The first trailer for next year’s Robocop remake is finally here.
I’d forgotten that a Robocop remake is in the works, and it was kind of blissful, really. The first movie was pretty close to perfect, after all, a sharp blend of action and biting satire that was much smarter than it let on and boasted one of the most memorable casts of villains ever assembled. Peter Weller was okay as the titular character, but it was Ronny Cox, Miguel Ferrer, Ray Wise, Paul McCrane and of course the inimitable Kurtwood Smith that really made it work. How can any remake live up to that?
Perhaps that’s why the new Robocop, according to its IMDB entry, isn’t including any of those characters: no Bob Morton, no Dick Jones, not even Clarence Boddicker. Instead, it’s opting for a somewhat higher-profile cast, including Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Jay Baruchel, Jackie Earl Haley… and Miguel Ferrer.
Setting aside my own personal biases, I’d be willing to admit that this trailer doesn’t look terrible, but it doesn’t exactly have me ready to get in line for a ticket, either – and given how good the original is, and how firmly rooted it is in pop culture consciousness, a remake is a mighty risky proposition.
It is only the first trailer, so it’s way too early to go live with any kind of opinion, and who knows? It might even turn out to be pretty good. But a Robocop film without Clarence Boddicker? I don’t think I’d buy that for a dollar.
Robocop is slated to hit theaters early next year.
