Blu-Ray Review: Robocop Gets The Arrow Treatment

robotGEEK Dives Into Arrow's New Landmark and Definitive Robocop Release to Date

by robotGEEK

It's getting hard to count how many times Robocop has gotten an upgrade and physical media release, especially lately when it feels like it's happened about 2 or 3 times just in the past year alone. But collectors were really looking forward to this Arrow release, because let's face it, they've made a name for themselves in the Blu Ray market delivering some outstanding presentations of some of our favorite films. Would Robocop deliver their consistent quality? Let's find out.

The answer is a big YES. Like some of the previous releases, we get both the Theatrical Cut and the much more celebrated Directors Cut, offering a few more seconds of gratuitous violence. And believe me, those few seconds make a difference and leave an impact. And like those previous releases, these added few seconds are easy to spot because they appear a bit rougher and darker in quality, which is something I find surprising in that they still haven't found a way to integrate them into the rest of the film seamlessly. But it's not a big deal in the long run.

One of the biggest attractions to this new release is it's packaging, which is ripe with new goodies. Along with a nice looking "media box" to hold it all together, it comes with a book, a double-sided poster with the new artwork on one side, and the classic poster design on the other, 6 lobby cards and a nice dose of new Special Features. Oh, and of course it's been upgraded to 4K from the original camera negative by MGM and approved by director Paul Verhoeven.

Now, for some it's hard for people to get excited considering all the latest Robocop blu releases from various companies, but if you were going to double dip, or finally grab that Directors Cut, this is the release to get hands-down. It's just such gorgeous packaging all around, and combined with the plethora of extra content and goodies, not to mention how great this box looks on your shelf, it's a must buy. Oh, and you can't beat that price. Since it's initial pre-order release, it's gotten cheaper and cheaper to find, with Amazon even bringing the price down significantly at one time.

"My Personal History on Robocop"

I was 11 years old when Robocop hit theaters in the summer of 1987. I remember going to the movies with my family to see Dragnet with Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd, and when the trailer for Robocop came up, I was in awe. This film was right up my alley. Since then I've been a Die Hard fan of it in almost every capacity; i.e. games, comics, cartoon, sequels, toys, etc. Yet, it never really dawns on me just how much I love it. I mean, I have a poster on my wall that's been proudly displayed for years. I have countless collectibles related to this film in my collection. I watch it at least once a year, and like this latest visit, I was just floored by how amazing it still is all these years later. If anything, Robocop may be one of the most accurate depictions of the future we've ever seen on film. I guess what I'm saying is, that I love it far more than I originally thought. I mean, I always knew I loved it, but I guess I never realized just how much until now.

When I threw this one recently to check out all that this new release had to offer, I was "still" giddy as a kid, being fully submerged in this world of satire, violence and an industrial future that isn't too far off from where we've become today. Even still, considering I've seen it hundreds of time in my day, I noticed new little things that I hadn't before and that is a test of a true masterpiece. No matter how many times you come back, it still hits you just as hard as the first time, while simultaneously giving you new things to notice.

Next up! Robocop 2 Collectors Edition Blu-Ray review coming soon...