Been working by way through my new RoboCop trilogy Blu-ray set this week.
RoboCop
One of the reasons why I think the year of my birth might be a contender for the best year ever for movies. Not much that needs to be said. Iconic. This is Verheoven firing on all cylinders.
RoboCop 2
Kinda reminds me of Predator 2 this, in that it's a sequel that always seems to get bashed simply because it doesn't live up to the first, but taken by itself it's a seriously entertaining action movie. There are faults - it feels overly mean-spirited at times, and the way it reverts RoboCop to a monotonous law machine when he'd largely regained his humanity by the conclusion of the first film really grates - but there's also a hell of a lot to recommend it. It does a good job of maintaining the satirical tone of the original, the action sequences are good, there's some genuinely hilarious comic touches, and the final battle with the titular RoboCop 2 is spectacular (also one of the last times a Hollywood blockbuster would utilise stop-motion effects). Great stuff.
RoboCop 3
And then there's this... I almost didn't bother watching this, but as I hadn't seen it since I was a kid I decided to put it on. F*cking terrible. It's like they actively tried to make the worst decisions possible with every aspect of it. About the only positive thing I can say is they got Poledouris back - it's great to hear his pounding soundtrack after its absence in the second movie. But it can't save what is otherwise a shit sandwich.