Trailerblazing -- RoboCop (2014)

RoboCop -- February 7, 2014 -- directed by José Padilha -- starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Samuel L. Jackson

Apart from the great cast, what I am most excited about when it comes to this remake is the new angle that the story takes. How would a half-human, half-cyborg behave? Would it be a half-and-half ratio to begin with? Would his or her new reality override memories from their previous life? How would any kind of synthesis with another organism impact the human psyche? As action-filled as the remake obviously is, director Padilha seemingly eschews the action element in favor of deeper issues at hand. I do not recall the original posing too many similar questions, although it did utilize another valid viewpoint to create a terrific exploration of violence in the modern world. It will be interesting to see if and how Padilha's academic background contributes to his vision; according to the IMDb, this gentleman is well-versed in economics and literature, among other subjects. The effects are nicely updated -- check out that gun taking shape at the first hint of a threat! As for the cast, I am looking forward to seeing Gary Oldman, who can simply do no wrong in my book, as well as Michael Keaton's return to the genre. The RoboCop remake looks like a potential breakout hit, one that should be an excellent prelude to the usual blockbuster spring and summer movie season.