RoboCop

Cleverly humorous, 80s-style simple, one-sided in tone, significantly satirical and excessively over-the-top in the Verhoeven fashion. And yet, despite all that, it is somehow irresistible. The idea of an almost unbeatable police officer, whom the viewer will passionately support, is surprisingly well-executed, and is most aided by Peter Weller's perfectly grim expression and brilliantly straightforward heroic musical theme. And it is precisely this exaggerated social satire that gives the entire action a slightly higher dimension. (31/08/2007)

Admittedly, I would have preferred to see this in the hands of James Cameron, but then RoboCop would have lost its unique atmosphere that only this Dutch pervert can evoke. The plot fills the traditional B-movie template of the 1980s, but Verhoeven's sense of characters, relationships, healthy (almost comic book) exaggeration, and brisk pacing elevate this film fully into the A category. Even though the special effects have aged, viewers don't have to hide their smiles indulgently at the crucial moments (the action, the atmosphere), but instead still fully enjoy this unique spectacle. (24/07/2008)

In Verhoeven’s hands, a B-movie premise turned into a not entirely B-movie result, with some satire popping up here and there, but I still can’t decide whether I liked RoboCop or not. I think it could be done a lot better and smarter. I would love to see that remake from Aronofsky that people were talking about at some point. (12/02/2011)

Meat and metal classic. Verhoeven reinforced the action time with a bloated can with his favorite news shots, which, from the point of view of the whole, are actually completely unnecessary, but in addition to the classic spectacle, they construct a rather disturbing storyline of the collapsing world of the future. Motives such as the abuse of the police by the private sector and tensions between owners and unions do lag behind, but they also functionally complete the atmosphere. It's straightforward, but it digs so hard with its brutality and foresight that one still feels the slight stomach vibrations from the time when he devoured it like a child in silent amazement. (05/02/2014)

Another sci-fi classic from the 80s. It may be far behind Cameron's Terminator, but Verhoeven shows his flair for the genre introducing a new iconic action hero to the world. In some moments, of course, it's clear that this film is no longer one of the youngest, but the imaginative and typically Verhoeven gory action scenes make up for it. The future is portrayed quite soberly, without flying cars or buildings, which the visual effects crew probably didn't feel like doing anyway. Instead, we see grim streets filled with violence, burglary and rape, the resolution of which is a routine and relaxed affair for RoboCop, much like going number two is for us. This film won't captivate or surprise, but it will always entertain. 75% (06/03/2012)