RoboCop

Writer and co-producer Edward Neumeier pictured in 2007. Neumeier's interest in science fiction and work on Blade Runner (1982) helped inspire RoboCop.

RoboCop was conceived in the early 1980s by Universal Pictures junior story executive and aspiring screenwriter [Edward Neumeier]].[12][13][14][15] A fan of robots, science fiction films like Star Wars, and action films, Neumeier had developed an interest in mature comic books while researching them for adaptation potential.[16][15][12] The 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner was filming on the Warner Bros lot behind Neumeier's office, and he unofficially joined the production to learn about filmmaking.[12][14][15] His work there gave him the idea for RoboCop; he said "I had this vision of a far-distant, Blade Runner-type world where there was an all-mechanical cop coming to a sense of real human intelligence".[12][14] His spent the next few nights writing a 40-page outline.[12]

While researching story submissions for Universal, Neumeier came across a student video by aspiring director Michael Miner.[13][14][10] The pair met and discussed their similar concepts, Neumeier's RoboCop and Miner's robot-themed rock music video. In a 2014 interview, Miner said he also had an idea called SuperCop.[10][14][12] The pair formed a working partnership and spent about two months discussing the idea, plus two to three months writing together over nights and weekends alongside their regular jobs.[17][14][12][10] Their collaborations were initially difficult because they did not know each other well and had to learn how to constructively criticize each other.[18]

Among sources like comic books and his personal corporate experience, Neumeier was influenced to kill off his main character early on by the psychological horror film Psycho (1960)—which killed off its heroine in the first act.[12][16].[19] Neumeier wanted to satirize 1980s business culture, noting the increasing aggression of American financial services in response to growing Japanese influence, while a popular book on Wall Street was The Book of Five Rings, a 17th century text discussing how to kill more effectively. He also believed that Detroit's declining motor industry was caused by increasing bureaucracy. ED-209's malfunction in the OCP boardroom was based on his office daydreams about a robot bursting in to a meeting and killing everyone.[12] Miner described the film as "comic relief for a cynical time" in response to the Presidency of Ronald Reagan and economist "Milton Friedman and the Chicago boys [who] ransacked the world, enabled by Reagan and the Central Intelligence Agency. So when you have this cop who works for a corporation that insists 'I own you,' and he still does the right thing—that's the core of the film." The in-film media breaks were Neumeier's and Miner's idea.[10] A spec script was completed by December 1984.[10]

Director Paul Verhoeven (pictured in 2016). He rejected the RoboCop script twice before taking to its underlying story about a character losing their identity.

The script was given to business associates with the title RoboCop: The Future of Law Enforcement.[15][20][12][17] A month later, the pair had two offers: one from Atlantic Releasing[17] and one from director Jonathan Kaplan and producer Jon Davison with Orion Pictures.[13][20] An experienced producer for exploitation films and B movies like the parody film Airplane! (1980), Davison said he was drawn to the script's satire.[13][20][12] Davison showed Neumeier and Miner films including the crime thriller Madigan (1968), Dirty Harry (1971), and action film Mad Max 2 (1981), to demonstrate the tone he wanted. Neumeier and Miner began a second draft, and Orion greenlit the project.[21] Orion funded the project and Davison produced it via his Tobor Pictures—referencing the 1954 science fiction film Tobor the Great.[22][23] Neumeier and Miner were paid a few thousand dollars for the script rights and $25,000 between them for the rewrite.[17][24]

Kaplan left to direct Project X (1987),[21][25] and finding a replacement director took six months; many prospects rejected it because of the title.[26][12] Miner petitioned to direct, but Orion refused to give an untested director a $7 million project.[27][12] He declined an offer of second director to direct Deadly Weapon (1989).[21][12] The role was offered to David Cronenberg, Alex Cox, and Monte Hellman; Hellman joined as second unit director.[28][25][17] Orion executive Barbara Boyle suggested Paul Verhoeven who had received acclaim for his work on Soldier of Orange (1977) and Flesh+Blood (1985), his only English-language film.[21][12][13]

Reports of Verhoeven's reaction varies, but consistent is he looked at the first page and discarded it, calling it a "piece of shit."[10][13] This rejection stalled the project.[21] Boyle sent Verhoeven another copy, suggesting he pay attention to the subtext.[12] He was still uninterested until his wife Martine read it and encouraged him to give it a chance, saying he had missed the "soul" of the story about someone losing their identity.[10] Verhoeven admitted that not being fluent in English, the satire did not make sense to him.[10] The scene that gained his attention was RoboCop returning to Murphy's abandoned home and experiencing lingering memories of his former life.[10][1]

Davison, Neumeier, and Verhoeven met at Culver Studios' Mansion House to discuss the project.[12] Neumeier said Verhoeven was interested in directing it with a serious tone.[12][21] To explain the tone they wanted, Neumeier gifted Verhoeven comic books including 2000 AD featuring the character Judge Dredd.[12] Neumeier and Miner wrote a third draft based on Verhoeven's requests, working through injuries and late nights; this 92-page draft included an affair subplot between Murphy and Lewis.[12][21][11] After reading it, Verhoeven admitted he was wrong and returned to the second draft, targeting a comic book on film tone.[21][12][29]

