Robocop 2 (1990)
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34% of critics liked it
(32 reviews) -
37% of users liked it
(85,881 ratings)
The serialized story structure and barbed social commentary from comic book creator and co-writer Frank Miller earned critical respect in this satirical science fiction sequel directed by Irvin Kershner. Peter Weller returns as RoboCop, a futuristic cyborg fashioned from cutting-edge technology and… More The serialized story structure and barbed social commentary from comic book creator and co-writer Frank Miller earned critical respect in this satirical science fiction sequel directed by Irvin Kershner. Peter Weller returns as RoboCop, a futuristic cyborg fashioned from cutting-edge technology and the biological remains of slain Detroit police officer, Alex Murphy. Still patrolling the city streets, RoboCop is scheduled by his creator, Omni Consumer Products, to be replaced by a new "superior" model, RoboCop 2, that according to designer Juliette Faxx (Belinda Bauer), will contain the human remains not of a cop but a criminal. In the meantime, an instantly addictive drug called Nuke is sweeping through Detroit thanks to a kingpin named Cain (Tom Noonan). Taking Cain to task, RoboCop is captured and dismantled. When he's put back together, the cyborg is reprogrammed with a series of socially conscious commands (in a sly mocking of the then relatively new concept of "political correctness") that render him impotent as a law enforcer. Taking charge by rewiring himself with an electrical overload, RoboCop arrests Cain, who is injured in the process. Faxx secretly takes Cain's brain and inserts it into RoboCop 2, turning the robot immediately into a law-breaking murder machine and leading to a violent showdown between two generations of robotic crime-fighters. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- R, 1 hr. 57 min.
- Directed By
- Irvin Kershner
- Genres
- Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy
- In Theaters
- Jun 22, 1990 Wide
- On DVD
- Oct 22, 1997
- Studio
- MGM
Critic Reviews
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Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Everything in the first movie is pretty much redone again. But in this case, the repetition isn't a bad thing.
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
RoboCop 2 is all machine, and it's all vile.
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, Variety
This ultraviolent, nihilistic sequel has enough technical dazzle to impress hardware fans, but obviously no one in the Orion front office told filmmakers that less is more.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The movie's screenplay is a confusion of half-baked and unfinished ideas.
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Hal Hinson, Washington Post
With its desensitizing blood lust, RoboCop 2 contributes yet another ugly note to this already demoralizing season of sadism.
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Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness
Rehashes the satiric and character-based concerns of its superior predecessor.
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Chris Cabin, Slant Magazine
If nothing else, The RoboCop Trilogy should afford sufficient proof of the immense differences between Paul Verhoeven and the trigger-happy, run-of-the-mill action directors he is often lumped in with.
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Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
I'll maintain that RoboCop 2 is a worthy sequel, though with every fresh viewing I see more of its faults and scatterbrained structure.
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Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Still compelling action sci-fi, due to Weller's character.
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Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily
An unfairly maligned sequel that's just as edgy and exciting as the original.
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David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
You almost have to admire Robocop 2 for undermining everything its predecessor stood for with an incredible sense of single-mindedness.
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
The plot rambles on for almost an hour and half of mayhem and killing, getting old in a hurry.
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...the film forsakes most of its progenitor's lighthearted yet moving emotional appeal and replaces it with gunfire, car chases, and explosions.
