review from about 8 years back. So, here I will do my usual stuff and add to the sections a bit and update a few things.

So, with that said, let's take a look at this modern action classic and see how it is 38 years on from its release.

And the usual warning is coming...

PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!!! 

STORY  

So the film begins in Los Angeles at around Christmas time and it starts with LAPD police officer, Sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) who has just turned 50 (as have I this year! How depressing lol!).  Roger is called in to investigate the apparent suicide of a prostitute, Amanda Hunsaker (Jackie Swanson) who turns out to be the daughter of an old friend of his, Michael Hunsaker (Tom Atkins) who he fought alongside in the Vietnam war.

Meanwhile another LAPD police officer, Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) is in the middle of a drugs bust, however he nearly kills one of the disarmed suspects as he goes into a blind rage.  Riggs as it turns out is suffering from depression as the result of his wife's death, Victoria which has left him suicidal. Riggs then that night, goes home and nearly kills himself as he puts a gun in his mouth but at the last minute he relents and cries to himself and looks at the picture of his wife and says "I'll see you much later!".

The next day Riggs is reassigned to homicide and partnered up with Murtaugh, who is very reluctant to take on Riggs.  The two of them go to see Michael Hunsaker, and Roger reveals to Hunsaker that his daughter, Amanda, was in fact murdered as the pills she had taken were doctored and laced with window cleaner, so she would have died within minutes had she not jumped.  Hunsaker tells Roger that she was also involved in making adult video tapes and drugs and he wants Roger to find out who was responsible and kill them.

Murtaugh however finds out first hand what a loose canon Riggs is, when Riggs goes up to try and talk down a man, McCleary (Michael Shaner) who is threatening to jump off a building, and instead handcuffs him and they jump off together onto a large inflatable catch.  Murtaugh is furious with Riggs and taunts him to shoot himself with his gun, but stops short when he realises Riggs might actually do it.

Afterwards, the two men start to put aside their differences then they go to question a pimp in connection to Amanada at a mansion, which turns out to be a drug lab, however the pimp open fires on them and Riggs ends up having to kill the pimp in self defence and he saves Murtaugh in the process, which leads Murtaugh to slowly gain respect for his new partner.  The two of them later go and have dinner at Murtaugh's house, where Riggs meets Rog's wife and family and finds out Roger's eldest daughter, Rianne (Traci Wolfe) has a crush on Riggs and they also speculate on what was behind the case.

The next day they go to question the hooker that Roger spoke to earlier, Dixie (Lycia Naff) in connection with Amanda, however as Dixie's house is blown up as they arrive.  Riggs finds a piece of a mercury switch, which woud only be used by professionals, and as they question a young boy who witnessed a man lurking about the house, he spotted that he had the same tattoo as Riggs, which is a US Army special forces tattoo, with whom Riggs served with during Vietnam.

Muratugh and Riggs then go and question Hunsaker, who admits to being involved in a drug operation run by mercaneries, who were all involved in special ops and that he was trying to get out the operation and that his daughter's death was ordered by the head of the operation, General McAllister (Ryan Mitchell).  However before Hunsaker can reveal anymore on the operation to Roger, McAllister's chief enforcer, Mr Joshua (Gary Busey) shows up in a helicopter and shoots Hunsaker dead, and McAllister decides to turn up the heat on the two cops and kidnaps Rianne. 

Riggs and Murtaugh are given a meeting place with McAllister, Joshua and their men, however they are ambushed by Riggs, who provides cover far away with a sniper rifle, but he is eventually captured as is Murtaugh and Rianne, who attempts to escape by car.  As a result Murtaugh and Riggs are both tortured in order for the mercs to find out what they know, with Joshua administering electric shock treatment to Riggs, and McAllister having Murtaugh beaten.

Riggs however manages to kill his torturer, Endo (Al Leong) and he enters and kills McAllister's men and releases Muratugh and Rianne and they flee out onto the streets, where Riggs gives chase to Joshua and Murtaugh exacts his revenge on McAllister by killing him, but Joshua get's away. But its far from over as Riggs and Murtaugh have to try and hunt down Joshua in order to keep Roger's family safe....

