USA: Stars from upcoming "Robocop" reboot say the film manages to blend action with prescient social critiques

Record ID: 402080

  • Title: USA: Stars from upcoming "Robocop" reboot say the film manages to blend action with prescient social critiques
  • Date: 5th February 2014
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 24, 2014) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR JOEL KINNAMAN SAYING: "You know in the original film they had all these commercials that were highly satirical, but the way that news has changed and become so much more chasing polls than actually reporting the real news, it's more worthy of portraying the media in that satir
  • Embargoed: 20th February 2014 12:00
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  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAE2ET8PB3Y8ROJU5HZALZLHEDZ
  • Story Text: The stars from the upcoming "Robocop" reboot say the film manages to blend action with prescient social critiques.
    The movie, set to be released in the U.S. on February 12, follows Detroit police officer Alex Murphy after he is mortally wounded and given a new robotic body to become the ultimate cop. However, the corporation that designs his new body, OmniCorp, has other plans for him that concentrate more on profit than justice.
    Actor Michael Keaton, who portrays the head of OmniCorp, said that while his character is bad, his actions are at least justifiable.
    "That's the argument for my character Raymond Sellars. I mean he's technically a villain, I guess. But what if everything had just gone okay? What if it had kind of worked out, and that he created an entire fleet, a police force in one city that absolutely, one hundred percent wiped out crime and then other cities started to, you know, adopt the program, it would be kind of a big deal," Keaton said.
    The film also stars veteran actor Gary Oldman, who plays the part of Dr. Dennett Norton, the actual scientist that creates RoboCop's body. He initially begins the project with good intentions, but soon finds himself making more and more moral compromises along the way.
    "He signs, he somewhat signs a deal with the devil, not quite realizing it, and then is, and then is as you say, is manipulated and compromised ethically and morally, I think he's compromised. I mean that's what makes the, I think, the journey of the character an interesting one," Oldman said, referring to his character's decisions throughout the movie.
    The film also weaves a number of social critiques, including the sacrifice of freedom for security, as well as public manipulation by the mass media.
    Joel Kinnaman, who plays RoboCop, said that the criticisms of the modern media were more relevant to today's world than the satirical portrayal of commercials in the original RoboCop made in 1987.
    "You know in the original film they had all these commercials that were highly satirical, but the way that news has changed and become so much more chasing polls than actually reporting the real news, it's more worthy of portraying the media in that satirical way," Kinnaman said.
    RoboCop also stars Samuel L. Jackson and is directed by Brazilian director Jose Padiha, who is mostly known for the hit Portuguese-language film, "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within."
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