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James Brundage, Filmcritic.com
George Orwell has to be turning over in his grave
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
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Eric A
Because I grew up on these movies, I liked it. Not the best acting, but still cool. -
Curtis L
Spot Collins from Newsies plays a murdering drug pusher 11 year old. Can't beat that. Also, Tom Noohan plays a killer robot that is fueled by drugs. And at the end, there is an epic hour long robot fight...that makes it lose some points. But in the end, this still has plenty of… More
Spot Collins from Newsies plays a murdering drug pusher 11 year old. Can't beat that. Also, Tom Noohan plays a killer robot that is fueled by drugs. And at the end, there is an epic hour long robot fight...that makes it lose some points. But in the end, this still has plenty of fun robo cop good times. -
Keiko A
Directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy and Belinda Bauer. Not near as good as the first that has got to be one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made but still this is decent and well-made not like it's 3rd that has got to be one… More
Directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy and Belinda Bauer. Not near as good as the first that has got to be one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made but still this is decent and well-made not like it's 3rd that has got to be one of the worst movies ever made. I like the whole concept and idea of a drug war but I did find some things to ne unfinished and more needed. After a successful deployment of the Robocop Law Enforcement unit, OCP sees its goal of urban pacification come closer and closer. But as this develops, a new narcotic known as "Nuke" invades the streets led by God-delirious leader Kane. As this menace grows, it may prove to be too much for Murphy to handle. OCP tries to replicate the success of the first unit, but ends up with failed prototypes with suicidal issues... until Dr. Faxx, a scientist straying away from OCP's path uses Kane as the new subject for the Robocop 2 project, a living God. [IMG]http://i51.tinypic.com/125lu8g.jpg[/IMG] I didn't mind it's cooperating story idea and my future look but it's still okay I guess. 70% for story: It has some interesting idea of a new drug that is consuming people but still never will be as good as the first's epic idea. 65% for acting: It's not perfect but its okay and just above average our lead is okay but not like the first. 80% for special effects: There are some great effects and some epic stop motion but that's about it. Some blood and gore but still... 65% for characters: I like them kind of; Robocop is one of the best characters ever. 70% for everything else: It has some gritty settings and some awesome action but that's it. Not as good as the first still decent and that's about and still enjoyable I guess. Keiko's score 71-100 -
xGary X
OCP instigate a police strike in order to cause Old Detroit to tear itself apart so they can make a hostile takeover and take the entire city private. One of Frank Miller's earliest movie scripts, Robocop 2 is a bit of a strange mess of ideas, some of which work while others are… More
OCP instigate a police strike in order to cause Old Detroit to tear itself apart so they can make a hostile takeover and take the entire city private. One of Frank Miller's earliest movie scripts, Robocop 2 is a bit of a strange mess of ideas, some of which work while others are just cringeworthy. Subtlety is kicked right out of the park as the inhabitants of Old Detroit are to a man, gun-toting, mohicaned heavy metal obsessed psychopaths and crimelords are drug dealing, foul-mouthed 10 year old boys with machine guns. In fact it's a classic case of a writer thinking that filling a script with swearing and violence makes it "adult" where in fact it could not be more juvenile. It also misses the black-hearted satire of the original film that made it work so well, and some of the cheesy sentimentality is just laughable. On the other hand, the parodying of underhanded corporate practices that undermine democracy and avoid legal responsibility is actually quite clever and the characterisation of Murphy who has to come to terms with what he has become and its moral implications is interesting if not satisfyingly explored. It also has a few (albeit unsubtle) laughs and the model-based effects although dated have a real old school, kitsch charm. As a whole it's very hit and miss, but it entertains on a purely nostalgic level and the producers of the Iron Man franchise were obviously impressed, having procured more than a couple of its ideas for their projects. -
Jeff "
Lacking the style of the first film, Robocop 2 feels like a quickly put together sequel to cash in on the success of the first one. Theres nothing really interesting here, just a wasted opportunity to make a good film. The film falls short on creative ideas, and Robocop acts more and… More
Lacking the style of the first film, Robocop 2 feels like a quickly put together sequel to cash in on the success of the first one. Theres nothing really interesting here, just a wasted opportunity to make a good film. The film falls short on creative ideas, and Robocop acts more and more human (which is very idiotic in my opinion because it makes him look more like a joke than anything else) How can you take a robot that talks like a human seriously? The filmmakers stripped away everything that was stellar and exciting about the first film, and conjured up a watered down version of Robocop, that works more like a comedy than an action film. -