THOUGHTS 

If I had to pick the best of the four Lethal weapon films I would say that the original, this one, Lethal Weapon is still the best.  As the series went on, there was a larger emphasis on the comedic tone, but here the film keeps a good balance of comedy and drama and the film has a pretty intense feel throughout.  And both the lead characters have a fair bit of emotional weight over their heads, with Murtaugh feeling his age having turned 50, being a family man realising he has more to lose as he get's older, and Riggs, who's has been driven half crazed with rage and sorrow over the loss of his wife, leaving him a near suicidal, emotional wreck, which we see in that scene near the start in Riggs's trailer (and no I don't mean the scene where he get's out of his bed, naked, and we see his ass!).

However where Lethal Weapon succeeds is that it takes the cop buddy buddy formula and puts two very unlikely cops together and they end up being dependent on one another, with Murtaugh becoming something of a saviour for Riggs who is so burnt out and close to the edge.  That's not to say that Lethal Weapon isn't funny as it still has plenty of humourous moments and Shane Black's witty script provides some funny lines, which I will get to soon. Ironically it was said that Black's original script was so dark in tone that the director, Richard Donner had parts of it re-written by the film's sequels script writer, Jeffrey Boam, who added some extra humour to it.

PERFORMANCES AND NOTABLE SCENES (Warning: this section may contain spoilers and strong language!) 

And that brings me onto the performances section of the review and they are excellent, particularly the two leading actors, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, who have a natural onscreen chemistry with one another.

Starting with Mel Gibson who is great as Riggs, the near pyschotic cop who is on the ragged edge who is thrown into a reluctant partnership with Murtaugh, but they soon end up becoming friends.

Gibson has quite a few highlights in the film such as in his first scene where he is involved in an undercover drugs bust and he convinces the dealers that he is interested in buying the drugs and they ask for "a hundred" and he starts to count out 100 dollars.  And one of the dealers angrily tries to stop him and Riggs says "Shut up, man.  I'm losing count" and as the dealer tells him he wants a hundred thousand dollards, Riggs says "Tell you what, why don't I take the whole stash off your hands for free and you assholes can go to jail!".

And as they cal him crazy, he pulls out his gun and says "Now that is a real badge, I'm a real cop and this is a real fucking gun!".  Then one of the dealers suddenly grabs Riggs from behind and points a gun at him and as a number of police officers show up and point guns at the dealer, Riggs shouts out to the other officers "Hey shoot him!  Shoot him!  Will somebody shoot this prick??!".  And as the dealer becomes more angry and agitated, Riggs crazily keeps taunting the dealer and shouts in his "Shoot me!  Shoot me!  Shoot me!  Shoot me!".  However, Riggs then manages to disarm the dealer and he turns the tables and points the gun under the dealer's chain and with an insane look says to him through gritted teeth "You wanna see crazy???!!".  The dealer is then arrested and taken away, leaving Riggs gasping for breath as he is riled from the encounter.

Then there is the scene where Riggs tries to talk down the would-be jumper off the roof of a building and as he handcuffs the jumper, the jumper defiantly tells him he will jump and Riggs grabs him and says "Do you REALLY wanna jump?!  Do you wanna??!  Because that is just fine with me, asshole!  Let's do it! I wanna do it! I wanna do it!!" and they do just that much to Roger's chagrin.

Gibson also has some chilling moments in the film such as where Murtaugh taunts Riggs to put his gun under his chin and pull the trigger and he nearly does it, but Murtaugh stops him at the last second.  And in the scene as Roger yells at Riggs "Do you want to kill yourself?  YES OR NO, DO YOU WANNA DIE?!" Riggs tells Roger "What do you wanna hear, man?! You wanna about sometimes I think about eatin a bullet?!".  So, Riggs continues "Well, I do!  Make sure it blows the back of my goddamned head out and do the job right! Every single day I wake up and I think of a reason not to do it! Every single day! You know why I don't do it? This is gonna make you laugh! You know why I don't do it? The job! Doin' the job! Now that's the reason!". 

