RoboCop (2014)

RoboCop is a 2014 American science fiction action film directed by José Padilha. 

With a $130 million price tag on this film reboot , Colombia Pictures has hedged heavily on this reboot . 

With no stinger or extras during the credits , one does wonder about a sequel . But all $130 million is seen on the screen , special effects are good through out the film . 

Almost undetectable except in battle sequences between the hero and his large counter-part.

The story remains the same as the 1987 with some modern twist , the updates make the hero far more aware as they begin , but his awareness and emotions is faded in the middle by order of the evil bad guy , and a turn of heart leads to RoboCop rescue and victory in the end .

Does the story of man or machine , still ring through today ? In 1987 many could barely understand computers , far less dream of the Internet . 

In 2014 RoboCop is nearer to reality than fantasy , and this give far rise to the more moral questions that are scratch on the surface, and fail to have the deep moral discussion that could have been explored.

Actor Joel Kinnaman is the wounded police officer transformed into the Crime-Fighting Cyborg, to say the acting by him was emotional or wooden in parts , is only to say he did exactly what was required of him in the script.

Actor Gary Oldman is once again amazing , did not recognize him until after the film was over and the credits rolled. 

While Samuel L Jackson must have been pissed , spending days in front of a blue screen , only interaction was with Michael Keaton .

At the end of the day , the truth is , the special effects are the star of the film ,  and as a result the story feels like it suffered . In 1987 where more of the action was done in real , the 2014 digital special effects add to the excitement , and the dialogue to establish character and story-line was not there .

An opening sequence, with the occupation of Tehran by American force , don't expect a box office bump from it's release in IRAN.

With a run time of less than two hours , I felt a lot more could have been included , and I hope to see much more in an extended DVD . But definitely a must see on the big screen , if just for the roller coaster ride of action , car chases and special effects .

Digicel Imax, WoodBrook, Port-of-Spain

Jack Ryan : Shadow Recruit

Poster

IMDB : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1205537/

In an era of James Bond, Jason Bourne and the numerous spy genre movies, this Jack Ryan's reboot is added to the pile of spy movies. The question is are we a spy movie viewers anymore ? The plot of economic disaster to be put upon the USA, and a threat of a SECOND DEPRESSION never seemed feasible. After the bursting of the recent Housing bubble, if that did not bring down the USA economic system , no evil Russian Dr.No villain will .

Jack Ryan, the blue eyed boy scout, can do no wrong , analyst protagonist is promoted to field-operative, which feels like such a stretch, it is not bought by the audience.

Viktor Cherevin, (Kenneth Branagh) an enigmatic Russian businessman, out to destroy the world falls flat. A big building and a unsecured computer network, does not make a super villain.

Cathy Muller, played by Keira Knightley, as usual seems to be there for distraction and decoration, feeding into the damsel in distress syndrome.

Is Jack Ryan, Superman ? Could he die ? I do not believe at any time during the movie he was in jeopardy, he will not die or be injured . This leaves you in a state of disbelief , basically a major scene to make him human , turns him into a do-it-all marine , although emotionally scarred .

The Action sequences are unexciting, I think some people in the cinema were actually yawning . The car chases are without moments of thrill ( see Fast & Furious series ), Villian vs Hero dialogue is absent ; everything required to setup an action spy thriller. To the point where you believe it is accountant vs accountant spy thriller .

Did Director Kenneth Branagh fail ? Did actors Chris Pine or Kevin Costner fail ? I do not think so, the film falters in the script, where nothing is truly believable.