Davison's contacts with puppeteers, animators, and practical effects designers were essential to Verhoeven, who had no prior experience with them.[13] Discussion was had between producers about changing the Detroit setting, but Neumeier insisted on its importance because of its failing motor industry.[12] Orion executives suggested connecting Clarence Boddicker and Dick Jones, because they were unrelated in the script.[12]

Verhoeven wanted a modern filming location that looked like it was from the near future.[30] Detroit was dismissed because it had many low, featureless, and indistinct buildings.[26][30] Neumeier said it was also a "[trade union] town", making it more expensive to film there.[31] Detroit makes a brief appearance in stock footage shown during the film's opening.[16] Chicago was dismissed for aesthetic reasons, New York City for high costs, and California because, according to Davison, Orion wanted to distance themselves from the project.[26][30] Dallas, Texas was chosen over Houston because it offered modern buildings and older, less maintained areas where they could use explosives.[30]

Ronny Cox (pictured in 2019). He was stereotyped for playing good characters until Verhoeven cast him against type as the villainous Dick Jones.

Around 6–8 months were spent searching for an actor to portray Alex Murphy/Robocop.[26][13] Actors considered include Arnold Schwarzenegger,[13] Michael Ironside,[32] Rutger Hauer, Tom Berenger, Armand Assante,[25] Keith Carradine, and James Remar.[21] Orion favored Schwarzengger, the star of their recent success The Terminator (1984),[25] but he and other actors were considered too physically large to look believable in the RoboCop costume; it was believed that Schwarzenegger would look like the Michelin Man or Pillsbury Doughboy.[13][32][26] Others were reluctant because their face would be largely concealed by a helmet.[26] Davison said that Weller was the only person who wanted to be in the film.[26] His casting was favourable because he commanded a low salary and had an existing fan base in the science fiction genre following his performance in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984).[27] He also possessed good body control from martial arts training and marathon running, and Verhoeven said "that his chin was very good."[26][25] Weller spent months working with mime Moni Yakim developing a liquid-movement style with a stiff staccato end for RoboCop, wearing a American football uniform to approximate the finished costume.[33][10] Weller said working with Verhoeven was his main reason for choosing the role over appearing in King Kong Lives (1986).[15][34]

Stephanie Zimbalist was cast as Murphy's partner Anne Lewis but dropped out because of contractual obligations to Remington Steele which had been canceled in 1986, but was revived because of its popularity.[35][36][37][11] Nancy Allen thought the film's title was terrible but found the script engrossing. She was known for her long blonde hair, but Verhoeven wanted it cut short so the character was not sexualized. Her hair was cut shorter eight times before the desired look was achieved.[38] Allen undertook police academy training for her role, and sought advice from her police lieutenant father.[38] Verhoeven encouraged to her act masculine and gain more weight; she accomplished the latter by giving up smoking.[11]

Kurtwood Smith (Boddicker) auditioned for both Boddicker and Jones. He was known mainly for television work and had not experienced film success, but saw RoboCop as a B movie with potential.[10] The character was scripted to wear glasses so that he would look like Nazi party member Heinrich Himmler. Smith was unaware of this and interpreted it as the character portraying an intelligent and militaristic front to conceal being a "sneering, smirking drug kingpin".[10] Ironside was offered the role but did not want to be involved with another special effects-laden film after working on Extreme Prejudice (1987).[32][25]

Ronny Cox was stereotyped as playing generally nice characters and said this gave the impression he could not play more masculine roles.[39] Verhoeven cast him as the villainous Dick Jones to play him against type.[40] Cox said that playing a villain was "about a gazillion times more fun than playing the good guys."[41] Jones, he said, has absolutely no compassion, he is an "evil S.O.B..[39] Miguel Ferrer was unsure if the film would be successful, but he was desperate for work and would have taken any offer.[15] The Old Man was based on manager of MCA Inc., Lew Wasserman, whom Neumiere considered to be a powerful and intimidating individual.[12] Television host Bixby Snyder was written as an Americanized version of British comedian Benny Hill, without any restraint.[10]

Dallas City Hall appears as the exterior of OCP's headquarters. Matte paintings were used to make it appear taller.