Then as Roger dares Riggs into pulling the trigger on Rog's gun, Riggs with the gun pointed under his chin, starts to pull the trigger but Roger stops him.  Roger, then looks at Riggs in shock and says "You're not trying to draw a psycho pension!  You really ARE crazy!" and Riggs glares at him and says "I'm hungry.  I'm gonna go and get something to eat!" and he walks off leaving Roger in a panic.

Another good scene is where Riggs and Murtaugh go to the firing range and discuss the case whole doing some target practice, however what they come up with sounds a bit thin.  So, Roger says to Riggs of their assessment "That's pretty fuckin thin!" and Riggs says "With your wife's cooking, I'm not surprised!" and he fires a few shots off (as Roger's wife is a terrible cook).  And Roger offended shouts "WHAT?!" and Riggs says "Nothing!" and Rog then says "Remarks like that will not get you invited to Christmas dinner!" and Riggs grins and says "My luck is changing for the better every day!".

Murtaugh shows off his skill as he fires a perfect shot at a paper target right in the centre and he boasts to Riggs "Hey, look at that!  Not bad for an old man!".  And Riggs says "Step aside old man!" and fires six shots at the target from a distance and brings it closer to see that the bullet holes he's made are a smiley face and Riggs says "Have a nice day!".

Then there is the scene where Riggs is shot on the streets by Joshua, who does a drive-by shooting, however Riggs survives it as he was wearing his bullet proof vest.  And in the scene Roger rushes over Riggs, who lies flat on the his back having crashed through a shop window but Rog opens Riggs shirt to see him wear a vest.  Then, Riggs springs to life and he painfully sits and says "I'm pissed now, Roger!  I'm pissed!" and as Rog helps him he says "If he was two inches higher he would have got your head!" and Riggs says "If it was two inches lower I would be a falsetto for life, come on let's fuck off!".  And after Riggs get's up on his feet he says to Roger "The guy that shot me!  It was the same Albino jackrabbit, son of a bitch that did Hunsaker!" and Roger asks him "Are you sure?!" and Riggs says "I'm sure.  I never forget an asshole!".

And last of all there is the scene where Riggs escapes the clutches of the torturer, Endo in the basement of the club they use as a front for their business and breaks in and kills McAllister's men.  And Riggs after looks at Roger, who grins and says "Pretty thin, huh?" and Riggs says "Anorexic!" then he frees Roger and Rianne and says "Let's do what one shepherd said to the other shepherd" and Roger says "What's that?" and Riggs says "Let's get the flock out of here!".

Danny Glover is also great in his role as Roger Martaugh, the middle aged cop who is starting to feel old and wary of his job and Glover provides a nice world weary cynicism yet deceny to Murtaugh's character.

Glover also has his share of good scenes and some funny dialogue as well throughout, such an example is in a scene near the beginning where he speaks to the hooker, Dixie.  And in the scene Roger tells Dixie to go home and Dixie says "Thanks.  I'm beat, you know how it is" and Roger says "Yeah!  All dressed up and no one to blow!" and Dixie, offended turns around and says "You're hilarious!" and walks off angrily.

And of course Glover delivers the film's most famous well recognised line when Roger first clocks Riggs in the office, dressed in jeans and a jacket and wearing a cap, take out his gun.  And Roger shouts "GUN!!" thinking that Riggs might be a perp, so Rog runs right at Riggs, who grabs him and throws him to the floor and puts his foot on his chest.  And as Roger is introduced to Riggs as his new partner, Roger groans and says "Oh, I'm too old for shit!".

