ROBOCOP: DARK JUSTICE (2001) **

After three theatrical films, a cartoon, and a TV show, Robocop was once again resurrected for television as Robocop:  Prime Directives, a series of four Made for TV movies.  This was the first entry.  Page Fletcher plays Robocop, who is down in the dumps because it’s his (tenth) birthday.  He soon finds himself at a moral crossroads when someone messes with his programming and orders him to kill his former partner John Cable (Maurice Dean Wint).  Meanwhile, Cable’s ex-wife Sara (Maria del Mara) has created a cabal of executives within OCP and plots an overthrow of the company. 

Sure, it’s a low budget TV show, but a lot of it still seems relevant today with the anti-AI sentiment and the fact that the yuppie corporate guy’s plan is more or less like Elon Musk’s DOGE bullshit.  It’s also interesting that the police have been defunded so they only carry non-lethal alternatives like mace and tasers, but Robo is still able to pack heat.  That said, if you were unhappy with the watered-down cartoonish world of Robocop 3, you’ll probably hate this.  There’s a laughable villain called “Bone Machine” that looks ridiculous and says stupid shit like, “You’re boned, baby!”  Plus, many of the attempts at satire fall flat.  (There’s a bank called “Chelsea Clinton Savings and Loan”.)  The “Media Break” moments are kind of fun though.  This time they are updated for the World Wide Web and feature pop-up ads selling things like DVDs of “Robocop’s Greats Hits” and an all-John Malkovich Channel (not a bad idea).

Fletcher (who starred in the HBO series, The Hitchhiker, a show that original Robocop director Paul Verhoeven helmed a few episodes for) isn’t all that great in the lead and his Robo voice takes some time getting used to.  The constant flashbacks of him before he became Robocop seem less like character development and more of a cost cutting measure.  (You know, so they don’t have to haul out the Robo suit.)  Speaking of the suit, it’s a definite downgrade from the theatrical movies, but I did like the way they dinged it up to make it seem lived in. 

All in all, Robocop:  Dark Justice is what it is:  An inferior TV version of an all-time classic hard-R movie.  If you can come to grips with that you might like it.  Ultimately, it’s one of those “good news, bad news” scenarios.  For every fun moment or semi-interesting element (like Robocop’s now grown son working for OCP), there’s at least one or two corny bits that throw cold water on everything.  I’ll probably return to the series and watch the rest of the movies eventually, but I can honestly tell you I’m in no particular rush to do so. 

AKA:  Robocop:  Prime Directives:  AKA:  Robocop:  Prime Directives:  Dark Justice.