Principal photography began on Wednesday, August 6, 1986, on an $11 million budget.[42][30] Cinematographer Jost Vacano previously worked with Verhoeven on Soldier of Orange.[30][22] Verhoeven wanted Blade Runner production designer Lawrence G. Paull, but Davison said he could afford either a great production designer or a great RoboCop costume;[38][12] William Sandell was hired.[43] Monte Hellman directed several action scenes.[44] Filming took place almost entirely on location in Dallas,[45][10][30] with additional shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and on sets in Las Colinas.[8][46][30] The filming schedule in Dallas was nine weeks, but it soon became clear it was going to take longer. Based on filmed footage, Orion approved extending the schedule and increasing the budget to $13.1 million.[42][33][47] The weather during filming fluctuated: the Dallas summer was estimated to often be 90 °F (32 °C) to 115 °F (46 °C);[48][26][38] filming in Pittsburgh was frigid.[10]

RoboCop's costume was not finished until some time into filming. This did not impact the filming schedule, but it denied Weller the month of costume rehearsal he had expected.[10][26][25][49] Weller was immediately frustrated with the costume because it was too cumbersome for him to move as he had practiced; he spent hours trying to adapt.[10][49][25] He also struggled to see through the thin helmet visor and interact or grab while wearing the gloves.[49][50] He fell out with Verhoeven and was eventually fired, with Lance Henriksen considered as a replacement, but because the suit was built for Weller, efforts were made to mend his relationship with Verhoeven.[25] Yakim helped Weller develop a slower, more deliberate movement style.[15] Weller's experience in the outfit was worsened by warm weather, causing him to lose up to 3 lb (1.4 kg) in sweat per day.[26][33] He began taking prescription medication to cope with stress-induced insomnia, which left him filming scenes "under the influence".[51]

Verhoeven often choreographed scenes alongside the actors before filming.[52][53] Even so, improvisation was encouraged because he believed it could create interesting results. Smith improvised character beats such as sticking his gum on a secretary's desk and spitting blood onto the police station counter. Smith recounted saying "'What if I spat blood on the desk?'... [Verhoeven] got this little smile on his face, and we did it."[10] Co-producer Neumeier was on set throughout filming; he occasionally was inspired to write additional scenes, including a New Year's Eve party after noticing some party hat props, and a news story about the Strategic Defense Initiative platform misfiring.[12][10][21] Verhoeven found Neumeier's presence invaluable because they could discuss how to adapt the script or location to make a scene work.[30]

A steel mill in Pennsylvania served as the site of RoboCop's and Clarence Boddicker's final battle.

Verhoeven gained a reputation for verbal aggression and unsociable behavior on set. Smith explained that he never yelled at the actors and was too engrossed in filming to be social,[10] and Cox and Allen both spoke fondly of Verhoeven.[54][38] Weller was to be referred to only as "Murphy" or "Robo" and Smith was hesitant to speak to him as a result. However, they developed a friendship, and the rule was ignored. Weller spent his time between filming with the actors who played his enemies, including Smith, Ray Wise, and Calvin Jung, who maintained healthy lifestyles that supported Weller with training for the New York City Marathon.[15]

Many locations in and around Dallas were used in the production. An office in Renaissance Tower is used for the interior of OCP and the exterior is the Dallas City Hall (modified with matte paintings to look taller).[55][56][45][1][57] The buildings elevator was filmed inside the Plaza of the Americas.[45][56] The Detroit police station is a combination of Crozier Tech High School (exterior) and the Sons of Hermann hall (interior), and the city hall is the Dallas Municipal Building.[56] Scenes of Boddicker's gang blowing up storefronts were filmed in the Deep Ellum neighborhood. An explosion was larger than anticipated and actors can be seen moving out of the way; Smith had to remove his coat because it was on fire. The actors involved received an additional $400 stunt pay.[30][10] The Shell corporation gas station that explodes was located in the Arts district.[45][56] Locals were unaware of filming and made calls to the fire department.[1] The scene was scripted for flames to modify the sign to read "Hell"; Davison approved it but it does not appear in the film. Miner called it a disappointing omission.[10]

The nightclub is the former Starck Club. Verhoeven was filmed while demonstrated how the clubbers should dance and used the footage in the film.[11][10] Other Dallas locations include César Chávez Boulevard, the Reunion Arena.[56] and The Crescent car park.[31] The final battle between RoboCop and Boddicker's gang was filmed at a steel mill in Monessen outside Pittsburgh.[58][19][59][30] Filming concluded in late October 1986.[60]

An additional $600,000 budget increase was approved by Orion for post-production and the music score, raising the budget to $13.7 million.[42][21][13][47] Frank J. Urioste served as the film's editor.[61]

Several pick-up shots were filmed during this phase, including Murphy's death, RoboCop removing his helmet, and shots of his leg holster.[62] After the OCP boardroom scene in which RoboCop calls himself Murphy, a further scene revealed Lewis was alive in a hospital, before finally showing RoboCop on patrol. The latter scene lessened the triumphant feeling of the former and was removed.[63][64] Verhoeven wanted the in-film media breaks to abruptly interrupt the narrative and unsettle the viewer. He was influenced by Piet Mondrian's art featuring stark black lines separating colored squares.[10] Peter Conn was responsible for directing many of the media breaks.[65] Neumeier directed the "TJ Lazer" media break.[66]

RoboCop's violent content made it difficult to receive a targeted theatrical R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). An R rating restricted a film to those over 17 unless accompanied by an adult. RoboCop initially received the restrictive X rating meaning the film could be seen only by those over 17.[67][25][10] Although some reports suggest it was refused an R-rating eleven times, Verhoeven said the number was actually eight.[10][25]