Then in the next scene the two men walk toward Roger's police car and Roger talks about Riggs's police file and his background in Special Forces.  And Roger says to Riggs as they walk to the car "File also said you're heavy into martial arts. Tai chi and all that killer stuff. I suppose we have to register you as a lethal weapon!".  And Riggs says to Roger "Hey, look friend, let's just cut the shit. Now we both know why I was transferred. Everybody thinks I'm suicidal, in which case, I'm fucked and nobody wants to work with me; or they think I'm faking to draw a psycho pension, in which case, I'm fucked and nobody wants to work with me. Basically, I'm fucked!".  And Roger tells Riggs "Guess, what?" and Riggs asks "What?" and Roger says "I don't want to work with you!" and Riggs says "Hey, dont!" and Roger says "Got no choice. Looks like we both got fucked!".  The two men then get in the car and before Roger starts the ignition he tells Riggs "God hates me, that what it is!" and Riggs says "Hate him back, it works for me!".

Another good scene and a rather intense one is just after Riggs jumps off the roof with the suicidal jumper, McCleary and they both land in an inflatable airbag and after Roger angrily takes Riggs into a nearby store that is being painted.  And Roger yells at Riggs and says "OK, clown!  No bullshit!  You wanna kill yourself?!" and Riggs says "Oh, for Christ's sake..." and Roger yells "SHUT UP!! YES OR NO!! DO YOU WANNA DIE??!!".  Riggs then yells back "I GOT THE JOB DONE!  WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT??!" and Roger shouts back at him "JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!!" and Riggs tell how he thinks about it and he even has a bullet for the occassion.  So, after Roger taunts Riggs to shoot himself with Roger's gun, Riggs nearly does but Roger stops him and says "You're not trying to draw a psycho pension!  You really ARE crazy!!". 

Then there is the scene where Roger and Riggs go to question a drug dealer at a mansion only for the dealer to shoot at them and Roger shoots the dealer in the leg and as Roger is about to read his rights he lectures Riggs on arresting a suspect.  So, Rog says to Riggs "See how easy that was? Boom, still alive. Now we question him. You know why we question him? Because I got him in the leg. I didn't shoot him full of holes or try to jump off a building with him!".  And Riggs says "That's not fair, the building guy lived!" and Roger says "The point being, no killing!" and Rigg says "No, killing right" but as Riggs is about to read the dealer his rights, the dealer suddenly produces another gun, so Riggs has no choice but to shoot him.  The dealer then falls into a pool and drowns as he caught up in a pool net and as Roger and Riggs resurface, Roger asks Riggs "Have you ever met anybody you DIDN'T kill???" and Riggs says "Well, I haven't kill you yet!" and Roger says "Well, don't do me no favours!" and Riggs get's out the pool and says "Don't you worry!". 

Glover also has some good dramatic moments as well especially the scene where Roger goes to question Hunsaker over his involvement with the mercaneries.  And Roger says to Hunsaker "Your daughter wasn't killed for something she was into. She was killed for something you're into. Stop me if I'm wrong".  And Hunsaker, puts his hand towards the inside of his jacket and says "Roger, I don't know what you're talking about!" and Roger says "Hey, Mike.  Keep your hand away from your pockets, OK?".  Hunsaker then produces some pills from his pocket and says "Take it easy, man!" and Roger then angrily shouts "Fuck easy!".

Roger then continues to ask Hunsaker "You called me the other day to blow the whistle, right?" and Hunsaker wearily asks "Blow the whistle on what?".  Roger then says "You were going to spill your guts, so they killed your daughter. Tell me if I'm wrong. Talk to me! They killed your daughter. They paid off a hooker to poison your little girl!  Talk to me!".

So, as Hunsaker tells Roger about the mercs heroin shipments, Hunsake warns him "This is big business, Roger" and Roger turns to him and says "Not anymore.  I'm gonna burn it down!".  Then as Roger insists that Hunsaker tell all the info he has on the mercs operation, Joshua suddenly shows up in a chopper and shoots Hunsaker dead.  Roger then checks Hunsaker's dead body and says to him "Heroin...you got off easy, you son of a bitch!".