Tsubaki S
Seems to be innevitable that sequels to great movies devolve into parodies of themselves in some way or shape. Not that it's a bad thing per se, Robocop 2 is a bit of hit and miss with the material, but i still had fun. Tom Noonan was perfectly used for all it's creepiness. -
Tim S
Insane sequel. -
Conner R
Not an amazing movie or quite as innovative as the first, but it still has all of the fun and insanity. The story got a little bit more cartoonish and the characters weren't as complex as they seemed to be in the first. In the end, it is a very good sequel and quite possibly the… More
Not an amazing movie or quite as innovative as the first, but it still has all of the fun and insanity. The story got a little bit more cartoonish and the characters weren't as complex as they seemed to be in the first. In the end, it is a very good sequel and quite possibly the best direction for the series. -
Anthony L
This was pretty good as sequels go I thought! -
Jason O
Most sequels to great movies aren't very good, but "Robocop 2" is an exception. Robocop (Peter Weller) returns to rid the city of criminals. In this sequel, he's ultimately after the drug lord of the city, Cain (Tom Noonan). But the road to finding Cain won't… More
Most sequels to great movies aren't very good, but "Robocop 2" is an exception. Robocop (Peter Weller) returns to rid the city of criminals. In this sequel, he's ultimately after the drug lord of the city, Cain (Tom Noonan). But the road to finding Cain won't come easy, especially not after Robocop gets torn to pieces by some of Cain's people. However, Robocop does finally meet Cain face to face, except that Cain isn't human anymore, he's a cyborg just like Robocop himself, and an evil one at that. I don't see how anybody could give "Robocop 2" a bad rating because it's a great sequel. It has a little bit of dark humor such as a commercial where a woman puts on blue suntan lotion that has a caution reading: "Using this too much can cause cancer." And best of all it has spectacular action sequences, especially after Robocop and Cain finally meet and start fighting each other. The special effects are great, and Robocop 2 (Cain as a robot) is especially well done with all his weapons and the computer that acts as Cain's brain. If you like great action movies or if you liked the first "Robocop," I recommend getting "Robocop 2" without thinking twice. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001. -
Ken S
Not nearly as good as the first but still fun. The brain with eye balls is quite choice. -
Phil H
A real let down, how did they do it? the effects look awful, the baddies are poor and the story is not really effective. There really aren't any highlights here, cant understand what went wrong. -
Chris G
Peter Weller returns as the low rent Terminator in Robocop 2, the mediocre sequel to the 1987 action film. This time our hero is on the trail of the source of a new drug called Nuke. Meanwhile OCP (the company that built Robocop) plan on manuevering their contract with the city into… More
Peter Weller returns as the low rent Terminator in Robocop 2, the mediocre sequel to the 1987 action film. This time our hero is on the trail of the source of a new drug called Nuke. Meanwhile OCP (the company that built Robocop) plan on manuevering their contract with the city into total ownership and creation of a mechanic utopia. Eventually both plots cross paths. Robocop 2 was directed by Irvin Kershner based on a story and screenplay by Frank Miller. With a combo like that you figure the film would be a great action piece with some actual character development dealt in. You get anything but in this film. Most characters tend to be standard rehashes of the ones in the original film with the one notable exception being the young foul mouthed boy who seems to be the most ruthless of them all. Otherwise you saw it all in the first film. I was intrigued by a sub plot about Robocop stalking his widowed wife, but that runs it course in the first ten minutes. An interesting plot stonewalls into a remake. The special effects were very disappointing. Most look like a Robotech figure with an aluminum foil covered G.I. Joe riding on its back. There are interesting computer graphics, but they're used on one of the most ridiculous looking robots ever seen. And he fires for five to ten minutes without reloading his ammo. And another thing- you would think after the big failure of a robot in the first film they would not give him in ammo in its demonstration. Oh yeah, he needs to shoot the place up for the big battle. Robocop 2 was entertaining in a mush brain sort of way. You know it's not a good movie, but damn it I love to see stuff blow up. Bang. -
Alexander W
Much more better than the first film. More in depth Sci Fi Scenes and stronger character. -
Lafe F
A few steps down in excitement from the first, we have RoboCop (Peter Weller) going up against a crime drug gang, led by Cain (Tom Noonan) a strange head-in-a-robot life-support system. Strange that Irvine Kershner also directed this film; the story seemed long and uninteresting. I… More
A few steps down in excitement from the first, we have RoboCop (Peter Weller) going up against a crime drug gang, led by Cain (Tom Noonan) a strange head-in-a-robot life-support system. Strange that Irvine Kershner also directed this film; the story seemed long and uninteresting. I was suprised, there were NO opening titles of any sort on this movie; it just begins. Here is where I got off the RoboCop ride. -
Dean !