The MPAA took issue with several scenes including Murphy's death and ED-209 shooting an executive.[61][47] The violent scenes were shortened and media breaks were added to help lighten the tone.[25] The MPAA also objected to a scene of the mutated Emil being disintegrated by Boddicker's car, but Verhoeven, Davison, and Orion refused to remove it because it consistently received the biggest laughs during test screenings.[13][68] Verhoeven made the violence comical and surreal, and believed the cuts made the scenes appear more, not less violent.[25][10] He remarked that his young children laughed at the X rated cut, and audiences laughed less at the R rated version.[10][47] Verhoeven said people "love seeing violence and horrible things."[47] The film was released in the United Kingdom without cuts; the rating board stated the comic excess of the violence and the clear line between the hero and villains justified it.[69] The complete version of RoboCop runs for 102 minutes.[70]

Basil Poledouris provided the film's score, having worked previously worked with Verhoeven on Flesh+Blood.[5] The score combines synthesizers and orchestral music, reflecting RoboCop's cyborg nature. The music was performed by Sinfonia of London.[71][72]

The special effects team, led by Rob Bottin,[50] included Phil Tippett,[13] Stephan Dupuis, Bart Mixon,[73] and Craig Davies among others.[74]

The effects were excessively violent because Verhoeven believed it made scenes funnier.[25][10] He likened the brutality of Murphy's death to the Crucifixion of Jesus. It offered an efficient method of engendering sympathy for Murphy because the audience did not get to know him well beforehand.[10][61][68] The scene was filmed at an abandoned auto assembly plant in Long Beach, California on a raised stage allowing operators to control aspects from below.[75] To show Murphy being dismantled by gunfire, prosthetic arms were cast in alginate and filled with tubing that could pump artificial blood and compressed air. Attached to Weller's shoulders by velcro, the left hand was manufactured to explode in a predictable way and was controlled by three operators.[75] The right arm was jerked away from Weller's body by a monofilament wire.[19][75] A detailed, articulated replica of Weller's upper body was used to depict Boddicker shooting Murphy through the head.[75][76][68] A mold of Weller's face was made using foam latex that was baked to make it rubbery and flesh-like and placed over a fiberglass skull containing a squib and explosive charge. The articulated head was controlled by four puppeteers and detailed with sweat, blood, and a fan motor attached to the body made it vibrate as if shaking with fear. The charge in the skull was connected by wire to the trigger of Smith's gun to synchronize the effect.[77]

Emil's melting mutation was inspired by the 1977 science fiction film The Incredible Melting Man.[78] Bottin designed and fabricated Emil's prosthetics, creating a foam latex headpiece and matching gloves, giving the appearance of his skin melting "off his bones like marshmallow sauce."[78][79] A second piece depicting further degradation was applied over the first. Dupuis painted each piece differently to emphasize his advancing ailment. The prosthetics were applied to an articulated dummy to show Emil being struck by Boddicker's car. The head was loosened so it would fly off, and by chance, it rolled onto the car's hood. The effect was completed with Emil's liquified body (raw chicken, soup, and gravy) washing over the windscreen.[79] The same dummy stands in for RoboCop when he is is crushed by steel beams (painted wood).[79] Verhoeven wanted RoboCop to kill Boddicker by stabbing him in the eye, but it was believed the effort to create the effect would be wasted because it would likely be censored.[80]

Dick Jones' fatal fall is a stop-motion puppet of Cox animated by Rocco Gioffre. The limited development time meant Gioffre used a foam rubber puppet with an aluminum skeleton instead of a higher-quality articulated version. It was composited against a matte painting of the below street by Mark Sullivan.[81][80] ED-209's murder of an OCP executive (Kevin Page) was shot over three days. Page's body was covered in 200 blood squibs, but Verhoeven was unhappy with the result and brought Page back months later to re-film it on a studio-built recreation of the board room. Page was covered in over 200 squibs, plus plastic bags filled with spaghetti squash and fake blood. Page described being in intense pain as each squib detonation felt like being punched.[8] In the cocaine warehouse scene, Boddicker's stuntman was thrown through real glass panes rigged with detonating cord to shatter microseconds before he hit.[82] Gelatin capsules filled with sawdust and a sparkling compound were fired from an air gun at RoboCop to create the appearance of ricocheting bullets.[83]

One of the minuature ED-209 models used for animation by Phil Tippett, Randal M. Dutra, and Harry Walton.