Another good moment from Danny is when Roger and Riggs escape from McAllister and Joshua and they run out onto the streets and Roger, exhausted yells out to Riggs "Hey, Riggs!  He's going for the freeway!".  Riggs looks back and shouts "You OK?" and Roger exhausted says "Yeah!" and Riggs runs off and Roger calls out to him "Cut over the 3rd street bridge!  You'll be able to get ahead of him!".  Then Roger, who has sit down by a street lamp, slowly get's himself up and says "General McAllister....time for you to die!".

And last of all is the film's last scene where Riggs turns up to give Roger the bullet Riggs was going to use to kill himself, which he gives to Rianne at the door but as he is about to leave, Roger comes out.  And Roger says to Riggs "After all we've been through...if you think I'm gonna eat the world's worst turkey by myself...you're crazy!".  Riggs then smiles and says to Roger "I'll tell you a little secret....I'm not crazy" and Roger smiles and says "I know!" and Riggs says "Oh, good.  Let's eat!".  And as Roger allows Riggs to invite in his dog, we hear the commotion of the dog barking at Roger's household cat, Burbank and Roger at the front door says to himself the film's last line "I'm too old for this!".

 

Gary Busey in his role as the primary villain, Mr Joshua, is also excellent and he plays the creepy albino killer in quite an understated way (which is unusual for Busey!) and he makes for an effective villain.  Busey has some good scenes such as his intro where Joshua displays his ability to deal with pain as McAllister uses a lighter to burn underneath Joshua's arm, which he takes with ease.

And later on in the scene where he questions Riggs, prior to him being tortured by electric shock treatment and he refers to the torturer, Endo and says "You know Endo, has forgotten more about dispensing pain than you and I will ever know".  And he says to Riggs "See, we have a problem. Since we have Murtaugh...we don't need you. I believe in being thorough" and Riggs says to him "Yeah, I've heard that about you".  So, Joshua continues "Our problem, and yours too...is we have a shipment of merchandise to deliver" and Riggs says "Why don't you guys just call it heroin?!".  Joshua smiles and says "It's rather large, this shipment. It would be unfortunate...if we showed up to deliver our heroin..and were surrounded by 50 cops!" and Riggs says "That would be too bad".

Joshua then says "So, its essential for us to find out all the cops now" and Riggs says they don't know anything as he killed Hunsaker before he could tell them anything.  However, Joshua doesn't buy it and shouts "No!  No! I wish I could believe you but unfortunately I don't!  Now if you would kindly tell me everything you know then I promise I will kill you real quick!". And as Riggs says "I told you everything I know!" Joshua turns to Endo to start torturing Riggs and Endo holds two pairs of what looks like jump cables with sponges attached to them.  And Riggs nervously asks "What the fuck is that thing?!" and Joshua tells him "I'll tell what it is...its electric shock treatment!".   

And later when he turns up at Roger's house to kill his family he enters the house and shoots the TV and yells "Goddamn Christmas!  I'll give you a home to come back to!".  And as Joshua finds a note from Riggs saying "Dear bad guys.  No one here but us cops. The good guys" Joshua says "Crazy son of a bitch!" but then Roger's police car comes crashing through the living room and Joshua fills it with holes from his gun only to find it empty and a knife jammed in the accelerator.  So, Riggs then springs up on him and takes his gun and says to Joshua "What do you say, Jack?  Would you like a shot at the title?" and Joshua grins and says "Don't mind if I do!" and two of them engage in their climactic fight scene.  

Ryan Mitchell is also very good in his role as General McAllister, the leader of the mercaneries who captures the cops and later is forced to flee from them.

