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Flash Movie Review: RoboCop
Does one’s love diminish by the amount of hair left on someone’s hairbrush? Does the amount of poundage on your significant other directly relate to the intensity of your love for them? The higher the number the less love you have to give? I have said before I believe our bodies are only being rented; what is inside of them is what counts, at least for me. It always amuses me when I hear someone say they do not like facial hair or redheads. Taking it one step further, I find it perplexing when someone makes a judgement based on a person’s ethnicity, race or even where they were born. What does that have to do with love? You will have to excuse me but I find individuals who lose their love and leave their mate due to illness utterly despicable. The essence of an individual remains the same as the body evolves through the years; those are my feelings. In this updated version of the 1987 science fiction film, you can see how love is stronger than any one body. After a suspicious explosion Detroit police officer Alex Murphy, played by Joel Kinnaman (Safe House, The Killing), had only one chance available if he was to survive. That decision fell to his wife Clara, played by Abbie Cornish (Limitless, Bright Star), who gave her consent to the corporation that would provide her husband with a robotic body, giving birth to a new crime fighter for the city: RoboCop. The only comparison I will make to the original movie is an obvious one; the special effects were better in this action crime film. I thought Gary Oldman (Lawless, Harry Potter franchise) as Dr. Dennett Norton and Michael Keaton (Jackie Brown, White Noise) as Raymond Sellars were the best of the cast. One of the issues I had was Joel Kinnaman; he did not have a powerful screen presence, coming across stiffly and I do not think it was due to his suit. The story had a satirical streak with the addition of Samuel L. Jackson’s (Django Unchained, Oldboy) character, talk show host Pat Novak. Along with a couple of twists in the story it pretty much was a standard good against evil plot. When this movie ended I did think about the advancements being made today in the medical field and wonder what will the effect be on humanity in the future. Will love wane based on the amount of mechanical parts a person has inside of them?
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Last Time
Anger can be just as constructive as it can be destructive. Some years ago I was riding in a car with a group of friends. We got side swiped by a car going in the opposite direction. The driver of our car got so angry he swerved into oncoming traffic, hoping to spin the car around and chase after the car that hit us. Instead we got rear ended and wound up on the curb. That is an example of anger being destructive. If it wasn’t for my anger, I do not think I would have pushed myself to become certified as a group exercise instructor. Knowing the feeling of being picked last in gym class, I was determined to create an environment that was accepting of all types of people and maybe more importantly, accepting of myself. Anger was a big motivator for top salesman Ted Riker, played by Michael Keaton (White Noise, Jackie Brown). He had no time for pleasantries or politeness; everyone in the company feared him. When he had to mentor newbie Jamie Bashant, played by Brendan Fraser (Inkheart, Bedazzled), it was similar to leading the sacrificial lamb to slaughter. But when hard nosed Ted met Jamie’s fiancee Belisa, played by Amber Valletta (Transporter 2, Gamer), a beat of life could be heard in his heart. Would that heart beat affect company sales? The best part of this movie was watching Michael Keaton. For me, he is one of the best when it comes to displaying crazy anger; it forcibly grabs one’s attention. Brendan, on the other hand, does not have a wide range to his acting; it seems as if he handles his recent roles all the same way: wide eyed, extra large gestures, not much depth. The other issue I had was with the story. Part comedy, part drama and part thriller; I would have preferred one genre to give this movie more focus. What kept me interested in this film was watching Michael letting loose, along with the couple of twists that took place. On a deeper level, I tend to be curious when I recognize anger in a person.
2 1/2 stars — DVD
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