Tippett developed preliminary sketches of ED-209 to budget for its development and hired Davies to design the full-scale model, constructed alongside Paula Luchessi.[74] Verhoeven wanted ED-209 to look mean and believed Davies' early designs lacked a "killer" aesthetic. Davies was influenced by killer whales and a United States Air Force Corsair Jet. He approached the design with modern American aesthetics and corporate design policy that he believed prioritized looks over functionality, including excessive and impractical components. He did not add eyes because they would make ED-209 more sympathetic.[84] The fully-articulated fiberglass model took four months to build, cost $25,000, stood 7 ft (2.1 m) tall, and weighed 300 to 500 lb (140 to 230 kg).[85][86][87] The 100-hour working weeks took their toll, and Davies made ED-209's feet minimal in detail as he did not think they would be shown on camera.[88] The model was later used on promotional tours.[89][86][87]

Davies spent another four months building two 12 in (30 cm) miniature replicas for stop motion animation.[90] Two models allowed scenes to be shot simultaneously, saving time to complete the fifty-five shots needed in three months.[90] Tippett led ED-209's animation, with Randal M. Dutra and Harry Walton.[91][87][13] He conceived its movement as "unanimal"-like as if it was constantly about to fall over before catching itself.[87] To complete the character, it was given the roar of a black leopard. Davison provided a temporary voiceover for ED-209's speaking voice, which was retained in the film.[92]

Bottin was tasked with designing the RoboCop costume.[13][93][10] He researched the Star Wars character C-3PO, looking at its stiff costume which made movement and action scenes difficult.[93] Bottin was also influenced by robot designs in Metropolis (1927) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951),[61][16] and comic book superheros.[94][95] He developed around 50 different designs based on feedback from Verhoeven who pushed for a more machine-like character.[96][94] Verhoeven admitted he had unrealistic expectations after reading Japanese science fiction mangas and it took him too long to realize it, contributing to the costumes delay.[10]

The RoboCop costume was unprecedented, and both design and construction exceeded cost and schedule.[30][26][76] It took six months to build, using flexible foam latex, semi- or completely rigid Polyurethane, and a fiberglass helmet.[97][94][26] Moving sections were joined together with aluminum and ball bearings.[97] The entirety of the suit is supported by an internal harness of hooks, allowing for action-heavy movements.[76] Seven costumes were made, including a fireproof version, and suits to convey sustained damage.[98] They weighed 25 to 80 lb (11 to 36 kg); reports vary.[99][26][100][101] RoboCop's gun, the Auto-9, is a Beretta 93R with an extended barrel and larger grip. It was modified to fire blank bullets, and vents were cut into the side to create multi-directional fire with every three-shot burst.[102]

The police cars are 1986 Ford Taurus models painted black.[46] The vehicle featured a customized interior that would show graphical displays for mug shots, fingerprints, and other related information, but the concept was too ambitious.[13][60] The 6000 SUX is an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme modified by Gene Winfield based on a design by Chip Foose. Two working cars were made and a third non-functional one that was blown up.[103] The 6000 SUX commercial features a plasticine dinosaur animated by Don Waller and blocked by Steve Chiodo.[103]

RoboCop contains seven matte effects painted mainly by Gioffre. Each matte was painted on masonite. Gioffre supervised on-site filming to mask the camera where the matte is inserted. He recounted having to crawl out from a 5-story high ledge to get the right shot of Plaza of the Americas.[104] The burnished steel logo was developed by special photographic effects supervisor Peter Kuran based on a black and white sketch from Orion. Kuran created a scaled-up matte version and backlit it. A second pass was made with a sheet of aluminum behind it to create a reflective detail.[60] RoboCop's vision was created using hundreds of ink lines on acetate composited it over existing footage. Several attempts were made to avoid the lines appearing too thick or too thin.[66] Assuming thermographic photography would be expensive, Kuran replicated thermal vision using actors in body stockings painted with thermal colors and filmed the scene with a polarized lens filter.[105] The OCP boardroom model of Delta City was made under the supervision of art director Gayle Simon.[106]

Marketing the film was considered difficult.[114] Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Jack Mathews described RoboCop as a "terrible title for a movie that anyone would expect an adult to enjoy." Orion head of marketing Charles Glenn said it had a "certain liability... it sounds like 'Robby the Robot' or Gobots or something else. It's nothing like that."[114] The campaign began three months before the film's release. 5,000 adult-oriented and family-friend trailers were sent to theaters. Orion promotions director Jan Kean said children and adults responded positively to the RoboCop character.[114] Miguel Ferrer recalled a theater audience unfavorably laughing at the trailer, which he found disheartening.[115] Models and actors in fiberglass RoboCop costumes made appearances in cities throughout North America. The character appeared at a motor racing event in Florida, a laser show in Boston, a subway in New York City, and children could take their picture with him at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Los Angeles.[114]

An incomplete version of the unrated film was screened early for critics against the norm for an action film. Glenn reasoned critics that favored Verhoeven's earlier work would appreciate RoboCop. The feedback was generally positive, making it one of the best-reviewed films of the year by that point and providing positive quotes for promotional material.[114] Verhoeven recalled how one reviewer was confused by the jarring in-film ad breaks and complained the projectionist had used the wrong film reel.[10] The week before release introduced television adverts and limited theatrical screenings.[114]