Mitchell has two main scenes, the first where he is introduced and he uses Mr Joshua to a prospective drug buyer, Mendez and he threatens him by showing Joshua's ability to withstand pain.  And McAllister asks the dealer "Do you smoke?" and the dealer says "What's that go to do with anything?" and McAllister snaps "Do you smoke??!".   And Mendez nervously says "Yeah" and McAllister asks "Give my your lighter" and Mendez asks "My...my lighter?" and McAllister yells "YOU'RE LIGHTER!!".  So Mendez takes out his lighter and all of a sudden, McAllister's men grab Mendez's arm and McAllister holds Mendez's hand with the lighter and as Mendez protests, McAllister yells "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!! SHUT UP!!".

So, McAllister looks to Joshua and says "Mr Joshua, your left arm, please" so Joshua rolls his sleeve and McAllister flicks on the lighter right under Joshua's bare arm as the flame burns into Joshua's arm, who just takes the pain in his stride, leaving Mendez terrified.  So, after the demonstration, McAllister tells and shaken Mendez "The bulk of the heroin will be here Friday night, we'll make delivery at that time. Have the money ready, and no tricks. If you try anything... you'll have to talk to Mr. Joshua. Merry Christmas!".

And later as he has Roger tortrured he walks over to Rianne, who is tied up and in her underwear and he says "That is one real good looking young woman you have there, Mr Murtaugh!".  And Roger tells McAllister "I've told you everything!" and McAllister looks at Rianne and says to Roger "We'll soon now, won't we?" and Roger angrily says of Rianne "I'm warning you....don't!".  McAllister then says "Spare me, son, its over.  There are no more heroes left in the world!". 

The rest of the supporting cast are also fine in their roles, such as Darlene Love as Trish, Roger's wife who is has a rather small role here but she sets up her character nicely for the future films.  

 

Darlene has a couple of good moments such as the one where Roger first invites Riggs are to meet his family and he checks the oven to see what's for dinner.  So, Roger says as he looks in the oven "We'll see what's for dinner.  Its a brown sticky...." and Trish smacks his bottom and she says to him "Its roast!".  So, Roger sarcastically says to Riggs "How about a brown roast-like substance?" and Trish tells him "Roger, you're being an asshole".

And lastly there is the scene where Roger and Riggs learn that Rianne has been kidnapped as they receive a call from Joshua at Roger's house.  At this point, Trish appears at the top of the stairs, looking worried she asks "What is it?" and Roger says "Nothing!" and Trish shouts "What is it???!" and Roger tries to play it down and says "Nothing!" louder.  Trish then turns to her other children, Nick and Carrie "Get back in your room!  Back in your room!" and Trish then slides down on the stairs in tears.    

Steven Kahan is also pretty good as Captain Murphy, Rog and Riggs cynical superior officer and he shows little concern for Riggs's mental state and he says to the police psychiatrist, Stephanie Woods (Mary Ellen Trainor) "Look!  Riggs just wants the cash.  I've seen it a dozen times before!  He's a tough bastard, alright?!".  However Woods insists "He's on the edge.  I'm telling you he may be psychotic!" and Murphy says "That's a bunch of psych bullshit!".  Woods then says to Murphy "You're making a mistake keeping the man in the field.  The man is suicidal!".  So, Murphy cynically asks her "You're sure of that diagnosis?!" and Woods says "No, there are no absolutes in life!" and Murphy says to her "End of discussion.  We're going to wait and if he offs himself, we'll know I was wrong!".  And as Woods tries to continue their discussion, Murphy stops her as he is about to enter the men's room and he says to her "Excuse me, huh?!" and he goes in, leaving Woods annoyed and she says to herself "Asshole!".

Traci Wolfe is also pretty good in her role as Rianne, Roger's eldest daughter, who is later kidnapped by McAllister and Joshua and also has a crush on Riggs when they first meet.

