Original 'Robocop' Director Didn't Like the Remake

The 1987 version of Robocop is considered one of the great sci-fi movies of the late ’80s. Starring Paul Weller in the title role, it was lauded for its use of extreme violence to make a point about American society. In 2014, a remake was launched, but this time critics weren’t as kind, calling it generic, cynical, and boring, among other things. You can add one more person to the list of people who didn’t enjoy the Robocop remake: the original’s director, Paul Verhoeven.

While chatting with Collider, Verhoeven was asked if he had seen the remakes and/or sequels of his movies. After confirming that he has, he said, “Somehow they seem to think that the lightness of, say, Total Recall and Robocop is a hindrance. So they take these somewhat absurd stories and make them much too serious. I think that is a mistake.”

The Dutch director then went on to criticize a creative choice the people behind the remake made. “In Robocop when he awakens they gave him the same brain,” Verhoeven pointed out. “He’s a horribly injured and amputated victim, which is horrifying and tragic from the very beginning. … I think by not having a robot brain, you make the movie much heavier, and I don’t think that helps the movie in any way.”

Verhoeven rather plainly summed up his thoughts on the attempts of so many films to be gritty, saying, “Playing it straight without any humor is a problem and not an improvement.”

Interestingly enough, Verhoeven also said he didn’t direct Robocop 2 because he didn’t want to rush, hoping to think more carefully of a compelling story for the sequel. They moved on and made a forgettable movie without him. Now, though, he said he has heard that MGM might use some of the ideas he came up with in 1987.

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