RoboCop began a wide North American release on Friday, July 17, 1987.[116][117] During its opening weekend, the film exceeded expectations by earning $8 million from 1,580 theaters—an average of $5,068 per theater.[118][119] It was the weekend's number-one film, ahead of re-release of the 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ($7.5 million) and the horror sequel Jaws: The Revenge ($7.1 million)—both films were also in their first week of release.[118][120] It retained the number-one position in its second weekend with an additional gross of $6.3 million, ahead of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ($6.05 million) and the debuting comedy Summer School ($6 million).[121][122]

In its third weekend, RoboCop was the fourth-highest-grossing film with a gross of $4.7 million, behind La Bamba ($5.2 million) and the debuts of the horror film The Lost Boys ($5.2 million) and The Living Daylights ($11.1 million).[123] RoboCop never regained the number one spot but remained in the top ten-highest-grossing films for six weeks in total.[116][124]

By the end of its theatrical run, the film had grossed about $53.4 million,[116][117] becoming a modest success.[25] This figure made it the year's fourteenth highest-grossing film, behind Crocodile Dundee ($53.6 million), La Bamba ($54.2 million), comedy film Dragnet ($57.4 million), Predator ($59.7 million), fantasy comedy The Witches of Eastwick ($63.8 million), action film Lethal Weapon ($65.2 million), action comedy Stakeout ($65.7 million), the comedy films The Secret of My Success ($67 million) and Three Men and a Baby ($70.8 million), The Untouchables ($76.3 million), Fatal Attraction ($126 million), Platoon ($137 million), and Beverly Hills Cop II ($153.7 million).[125] Figures are not available for the film's performance outside North America.[117][116]

Due in part to higher ticket prices and an extra week of the theatrical summer,[109] 1987 set a record $1.6 billion box office gross, just exceeding the previous $1.58 billion record set in 1984. Unlike that earlier summer, which featured multiple blockbuster successes like Ghostbusters and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1987 delivered only one; Beverly Hills Cop II. Even so, more films, including RoboCop, had performed modestly well, earning $274 million between them—a 50% increase over 1986.[126][110] The average audience age continued to increase, as teen-oriented films—like RoboCop and Beverly Hills Cop II—suffered a 22% drop in performance against 1986 films. Adult-oriented films saw a 39% increase in revenue.[126] RoboCop was one of the summer's surprise successes, and contributed to Orion's improving fortunes.[21][127] Neumeier and Miner received 8% of the producer profits.[24]

RoboCop opened to generally positive reviews.[47][25] Audience polls by CinemaScore reported that moviegoers gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.[128]

Comparisons were made between the film and Frankenstein (1931), Superman (1978), Blade Runner, Repo Man (1984), The Terminator (1984), and Aliens (1986), and the television series Miami Vice.[129][130][131] Desson Thomson of The Washington Post called it a "weird" but entertaining amalgam of camp style and science fiction.[130] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said that its genre could not be easily categorized, recognizing broad conventions of thrillers, slapstick comedy, romance, social satire, and philosophy.[132] Carrie Ricket said the film portrays a distinct futuristic vision of Detroit in the same way Blade Runner did for Los Angeles.[129] Writing for The New York Times, Janet Maslin said it evoked the futuristic tone of Blade Runner and the masculinity of classic Western film.[111]

Others saw it as a self-aware comic book film for adults that combined extreme violence with humor and technology.[133][134] Maslin appreciated the film takes place on a relatively small scale with a "big imagination" and a "powerful sense of purpose."[111] Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times found it surprisingly clever unlike other "bone headed action films", offering humor and cynicism.[134] Ebert concurred, saying that unlike predictable fare of the thriller genre, RoboCop offered something different,[132] and Pat Graham of the Chicago Reader labelled it "creepy" but stylish.[135] David Sterritt of The Christian Science Monitor praised Verhoeven's skillful direction and "razor-sharp" social satire.[136] Time Out's review said his blend of comic book and snuff film was fast-paced, violent, and funny.[137] Wilmington found the direction exhilarating, and Kempley said that Verhoeven had delivered a smart, darkly comic, and savage film that in other hands might simply have been a fast-paced action film.[134][131] In contrast, Dave Kehr of the Chicago Tribune wrote it was over directed and lacking in tension or momentum. He concluded that Verhoeven's European filmmaking style was different but lacked any rhythm.[138]

Rita Kempley, also of The Washington Post, described Weller's Robocop as the best turn since Schwarzenegger in The Terminator, praising Weller's ability to convey chivalry and vulnerability in a physically limited role. She concluded he offered a certain beauty and grace that added a mythic quality, making his murder even more horrible.[131] Ebert was impressed by Weller's ability to elicit sympathy despite a bulky costume.[132] Conversely, Graham said that Weller "hardly registered" behind the mask and Verhoeven—normally adept at portraying the "sleazily psychological" through physicality—had failed to utilize RoboCop's "Aryan blandness".[135] Variety's review highlighted Nancy Allen for providing the only human warmth in the film, and Kurtwood Smith as a well-cast "sicko sadist".[133]