And I will only mention one of Traci's scenes and its the one where Rianne asks if her date can take her to a club much to Roger's disaproval.  So, Rianne asks Roger in the scene "Didn't mean to interrupt one of those intellectual conversations...Mark asked me to a club tomorrow night".  Roger then asks "Which one is Mark?" and Rianne says "The blonde one" and Roger says "The one with pits in his face?" and Rianne annoyed, says "Those are dimples!" and Roger says "Those are pits.  When he smiles I can see through his head.  The answer is no!".  So, Rianne complains "Why can I have a beer and I can't smoke a joint? It's not coke, you know!" and Roger tells her "Because now, at this moment...beer is legal, grass ain't. Right or wrong?" and Rianne says "Wrong" but Riggs says "Right" and she smiles at him and says "Right" back.  So, Rianne gives in and walks off and says to herself "They sit there drinking six-packs and I get grounded!".

And lastly Tom Atkins is also very good as Michael Hansaker, Roger's Vietnam buddy who once saved his life during the war and turns to him for help as he tries to get out of the drug operation run by the mercs.

And Atkins primarily has only two main scenes in the film, which are both very good and shows Atkins is capable actor.   The first scene is when Roger meets with Hunsaker to tell him that his daughter was murdered and she didn't kill herself.  So, Hunsaker becomes emotional and says to Roger "You owe, Roger.  You remember?" and Roger quietly says "Yeah, I remember".  Hunsaker then continues and says "I want you to find whoever's responsible for this...however many of them there are. I know you can do it. Just find them and kill them".  Roger, then quietly tries to reason with Hunsaker and says "Mike, I'm a police officer..." but then Hunsaker angrily says "I don't give a shit that you're a police officer! I know you're a fucking police officer!  KILL THEM! JUST KILL THEM!".  Roger then just walks off annoyed but Hunsaker catches up to and says "Wait. Wait, Rog. Come on. You find them and you kill them. You can do that. You owe me!".


And lastly there is the scene where Hunsaker tells Roger about the mercs operation to run shipments of heroin.  So, Hunsaker tells Roger "I was with a special unit called "Shadow Company." Trained killers. When Charlie brought in heroin to finance the VC government...Shadow Company burned the whole thing down. We killed everybody".  And Hunsaker continues "A few years ago, Shadow Company got together again. The war was over. But we still had our sources in Asia. We've been bringing it in ever since".  Roger then asks "Bringing in what?" and Hunsaker tells him "Heroin.  Two major shipments a year" and Roger asks "If you got cold feet, why did they kill Amanda?  Why not you?!".  Hunsaker then says "They can't kill me, they need me!" and Roger asks angrily "Why?!" and Hunsaker says "My bank! My company is a perfect front.  Makes everything look great on the tax reports" and he says "This is big business, Roger" and Roger then says "Not anymore.  I'm gonna burn it down!".

DIRECTOR AND MUSIC 
 
Finally getting onto the film's director, Richard Donner, who does a great job here and he carried on to direct the sequels and it would be hard to imagine another director carry the style, pace, action and humour that Donner brings to the series.  So overall, the original Lethal Weapon is one of Donner's best directorial efforts. There is also a director's cut of the film, which added seven minutes of additional footage that includes Riggs taking down a school sniper and taking a prostitute home to watch TV with him for company.  

The film is also notable for its stunts and action which are of course great and it also features a former stuntman, Dar Robinson, who died shortly after the film was completed in November 1986 in a motorcycle accident. Robinson himself pulled off one of the film's most difficult stunts as Riggs shoots a baddie who is up in a gantry and falls off and catches his leg in a chain, leaving the dead man dangling upside down. 

As for the film's music score, its excellent which and was composed by Michael Kamen and it also features some good guitar work from Eric Clapton and also the distinctive saxophone from David Sanbourne, who plays part of Murtaugh's theme.  Although it has to be said the film does feature a truly awful and cringeworthy theme song, by the Canadian rock band, Honeymoon Suite , which is played over the end credits (who curiously went uncredited and I wonder why?!). 

FLAWS 

As for the flaws of the film????  Well Lethal Weapon isn't perfect but it hasn't got too many glaring problems.