A pretty good follow up to the original. Just as gritty and violent as the first but missing a certain spark from the first. The SFX are starting to look a bit dated now as well. -
Cassandra M
Not good than "RoboCop", just different "RoboCop 2" , the sequel to 1987's ultra-violent "RoboCop", is not quite up to par with its predecessor. The film still manages to entertain on a large level. I know that a lot of people do not like this… More
Not good than "RoboCop", just different "RoboCop 2" , the sequel to 1987's ultra-violent "RoboCop", is not quite up to par with its predecessor. The film still manages to entertain on a large level. I know that a lot of people do not like this movie, but I personally think it is still pretty good. I'm not writing a review of this movie, I am just expressing my thoughts on it. First off, this movie is a lot more violent than the first "RoboCop". You get scenes of bloody shootings, grisly scenes of torture, and a surgery which I'd rather let you see for yourself than describe here. Paul Verhoeven does not return to shock his audience with graphic violence and ultra dark humor, which has since become trademark in his films. The director this time is Irvin Kershner, who made "The Empire Strikes Back" nearly ten years before this movie. Kershner seems to focus a lot more on action, rather than story. Second, the movie's villain, Cain (Tom Noonan), to me is a direct opposite of Clarence Boddicker (the villain from the first film who was played by Kurtwood Smith). Cain enjoys giving people pleasure (through his highly addictive designer drug called Nuke) while Boddicker was a sadist who took pleasure in the death and suffering of others. (Though after Cain's "transformation", none of this really matters). Lastly, this movie does not exploit children. The kid in this movie, Hob (played by Garbriel Damon) is Cain's twelve year-old side kick. He is a violent, foul-mouthed little child who runs errands for Cain. The writers for this movie did this intentionally, to show that crime holds no age barrier. Regardless of age, crime is crime. Like I said, "RoboCop 2" is not trying to be better than its predecessor, it's just trying to be something different. -
Michael G
This movie kicked so much ass when I was 15 but when I caught about 15 minutes of it on cable a few months ago I could only weep for the past. -
danny d
should have left it at 1 -
Jason S
I liked it.
Cast
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Peter Welleras Robocop -
Nancy Allenas Anne Lewis -
Dan O'Herlihyas Old Man
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Belinda Baueras Dr. Juliette Faxx -
Tom Noonanas Cain -
Galyn Gorgas Angie
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Gabriel Damonas Hob -
Felton Perryas Donald Johnson -
Stephen Leeas Duffy
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Willard E. Pughas Mayor Kuzak -
Roger Aaron Brownas Whitaker -
Patricia Charbonneauas Lab technician Garcia
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Jeff McCarthyas Holzgang -
Wanda De Jesusas Estevez -
John Doolittleas Schenk
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Ken Lerneras Delaney -
Fabiana Udenioas Sunblock Woman -
John Gloveras Magnavolt Salesman
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Mario Machadoas Casey Wong -
Leeza Gibbonsas Jess Perkins -
Yogi Bairdas Contortionist
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Charles Baileyas Angry Citizen -
Bill Bolenderas Cabbie -
Angie Bollingas Ellen Murphy
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Gary Bullockas Hack Doctor -
Martin Casellaas Yuppie -
Lily Chen Chingas Desperate Woman
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George Kee Cheungas Gillette -
Erik Cordas Angry Citizen -
Rutherford Cravensas Reporter
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Wayne de Hartas Vendor -
Robert DoQuias Sgt. Reed -
Adam Faraizlas Little League Kid
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Lila Finnas Old Woman -
Ed Geldartas Electronics Store Owner -
Eric Glennas Injured Cop
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John Hateleyas Purse Snatcher -
John Ingleas Surgeon General -
Tzi Maas Tak Akita
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Cynthia Mackeyas Surgeon -
James McQueensas Dr. Weltman -
Michael Medeirosas Catzo
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Wallace Merckas Gun Shop Owner -
Jerry Nelsonas Darren Thomas -
Jo Perkinsas Angry Citizen
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Jimmy Ray Pickensas Mesnick -
Christopher Quintenas Reporter -
Richard Reyesas Angry Citizen
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Mark Rolstonas Stef -
Thomas Rosales Jr.as Chet -
Phil Rubensteinas Poulos
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Justin Seidneras Brat -
Clinton Austin Shirleyas Jimmy Murphy -
Brandon Smith (I)as Flint
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Gage Tarrantas Hooker -
Linda Thompsonas Mother with Baby -
Woody Watsonas OCP Security
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David Dwyeras Little League Coach -
Michael Welleras OCP Security