Reviews discussed the film's violent content.[136][129][134][138][139] Ebert found ED-209 killing an executive to be "very funny", contrasting it with the Charlie Chaplin silent film Modern Times (1936), which finds humor in applying logic to a situation where it is irrelevant. He said the scene subverts expectations and puts the audience off guard because they no longer know what type of film they are watching.[132] Wilmington found the violence to be presented with a "comic lunancy" that created experiences of sadism and poignancy in a single scene.[134] Ricket said the violence made The Terminator seem like Bambi (1942).[129] Other reviewers were more critical,[138][139] including Kehr, who found it disturbing the film drew comedy from extreme violence. He believed following the violence with a sarcastic remark to provide the audience with relief was a "mechanical and underhanded" way to elicit audience emotions.[138] Walter Goodman said the story about corrupting corporations served as a thin excuse for violence.[139] Wilmington said the violence would offend many, but was justified by the "modern nauseatic generic clichés it tears up."[134] Graham found the violence had a "brooding agonized quality... as if Verhoeven were both appalled and fascinated" by it.[135] Sterritt said that critical praise for the "nasty" film demonstrated a preference for "style over substance."[136]

Wilmington enjoyed how the satire transformed a cliché revenge story by making the protagonist a machine that keeps succumbing to humanity, emotion, and idealism. He said it was good to see a fable about a decent hero fighting back against corruption, villains, and the theft of his humanity.[134] Thomson said it works because it takes a classic take of the tragic hero in search of redemption, and adds a science-fiction element,[130] and Ricket said that RoboCop's victory is satisfying because he has technology and morals on his side.[129] Kehr said that the satire of corporations was the film's most successful effort, depicting unchecked greed and callous disregard.[138] Kempley praised Neumeier's and Miner's portrayal of corporate villains and street-level criminals as interchangeable, complimented by understated dialogue and clever criticisms of various subjects, including game shows and military culture.[131] Kempley agreed that the film's "heart" is the story of Murphy regaining his humanity, but action fans less interested in depth could still enjoy the effects and stunts. She concluded that "with all our flesh-and-blood heroes failing us—from brokers to ballplayers—we need a man of mettle, a real straight shooter who doesn't fool around with Phi Beta Kappas and never puts anything up his nose. What this world needs is 'RoboCop.'"[131]

RoboCop received one award at the 1988 Academy Awards: Special Achievement for Best Sound Editing (Stephen Flick and John Pospisil). The film received two other nominations: Best Film Editing for Frank J. Urioste (losing to Gabriella Cristiani for the drama film The Last Emperor) and Best Sound for Michael J. Kohut, Carlos Delarios, Aaron Rochin, and Robert Wald (losing to Bill Rowe and Ivan Sharrock for The Last Emperor).[140] At the 42nd British Academy Film Awards, RoboCop received two nominations: Best Makeup and Hair for Carla Palmer (losing to Fabrizio Sforza for The Last Emperor); and Best Special Visual Effects for Bottin, Tippett, Kuran, and Gioffre (losing to George Gibbs, Richard Williams, Ken Ralston, and Edward Jones for the 1988 fantasy film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.[141]

At the 15th Saturn Awards, RoboCop was the most nominated film. It won awards for Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director for Verhoeven, Best Writing for Neumeier and Miner, Best Make-up for Bottin and Dupuis, and Best Special Effects for Kuran, Tippett, Bottin, and Gioffre. It received a further three nominations that included Best Actor (Weller) and Best Actress for (Allen).[142][143]

RoboCop was released on VHS in early 1988, priced at $89.98.[144][145] Orion promoted the film by having former United States President Richard Nixon shake hands with a RoboCop-costumed actor. Nixon was paid $25,000 which he donated to Boys Club of America.[25] It was a popular rental, peaking as the number 1 film in mid-march 1988.[146][147] Demand for rentals outstripped supply as estimates suggested there was one VHS copy of a film per 100 households, making it difficult to find new releases like Dirty Dancing, Predator, and Platoon; the longest waiting list was for RoboCop.[148] The VHS was estimated to have earned $24 million in sales.[25] RoboCop was one of the earliest film releases on the S-VHS video format, priced at $39.98, and was offered as a free incentive when buying branded S-VCR players.[149]

The extended violent content removed from the theatrical release was restored on The Criterion Collection LaserDisc that included commentary by Verhoeven, Neumeier, and Davison.[13][150] The uncut version of the film has since been available on home media releases.[13] It was released on DVD by Criterion in September 1998.[151][152] In June 2004, the DVD version was released in a trilogy boxset that included RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3. This edition included featurettes about the making of the film and the RoboCop design.[151] A 20th-anniversary edition was released in August 2007; this included previous extras and introduced featurettes on the special effects, villains, and both theatrical and uncut versions.[151]

The scheduled Blu-ray disc debut in 2006 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment was canceled only days before release. Reviews indicated that the video quality was very poor. A new version was released in 2007 by Fox Home Entertainment without any extra features.[153][154][155] The trilogy was released as a Blu-ray disc boxset in October 2010.[156][157] In 2019, a Limited Edition remastered Blu-ray disc was released, featuring a 4K resolution restoration from the original film negative approved by Verhoeven. The release included limited edition collectible items (a poster and cards), new commentaries by film historians and fans, deleted scenes, new featurettes with Allen and casting director Julie Selzer, and the extended, theatrical, and television cuts of the film.[158][159]