However perhaps one of its flaws is that the story itself is pretty flimsy an unimaginitive with two cops who become buddies and fight against drug dealers, which is nothing new in itself.  Also the baddies, despite the good performances from Busey and Mitchell, are a bit bland and one dimensional and while both actors play their parts with a decent amount of menace, their characters aren't that interesting, so when they cop it (no pun intended) who cares really.

Some of the characters in the film are also a bit underused such as Captain Murphy, who would later be utilised better in the sequels, and Kahan himself is Donner's cousin, so perhaps he had a word with him about it!

I also felt the film at times had an uncomfortable mix of strong violence in which what we see onscreen is OK for the most part (I guess!) but Shane Black, who wrote the screenplay seems to have some weird fetish for putting torture into his scripts.  So, the scenes where Riggs is brutally tortured with electric shock treatment was the start of a rather disturbing fetish that would permeate in Black's other works (such as Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang).  Black also when he wrote the original outline for Lethal Weapon 2 also wanted Riggs to be tortured again and die at the hands of the South Africans but his idea was dismissed and he then decided to pull out of the production due to too many changes being made to his script.

Another thing I found very peculiar was to do with the start of the film where Hunsaker's daughter, Amanda, dives off the rooftop of her apartment and lands heavily ontop of a car below and in the next moment and she lies there dead, we see the shadows of two people walk by!!!  I mean I take we are meant to believe that's how people are in LA that they are so desensitized to violence and death that they are willing to turn a blind eye to it!  But that one scene seemed pretty ridiculous to me I have to say.  

Lastly there is the whole idea of Riggs being in the Vietnam war....look at Mel Gibson, he was 30 when he made Lethal Weapon (he was born in 1956), so if he was in the Vietnam war then he would have been merely 17 years old by the time the war had finished!  Basically, if Riggs was a Vietnam vet just like Murtaugh then it doesn't make any sense that he would be played a younger actor such as Mel Gibson at that time.  Riggs's bio online shows his actual age was 37 in the film, so he could have been a Vietnam vet if Gibson was that age however its not a big deal I guess.

Further to this point, Danny Glover himself was 10 years younger than the character of Murtaugh, as he was only 40 at the time of shooting the film. So, this is less of a big deal in that regard given that Glover himself was old enough to have served in the Vietnam war. Glover himself did not serve during the Vietnam war and was in fact a civil rights activist around the time of the war itself.

Another thing to consider is a piece of dialogue where McAllister captures Riggs and Riggs says to him "It'll be a shame when I nail you.  I ran into you shadow company pussies back in 69".  Again, Mel Gibson was 13 in 1969, Riggs must have been at least 19 or 20 in 1969, so again its blatant case of the actor being too young to play the part of a Vietnam vet.  So, basically I think in relation to Mel's age, they should have just left the Vietnam vet thing for Riggs out of the equation but hey that's just my interpretation.

Last of all is an issue I have with the scene where the guy with the shotgun shoots one of the drug dealers during the drug deal with Riggs in the Christmas tree lot. Is this supposed to be one of the drug dealers and if so, why did he kill the other drug dealer??? Yeah, this made no sense to me who this guy was supposed to be but it seems strange he would have killed the drug dealer unless he was really aiming at Riggs and missed (by a long shot!). So, yeah that scene was always a bit of a curiosity in itself for me.

 

Anyway that's it for the flaws.

SUM UP

So, to sum up, the original Lethal Weapon is still the best one in my opinion although the first two films could arguably be said to the best of the four (with three the 3rd best and 4th the worst!).  However where the original stands apart here is that it is grounded a bit more in reality and the darker tone of the Shane Black's script helps give it a more gritty and realistic feel than the other films had in comparison, which got more farcical as they went on. 

So, throw onto all this a witty, funny script, two excellent lead performances and some very solid direction and an excellent music score then you've still got one of the great modern action classics of its day and to this day, Lethal Weapon is still definitely worth a look after 38 years. 

So, I will rate Lethal Weapon

 

9.5 out of 10 

 

Right, that's it for this one and I will be back soon with another post.

 

Until then its bye for now!