Despite its violent content, merchandise was targeted at a younger audience, including cap guns, comic books, other assorted toys,[47][61][114][25] theme park rides, novels,[61] and the RoboCop Ultra Police action figures (released alongside the 1988 animated series adaptation RoboCop).[99] RoboCop was considered easier to merchandise than other R rated films.[114] By the film's release, Marvel Comics had published a black-and-white comic book adaptation of the film, sans violence and adult language,[160][114] a video game was in development, and negotiations were underway to release t-shirts, other video games, and RoboCop dolls by Christmas. The film's poster was reportedly more popular than the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue,[114] and its novelization, written by Ed Naha and released on June 1, 1987, was in its second printing by July.[114][161][162] Since its release, RoboCop has continued to be merchandised, receiving collectible action figures by the National Entertainment Collectibles Association,[163] Hot Toys,[164] and Sideshow Collectibles,[165] clothing, and crockery.[166] A 2014 book, RoboCop: The Definitive History, details the making of the RoboCop franchise.[167][166][168]

The story of RoboCop has been continued in comics, initially by Marvel Comics. The adaptation of the film was reprinted in color to promote an ongoing series that ran for 23 issues between 1987–1992. The rights transferred to Dark Horse Comics in 1992, who released multiple miniseries including RoboCop Versus The Terminator which pitted RoboCop against the machinations of Skynet and its Terminators from The Terminator franchise.[160][33] The story was well-received and followed up by other series including Prime Suspect (1992), Roulette (1994), and Mortal Coils (1996).[33] The RoboCop series continued at other publishers, moving from Avatar Press (2003), to Dynamite Entertainment (2010), and Boom! Studios (2013).[33][160]

Several games based on, or inspired by the film have been released. A 1988 side-scroller, RoboCop, was released for arcades in 1988, and ported to other platforms like the ZX Spectrum and Game Boy.[169][99] RoboCop Versus The Terminator, an adaptation of the comic of the same name, was released in 1994. RoboCop, a 2003 first-person shooter, was released to a negative reception, resulting in the shuttering of developer Titus Interactive.[33]

RoboCop holds an 89% approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator from 65 reviews, with an average rating of 7.82 out of 10. According to the website's consensus, "While over-the-top and gory, RoboCop is also a surprisingly smart sci-fi flick that uses ultraviolence to disguise its satire of American culture"[185] The film has a score of 67 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[186] In 2004, The New York Times listed it as one the 1,000 Best Movies Ever.[187] In 2008, Empire listed the film at number 404 on its list of the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.[188] Rotten Tomatoes also listed the film at number 139 on its list of 200 essential movies to watch, and one of 300 essential movies.[189][190]

Several publications have ranked RoboCop as one of the best science-fiction films ever made: twelfth by Paste,[191] tweltfh by IGN,[192] 13th by Thrillist;[193] twentieth by Empire,[194] 26th by GamesRadar+,[195] 19th by Rotten Tomatoes,[196] and unranked by i09.[197] It has been listed as one of the best films of the 1980s: number one by Consequence of Sound,[198] number six by ShortList;[199] number seven by Empire,[200] number 25 by Complex,[201] and unranked by Collider[202] and Highsnobiety.[203] Several publications have listed it as one of the greatest action films of all time: number 14 by Entertainment Weekly;[181] number 19 by Time Out;[204] and number 22 by Empire.[205]

Several filmmakers have spoken of their appreciation for RoboCop or cited it as an inspiration in their own careers, including Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck,[206] Neill Blomkamp,[24] Leigh Whannell,[207] and Ken Russell, who called it the best science fiction film since Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927).[208] During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it was among the action films director James Gunn recommended people watch.[209] Doom Eternal creative director Hugo Martin also cited it as an inspiration.[210] RoboCop (voiced by Weller) appears as a playable character in the fighting game Mortal Kombat 11 (2019).[211] The character also served as a design inspiration for the Nintendo Power Glove (1989),[212] and appeared in advertisements for KFC in 2019 (again voiced by Weller),[213] and Direct Line in 2020 alongside the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Bumblebee.[214]

The crowdfunded documentary RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop is in development. It covers the technical production of the first three RoboCop films and features interviews with many cast and crew involved, except Weller who declined to participate.[215][216] Weller had said everything he wanted to about the film and vowed not to discuss it again.[34] Even so, he participated in a 30th-anniversary screening of the film by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at Dallas City Hall because it was in his home town and he considered it a homage to the city.[34][45] A RoboCop statue is to be erected in Detroit. First proposed in 2011, $70,000 was crowdfunded for its construction. The idea was called "silly" by then-Mayor Dave Bing but gained Weller's backing and the approval of RoboCop rights-holder MGM. The 10 ft (3.0 m) tall statue is under construction as of 2020.[25][217][218][219]